Detroit Greens a local of the Green Party of Michigan

Dear MWRO Utilities Committee,

Last Thursday, a team of negotiators from MWRO met with DTE, and they have made major concessions (see below for details). However, we are continuing to put the pressure on them to eliminate ALL wintertime shut-offs. Therefore our next Resurrection March will be:

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, noon-1 p.m.
DTE Headquarters
Bagley and Third Streets
(Near MGM Grand Casino)

best,
Ann Rall
MWRO Utilities Committee

RESULTS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS (FEBRUARY 11)
As a result of our negotiations on February 11, DTE is claiming that in the next 2-3 weeks, they will be ready to restore lights and gas for three specific populations:
1) Low income households (low income means poor ? it doesn?t describe a person who works at a high paying job who spends all their pay at the casino, so now they are penniless.)
2) Seniors (62 and over)
3) Disabled persons (must be receiving disability benefits?SDA, SSI, SSDI. It does not count if you have a pending application).

Service has to be in that person?s name, or proof has to be submitted that a person from this category LIVES with you, i.e. your disabled mother, or your elderly grandma, or children placed in your custody by the courts, etc.

You will be expected to suggest a self-imposed budget that is based on your income that you can afford?around 10% of the household income for a combined light and gas bill. (Example: a person who receives SSI gets approx. $675 /mo. Ten percent of that would mean a monthly DTE payment of $67.00). If this plan is defaulted on by residents, we cannot help you so make certain that the payment plan you arrive at is affordable.

If you are a member of one of these groups, contact Case Management- (800) 545-8046 - to make arrangements for immediate reconnection. Documentation will be critical, so have available written proof that you receive help through the Dept. of Human Services (DHS), or SSI benefits, or Unemployment Benefits, or Food Stamps.

DTE will also contact you about helping you file a Home Heating Tax Credit to further help reduce your back bill.

Our negotiations are continuing?We are working to restore the plan once used which allows DHS to apply an automatic DTE payment for all Food Stamp/Medicaid recipients without your having to make a physical application. Last, there will soon be a total community campaign with a post card inside of your monthly bill. It is designed to ask the federal government to provide special funds to help our community in this critical time when so many are unable to pay these rising utility costs. Whether you are behind on your DTE bill or not, we will ask that you sign that card and send it back so we can get $$ from Washington, D.C. to help get us all down to a zero balance!

If you still have questions, call MI Welfare Rights: (313) 964-0618.