This is beyond sad.

[TheMightyFavog]

http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=1/26/2008&id=34640

An 87-year-old woman was found dead late Friday in her north side Milwaukee home, where authorities found that her furnace had stopped working and her water pipes had burst, officials said today.

According to the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office:

An autopsy will be done to determine whether Alcie Butler died from the cold.

Her body was found about 11 p.m. Friday in the home in the 2400 block of N. 4th St.

[Subdivisions]

1. With the price of home heating oil skyrocketing,

we can expect to see more and more of this tragedy unfolding across the northern tier.

[gateley]

2. America. Unconscionable. nt

[FormerDittoHead]

3. I'm reminded of when 10 THOUSAND old people died in France from the heat 5 years ago.. It is sad...

..but I wouldn't reach far and draw too many conclusions from it.

The furnace could have broken in the middle of the night, like mine did, and she was, after all, 87 years old, and they don't even know if she died from the cold...

There are a lot of much WORSE things going on with our country. I simply don't see this story about the old woman as the canary in the mine shaft...

[patrice]

4. : - ( . . . . We need Elder Care cooperatives.

http://www.ncbcapitalimpact.org/default.aspx?id=146

[Rosemary2205]

5. It can happen even if you can afford the gas/oil/electric

If the thermocoupler or the blower dies and the fixit guy says he can't get their until tomorrow. A younger person can figure out how to manage for a day - and if it's not too awful cold, running the faucets a little, laying on the blankets, or running to the house store for space heaters will tide you over. Been there done that.

But an old lady living alone might not know what to do or who to call.

Reminder, family, friends, neighbors, keep an eye old elderly people who live alone.

[Fresh_Start]

6. its a disgrace that we virtually abandon the elderly

they don't have the ability to make ends meet with medical and all other costs rising

[pansypoo53219]

7. considering how cold it was.

i am sure, she had no idea her furnace conked out. probably stopped going in the basement. our boiler died on about the same kind of weather. luckily somebody woke up in the middle of the night and figured out it was tooooo cold. so had boiler guys here around 3 am.
hopefully it was quick. had a few frozen people already this month. and not homeless.

[malaise]

8. Alice doesn't live there

anymore. Thanks George :cry:

[lpbk2713]

9. Another victim of 'Compassionate Conservatism' and the BushCo war on the lower classes.

As if AWOL Monkey-Boy could GAF.

[zorahopkins]

10. Failure Of Social Services?

This is just terrible.

Why doesn't the city government have an agency that will check on older people who live alone?

If someone -- anyone -- had looked in on this woman, they might have found out early enough that her furnace had stopped working.

Why did that not happen?

Is anyone in the city government responsible?

The government checks on children to make sure that they are OK. Why not older people???? Especially older people who live alone and who are unable to get out.

Why????

[onethatcares]

13. our city only checks to see if you cut your grass

and paint. Otherwise, you could die and never be found.

[Roland99]

11. Stuff like this has happened for decades. But...

I expect it to worsen greatly the rest of this one and on into the future.

[swoop]

12. The article said she could afford to turn on the heat.

She just THOUGHT she should conserve energy, so she did not turn it on.

[stravu9]

14. See, we NEED MORE Social Workers!

Someone to come into these homes , or at least touch base with folks once a week.
It would be nice to offer tax breaks or incentives to businesses and contractors who did pro-bono repair work for low-income people!
Right now Social Services are being decimated! THERE IS NO MONEY! Fewer workers larger caseloads!
I just found out the almost everyone at my office , excluding me is on some sort of depression medication!
TAXES MUST BE RAISED or more people will drop through the cracks and be lost!
When I talk about Edwards it is because I really think he gets it!
Because lives are TRULY at stake!