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标题: [转载] 93岁老人欠费被停电 活活冻死家中 [打印本页]

作者: 梦冉     时间: 2009-1-29 08:53     标题: [转载] 93岁老人欠费被停电 活活冻死家中

据香港《文汇报》报道,美国密歇根州的93岁独居老翁舒尔,日前因为欠缴约1000美元电费而被电力公司限制供电,在摄氏0度的低温下活生生冻死于家中。州司法部门已就老翁死因展开调查。

  舒尔生前独居在密歇根州贝城,膝下无儿,妻子则于多年前去世。报道指,当地电力公司于1月13日以欠缴电费为由,在舒尔家外安装了一个限制供电装置。只要用电量超过一定限度,供电便会自动中断。

  装置安装4天后,有邻居发现舒尔冻死于家中床边。当时屋内气温只有0度,就连厨房洗碗盘内的水都已结冰。法医表示,舒尔死去的过程是“又慢又痛苦”,“他的手指脚趾会先感到火烧般的疼痛,继而全身失去知觉。整个过程长达多个小时。”
作者: thesunlover     时间: 2009-1-29 19:09
此种“坏人坏事”在美国也时有发生,好在有人管,弱势群体有冤情有地方讲理,
上法院,告他狗日的,而不用千里迢迢去上访,然后被当作社会渣滓关进拘留所。
作者: thesunlover     时间: 2009-1-30 20:28
美国93岁老人欠电费被冻死 中共喉舌隐瞒细节

猫眼看人

中国媒体《XXX》报道了美国93岁老人因为欠费而冻死的新闻,为此编辑查看了英文原报道,发现中文报道刻意“忽视”了其中一些细节。

  1、老人被停电,是因为电力公司安装了欠费停电的装置,限制金额是1000美元。1000美元的电费,大概是这个寒冷地区普通家庭一个冬天的取暖电费。更为重要的是:这个装置只是让电掉闸,用户到屋外重新开一下就可以继续使用。(做为警告?)

  2、这个老人不缺钱,死后发现他桌子上很多钱。

  3、老人家并不是用电取暖,而是烧煤气。问题是没有电,煤气燃烧装置有点问题。这样看,这个老人欠费应该超过2年多了,美国冰箱、电灯用电,每月一般不会超过40美元。

  4、该市除了要马上调查,还下令停止了所有限电装置。

  中文媒体应该关心中国人,片面歪曲报道国外事件,忽视国内百姓疾苦,除了蒙骗世人,还有一个很大的负作用,就是使得中国人看不到光明,因为天下一般黑,坏人会缺少负罪感,受苦的会觉得一切正常。过去60年,中国人逐渐根据官方媒体编造的虚假宣传,学习了西方一切黑暗的东西,西方文明、优秀的东西则被掩盖和丢弃。简单一句话:西方人不是那么的无情,相反,远比中国有人情味。就以此新闻的英文报道为例,此事发生后,人们的愤怒,政府的立即行动,足以说明问题。假设,一个有钱的中国人,欠电费2年,而取暖不是用电,这个人被暂时断电,他可以到屋外重新开启供电(美国是每户外面有电表等装置),如果冻死了,人们如何反应?政府如何反应?媒体是否会报道?

  同一篇英文报道提到,该地一户因为不让狗进屋而要受刑事起诉。

  中英文媒体的报道都全文附在下面:

  美国93岁老人因欠费被停电 被冻死家中

  星岛网

  美国密歇根州的93岁独居老翁舒尔,日前因为欠缴约1000美元电费而被电力公司限制供电,最后在摄氏0度的低温下活生生冻死于家中。当地司法部门已就老翁死因展开调查。

  据香港《文汇报》报道,舒尔生前独居在密歇根州贝城,膝下无儿,妻子则于多年前去世。报道指,当地电力公司于1月13日以欠缴电费为由,在舒尔家外安装了一个限制供电装置。只要用电量超过一定限度,供电便会自动中断。

  装置安装4天后,有邻居发现舒尔冻死于家中床边。当时屋内气温只有0度,就连厨房洗碗盘内的水都已结冰。法医表示,舒尔死去的过程是“又慢又痛苦”,“他的手指脚趾会先感到火烧般的疼痛,继而全身失去知觉。整个过程长达多个小时。”

  Freezing death of Mich. man in house sparks anger

  By DAVID EGGERT, Associated Press Writer David Eggert, Associated Press Writer – Wed Jan 28, 7:08 pm ET AP – People stand in front of Marvin Schur's home in Bay City, Mich., Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009. Schur, 93, froze … BAY CITY, Mich. – When neighbors went inside Marvin Schur's house, the windows were frosted over, icicles hung from a faucet, and the 93-year-old World War II veteran lay dead on the bedroom floor in a winter jacket over four layers of clothing.

  He froze to death — slowly and painfully, authorities say — days after the electric company installed a power-limiting device because of more than $1,000 in unpaid bills.

  The old man's sad end two weeks ago has led to outrage, soul-searching and a resolve never to let something like this happen again.

  "There's got to be a way in today's computer age they can find out if someone's over a certain age," said Chad Sepos, 37, a copy machine installer who lives a block away in this Lake Huron city of 34,000 people, about 90 miles from Detroit. "It's just sad."

  One of the saddest things of all was that Schur appeared to have plenty of money, and, in fact, one of the neighbors who entered the home reported seeing cash clipped to a pile of bills on the kitchen table. Schur's nephew suggested the old man's mind may have been slipping.

  Schur, or "Mutts," was a retired foundry worker who lived alone, his wife having died a couple of years ago. The couple had no children. He could often be seen through the big front window of his comfortably furnished home of 50 or 60 years, watching TV or keeping an eye on his neighborhood.

  On Jan. 13, a worker with the city-owned utility installed a "limiter" on Schur's electric meter after four months of unpaid bills. The device restricts power and blows like a fuse if usage rises past a set level. Electricity is not restored until the device is flipped back on by the homeowner, who must walk outside to the meter.

  City Electric Light & Power did not contact Schur face-to-face to notify him of the device and explain how it works, instead following its usual policy by leaving a note on the door. But neighbors said Schur rarely, if ever, left the house in the cold.

  At some point, the device evidently tripped and was not reset, authorities said. Schur's home was heated by a gas furnace, not electricity, but some gas furnaces do not work properly if the power is out.

  Neighbors discovered Schur's body on Jan. 17 in his home, a yellow house with peeling paint. The outside temperature ranged from a high of 12 degrees to a low of minus 9 on Jan. 15, the day he was believed to have died. A heating pad was on his favorite armchair by the window. The oven door was open, perhaps to heat the place.

  "The body has a tremendous fighting power for survival. He died a slow, painful death," said Dr. Kanu Virani, who found frostbite on Schur's foot when performing the autopsy. Investigators are trying to establish how long he was without electricity.

  City officials are reviewing their procedures and in the meantime have suspended shutoffs and removed all limiters from homes after using the devices for 18 years.

  The medical examiner is looking into whether Schur suffered from dementia, particularly after police found enough cash lying around in the home to cover his bills. His nephew William Walworth said Schur told him two years ago he had $600,000 in savings.

  "It's definitely not a situation where money is an issue. The issue has to do with the mental faculties you have and your ability to make good decisions," said Walworth, 67, who lives in Ormond Beach, Fla.

  "I think the utility's policies are horrible and insane," he added. "For 50 years he paid the bill on a regular basis and never had problems. If people would know who their customers are and take concern for their customers, maybe they'd go knock on the door and see if everything is OK."

  Neighbors and others have posted messages on the Internet, complaining it was a shabby way to treat a veteran and demanding city employees be fired or prosecuted for not taking a few minutes to check on Schur, who was a medic in the South Pacific and earned a Purple Heart.

  One blogger noted that even a pet owner who leaves his dog outside to freeze can face charges.

  Sharon Gire, director of the Michigan Office of Services to the Aging, said Schur's death was preventable. "He was one of Michigan's most vulnerable citizens in need," she said. "It is a tragedy that he had to suffer such a painful death."

  Michigan's big, state-regulated utilities are not allowed to shut off power to senior citizens in the winter and must offer payment plans to the poor. State regulators also discourage the use of limiters. But Michigan's 41 smaller municipal utilities — Bay City's included — are not overseen by the state.

  Schur's death has prompted Michigan lawmakers to start writing legislation that could ban the use of limiters by municipal utilities.

  "The concern was particularly with elderly customers; they can be frail or confused," Public Service Commission spokeswoman July Palnau said. "Anything that can require some sort of mechanical intervention can be overwhelming."

  Bay City Manager Robert Belleman said that he was "deeply saddened" by Schur's death and that State Police will investigate. But he also said neighbors have a responsibility to each other.

  "I've said this before and some of my colleagues have said this: Neighbors need to keep an eye on neighbors," Belleman said. "When they think there's something wrong, they should contact the appropriate agency or city department."

  (根据国内实际情况转贴时有删节)
作者: 周宇     时间: 2009-1-30 21:30
这算什么,CNN去年播中国西藏的新闻时,岂止是断章取义,根本就是颠倒黑白、无中生有。
作者: 廖康     时间: 2009-1-30 23:30
太阳情人的求实精神和作风令我敬佩。
作者: 梦冉     时间: 2009-1-31 09:01
这个老人的遭遇让我想到几点,也坦白说一下吧。

在中国,孤寡老人都有受到街道居委会的关怀和照顾,民政系统有专门的资金拨付。这一点,美国确实没有做到。不仅美国,香港也没有。日本有一些老人联合协会,有雇员进行照顾,前些时候有一个日本新闻,说是有一家这样的协会将会费投资在美国雷蒙的股票上,雷蒙倒台后,这家协会只能节减开支,其中一项就是定时用电。

在美国,如果没有孩子,没有老伴,可怜又没有钱的老人,怎么养老呢?我还真怜悯他们,希望美国这个民主与自由的国家和社会能多关心这样的弱势团体。
作者: thesunlover     时间: 2009-1-31 13:35


引用:
Originally posted by 梦冉 at 2009-1-31 09:01:
在美国,如果没有孩子,没有老伴,可怜又没有钱的老人,怎么养老呢?

美国老人的生活几乎完全不能指望孩子,这我见得太多了。一年回来看父母一两次,就算是孝子贤孙了。

美国老人的经济、医疗政府都有保证,政府不保证精神问题,孤寂这是自由孤立的
代价。
作者: 一元     时间: 2009-2-7 06:07
[ZT] 下岗女工饿死床上五年多 变成一具白骨

重庆晚报


这扇门5年未被打开

  有亲人、有邻居、有同事,住在沙坪坝区白鹤林的重庆第二针织厂原职工、1964年出生的张苏玉却在家中死亡5年多才被发现,此时的她已成一具白骨。

  床上躺着骷髅

  本月以来,位于沙区白鹤林的重庆第二针织厂准备为职工宿舍楼换水管,安装一户一表。当工作人员来到白鹤林桥头堡5单元时,发现4—4号张苏玉家门久敲无人应答。

  昨上午10时,他们找到张苏玉的前夫陈于(化名)。陈说,他们已分居7年,之间不曾联系,也没有钥匙开张苏玉的门。最后,他们叫来开锁匠。打开门,一股霉臭味迎面扑来,屋内四处积满厚厚的尘土,再一看卧室,床上赫然躺着一具尸骸,破烂不堪的衣服下面竟是一副骨架——她就是张苏玉?死了多久了?惊骇中,人们慌忙拨打110。

  五年未见出门

  渝碚路派出所、沙区刑警支队民警迅速赶到现场,通过对死者衣物、身高、体型等情况的对比,初步认定死者就是重庆第二针织厂原职工张苏玉。根据现场勘查、法医出具的体检报告、化验单据等表明,张系自然死亡。

  据悉,张苏玉与丈夫分居后,一直单独住在厂里分配的这套两室一厅的宿舍里。该厂职工刘显扬(音)称,他负责收该单元的水费,最后一次收张的水费大约是 2000年3月份,之后每个月他都去收费,但再未敲开过张的家门。在调查中,民警发现,2000年8月,张苏玉曾交20多元钱的气费,这也是目前为止找到的最近一次张苏玉与外人打交道的记录。

  生前日记:很想吃肉

  张苏玉的家里摆设十分简单,没电视、电话,一台收音机是唯一的家电。在张家里,民警找到了她的一本相册,可以看出张苏玉年轻时非常漂亮,打扮也很时尚。

  民警透露,他们发现了张苏玉生前的一本日记,张在里面记录了当年生活的窘迫——“我已经几个月没吃肉了,好想吃烧白,好想吃回锅肉……”“我已经一个月没吃主食了……”最后一篇日记写于2000年7月。

  5单元楼下小卖部的老板说,几年前,张苏玉还曾下来买盐巴、味精,偶尔看见她提着小白菜路过。

   邻居:以为臭味发自阴沟

  住在5单元的邻居回忆说,2000年时,有好长一段时间,一股浓浓的臭味笼罩着该楼,由于楼旁是一座垃圾山,还有一条臭水沟,大家都以为是那里散发出的臭味。

  此后,邻居发现好久未见张苏玉,对张的“失踪”,左邻右舍却只是出现了不同版本的传言:有的说她出去打工了;有的说她长得漂亮又有间歇性的癫痫症,可能被人贩子拐去卖了;有的又说她自己改嫁了。

  亲人:以为回老家

  据了解,张苏玉生前并非孤家寡人——她有母亲、哥哥、姐姐、丈夫,还有一个女儿,他们大都住在沙区。5年来,这些亲人都没找过她、关心过她的生活?

  张苏玉的女儿称,最后一次见到妈妈还是她上小学五年级的时候,而今她已念高中了。父母分居后,她一直跟着爸爸,她曾经找过妈妈,没找到,以为她回河南老家了。

  昨下午,记者在张苏玉家楼下碰到她的前夫陈于,他将张生前用过的棉被、枕巾等扔到旁边的垃圾里烧掉。经了解,1998年7月,因感情不和,陈于与张苏玉分居,他也有5年没见到张。其间他曾四处打听张的下落,敲过张的家门,但没找到人也就放弃了。2004年,因张苏玉“失踪”多年,陈于到法院申请与张苏玉解除了婚姻关系。他压根儿没想到,离婚时,张苏玉早已离开了人世。

  “想当年她也是厂里的一枝花,没想到落到这种地步。”张过去的不少同事这样说道:“她有病,发病时要么骂人,要么不理人,且性格孤僻。要不是这样,或许人们早就发现她死了。”
作者: 一元     时间: 2009-2-7 06:10
64年生,多年轻啊,而且“可以看出张苏玉年轻时非常漂亮”,生前日记:“我已经几个月没吃肉了,好想吃烧白,好想吃回锅肉……”“我已经一个月没吃主食了……”




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