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> I'm beyond ok with this! Let backpressure into the market! The article brought up some downstream effects such as seniors choosing between paying for power o

> I'm beyond ok with this! Let backpressure into the market! The article brought up some downstream effects such as seniors choosing between paying for power or their meds. When we approve an outcome without addressing the consequences, we are effectively rubberstamping those consequences. I believe this doesn't serve us well.

SoftTalker 1y ago
They could also move to a place where they don't need 24x7 air conditioning running 10 months a year.
- Broken_Hippo 1y ago
  If someone is having to choose between power and medication, how could they get the money to move to this place?? They won't. Most folks aren't really that mobile and being poor makes this more likely. I'll also note that I live in such a place. Heck, I don't have air conditioning at all. But if I don't have heat in the winter, I'll die. It's cold out. Not many place have the luxury of not needing heating nor cooling - and even when some folks can go without, not all buildings are fit for that purpose. 2 windows on one side of an apartment doesn't make for good ventilation.
  - SoftTalker 1y ago
    > how could they get the money to move to this place Maybe we give it to them? They're very likely on subsidized income anyway, it's a one time cost and drop in the bucket to move them to someplace more affordable.
    - WarOnPrivacy 1y ago
      > Maybe we give it to them? Established funding sources tend to have long lines of applicants. Past that, if it's public funds, the rising political force is fiercely opposed to this - mostly for ideological reasons that are disconnected from actual outcomes.
    - el_benhameen 1y ago
      Have you ever met a senior? For most people, the world shrinks as they age: it’s harder to learn new routines, figure out how to do things, etc. just popping them out of a place where they have family, services, and routines into an entirely new place is a recipe for disaster.
      - SoftTalker 1y ago
        Well, let them swelter or go without their meds then? If they have so much family and support around, why are they struggling to pay for the AC?
        WarOnPrivacy 1y ago
        > If they have so much family and support around I think you're inventing stuff to say. The article said: "There's a lot of seniors down here that are living check to check. They can barely afford prescriptions such as myself," The people in poverty aren't the ones with the power here. The ones with the power are public officials, utility executives and voting shareholders. Their decisions drive how much more electricity costs than it needs to. Dozens of millions of Americans are poor because they're poor. People work hard with what they have and for some it works out well and for some it doesn't. That's reality.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- supertrope 1y ago
  Like San Francisco which is so affordable.
- ZeroGravitas 1y ago
  Americans generally pay more for heating than cooling so moving to warmer climates helps on that axis. There might be a sweet spot before you get to the warmest place in the country but it probably still involves air con.
- BeFlatXIII 1y ago
  …and who pays the upfront moving costs?
- derwiki 1y ago
  Not that my parents are in this situation, but they’ve lived in the same state for 80 years and the same house for 55. I don’t know if they’d be able to handle a move.
exabrial 1y ago
If that's the case, lets see a study on that! How often does this happen?

SoftTalker 1y ago

They could also move to a place where they don't need 24x7 air conditioning running 10 months a year.

Broken_Hippo 1y ago
If someone is having to choose between power and medication, how could they get the money to move to this place?? They won't. Most folks aren't really that mobile and being poor makes this more likely. I'll also note that I live in such a place. Heck, I don't have air conditioning at all. But if I don't have heat in the winter, I'll die. It's cold out. Not many place have the luxury of not needing heating nor cooling - and even when some folks can go without, not all buildings are fit for that purpose. 2 windows on one side of an apartment doesn't make for good ventilation.
- SoftTalker 1y ago
  > how could they get the money to move to this place Maybe we give it to them? They're very likely on subsidized income anyway, it's a one time cost and drop in the bucket to move them to someplace more affordable.
  - WarOnPrivacy 1y ago
    > Maybe we give it to them? Established funding sources tend to have long lines of applicants. Past that, if it's public funds, the rising political force is fiercely opposed to this - mostly for ideological reasons that are disconnected from actual outcomes.
  - el_benhameen 1y ago
    Have you ever met a senior? For most people, the world shrinks as they age: it’s harder to learn new routines, figure out how to do things, etc. just popping them out of a place where they have family, services, and routines into an entirely new place is a recipe for disaster.
    - SoftTalker 1y ago
      Well, let them swelter or go without their meds then? If they have so much family and support around, why are they struggling to pay for the AC?
      - WarOnPrivacy 1y ago
        > If they have so much family and support around I think you're inventing stuff to say. The article said: "There's a lot of seniors down here that are living check to check. They can barely afford prescriptions such as myself," The people in poverty aren't the ones with the power here. The ones with the power are public officials, utility executives and voting shareholders. Their decisions drive how much more electricity costs than it needs to. Dozens of millions of Americans are poor because they're poor. People work hard with what they have and for some it works out well and for some it doesn't. That's reality.
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
supertrope 1y ago
Like San Francisco which is so affordable.
ZeroGravitas 1y ago
Americans generally pay more for heating than cooling so moving to warmer climates helps on that axis. There might be a sweet spot before you get to the warmest place in the country but it probably still involves air con.
BeFlatXIII 1y ago
…and who pays the upfront moving costs?
derwiki 1y ago
Not that my parents are in this situation, but they’ve lived in the same state for 80 years and the same house for 55. I don’t know if they’d be able to handle a move.

exabrial 1y ago

If that's the case, lets see a study on that! How often does this happen?