Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As Chicagoans endure the most severe artic temperatures in years, thousands of residents are going without heat because they are unable to pay their utility bills. Tomorrow I will introduce in the Chicago City Council a measure that will provide utility bill relief to thousands of low-income Chicagoans.
Under my proposal, ten percent of the revenues from the City's natural gas utility tax and electric use tax would be placed in a fund to help low-income Chicago residents pay their utility bills.
Too many Chicagoans are faced with the unconscionable choice of feeding their families or keeping the heat and lights on. The recent subzero temperatures mean that heating costs will skyrocket for all Chicagoans, leaving our most vulnerable residents susceptible to utility shut-offs.
Low-income households currently receive assistance in paying their utility bills from the federally funded Low Income Heat and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Because of limited funding, only 20 percent of eligible Chicago households received any assistance, and even when assistance was available, the average LIHEAP grant covered less than 30 percent of the average residential heating bill.
My proposal would supplement LIHEAP with funds from the City's utility taxes. Those funds would then be used to help Chicagoans avoid gas and electricity shut-offs. Chicago's 2007 budget projects over $207 million in revenue from the utility taxes, which means that my proposal could result in over $20 million in additional energy assistance to low income households.
The city's utility taxes are calculated as a percentage of customers' bills. More extreme weather means higher natural gas and electricity bills, and consequently more utility tax revenue for the City.
If the City is going to derive more revenue from increased utility bills, shouldn't that windfall be used to help those residents most harmed by the higher rates?
Over 19,000 Chicago households began the current heating season without natural gas service. Lives are lost every year because families who are disconnected from utility service try desperate means to keep the heat and lights on. We need to do everything we can to prevent this human suffering.
Very truly yours,
Joe Moore
12 comments:
Moore can issue all the press releases he wants, the Ramirez children are gone
Hugh, I was just thinking about those poor dead babies today ( yes, they are babies to me). Joe, "Out, out dark spot." Look it up.
RP60645 - Please join the neighborhood as a court advocate to let it be known that we do not want Jay Johnson here.
Tuesday, March 6th at 9:30 a.m. at the Daley Plaza Building court room # 1103. Jay Johnson did not have working smoke alarms in his building plus there were other building code violations that had been neglected by Mr. Johnson.
Let's make sure Ward 49 FINALLY learns how to deal with slumlords and the City learns to Finish What It Starts. Fines, Slaps On The Hands, and Plea Bargains do not cut it. How many buildings have slid through the system thanks to lawyers?
I think the slogan "Too Little - Too Late" is one that Joe should use for his campaign.
Guess what joe? it is "TOO LATE" for you. Joey get your shine box!
The future of the 49th ward does not have yoy in it!!
I hope all of you spread the word as to what a piece of human garbage Joe Moore is for putting out such a statement.
Yes, let's certainly help those in need. But I also have to question how many people with Satalite Dishes and Cable TV will sign up to get free utilities. Or how many will have make a cellular phone plan before payment before their gas and electric bills. Let's be certain that the utility bill payments don't become another welfare gravy train.
Moore is trying to immunize himself in case there is another fire
I'm not sure that Joe is thinking clearly these days. He's getting His butt kicked in the debates and now He needs to spend lots and lots of money to get everyone's attention.
Or in this case, flood our email boxes with wasted words.
Unfortunately, Joe's language in the press release is misguided and intended to create fear. Something that I have been opposing since I became His intern. Somedays I think I may be behind the wrong guy.
By law, if we are in "artic temperatures" the utility cannot be turned off.
And I'm a little nervous that if Joe tries to help the poor, then people will think He's Ginderske.
Here's something that Joe's email doesn't state:
Winter Shutoff Rules
A utility cannot shut you off when the temperature is below 32 degrees. Also, the ICC has a special set of rules governing gas and electric utility shutoffs that occur during the winter.
"Winter" is defined as December 1 through and including March 31 of the next year.
During the winter, the following rules apply when the utility seeks to shut off your service:
* The utility must first send you a shut off notice at least six business days before termination. This notice must:
- Offer you a more liberal deferred payment arrangement. They can require no more than 10% of the balance due as a down payment, and must give you at least 4 months to pay the balance.
- Offer you a levelized payment plan for future bills. Under this plan, the utility calculates a monthly average amount to cover the estimated annual cost of service.
- Notify you of government and private agencies that may provide assistance in paying utility bills.
* The utility cannot make you pay more than 20% down on any deposit it requires and must allow you an additional 4 months to pay the rest of the deposit.
* The utility cannot refuse to offer you a deferred payment arrangement because you defaulted on another DPA within the past 12 months. However, the utility does not have to offer you a DPA more than once during the winter period.
* If you will be receiving an energy assistance grant and you ask the utility, your grant amount will be deducted from the balance due under the DPA. This has the effect of reducing the amount of your monthly payments.
www.illinoisprobono.org
To the Alderman's newest Intern,
Did Rodney help you could figure this out? Anyway, you're sooo right Ms. Smarty Pants.
The language in the press release also DOES NOT address the issue of undocumented immigrants like the Rameriz family either.
How are they going to to be saved from 'Old Man' Winter, Ms. Intern?
Signed,
Mr. Brokenheart
Didn't I see Moore down at the Border, telling the Ramirez family to cross illegally and come to Chicago. Oh and didn't I see Moore at their building with that box of matches. We all mourned that horrible event. Where is your outrage at ComEd, Peoples Gas, and the freaking system. Lets get this straight, you mock the big box living wage deal, so you encourage the exploiting of illegals for corp profit. But you bitch at the local guy, LOUDLY, but you have nothing for a US government that provides cheap labor for it's bib biz buddies, but of course it's always Moores fault.
Tap tap, is this mic working? Is this thing on? Is anybody out there thinking this though?
Roxy
Morse man, et al,
Joe Moore thinks (and, I fear, knows) that a lot people in the 49th Ward ARE buffoons, or are at least, gullable and extremely uninformed. He is counting on it. That is why he has stayed in office for 16 years. Hopefully, the number of buffoons (Joe Moore supporters) this time around is under 50%.
Joe Moore has drug his ass on the ground for the last 16 years here in Rogers Park, and if it weren't for the community groups pushing for projects we still would have nothing but future promises and statistics about lower crime which is nothing but a lie to all of us.
He takes credit for single handed getting the Howard L Stop revitalized, the Howard Community Center being built, and all the prosperity that hides behind moldy, boarded up buildings everywhere in the 49th Ward.
I ask that his cover-up for Jay Johnson and the tragic loss of lives will open peoples eyes and minds before we waste another 4 years for Rogers Park on someone so corrupt and sickening.
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