Just sickening. "Emergency Manager" in Detroit caused blackout during heatwave to teach a lesson....

[Horse with no Name]

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/09/14/detroit-blackout/

If you ever had any doubt that Michigan has been taken over by a group of dangerous, radical extremists, what happened in Detroit on September 11th, 2013 should be enough to wake you up. There were several things significant about September 11th, 2013. Not only was it the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center, but the state of Michigan was also experiencing an unseasonal heat wave. In the city of Detroit, power outages left people stranded in elevators, trapped four hours in the blistering heat. Hundreds were evacuated from buildings in the downtown area, traffic lights did not function, public transportation was disabled and 1,400 sites across the city were without power. Wayne State University and other key buildings still remained closed, the following day. All of this after the city’s power supply supposedly failed.

The Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, a twelve story building that conducts the city’s criminal proceedings was shut down and the building was evacuated. Earlier in the week, a prisoner had stabbed a Wayne County Deputy, before fleeing from the building. A manhunt followed, with authorities searching for the escaped prisoner for several long hours, before finally apprehending him as he was trying to flee the city. In light of this, the power outage on September 11th created a tense and dangerous situation for officers, justice workers and visitors to the building. The problem is that the city’s power supply never failed.

On September 12th, 2013, Bill Nowling casually stated that the city’s power outages were intentional. Officials and citizens working in the city were given no warning before the electricity was cut off. Law enforcement officials working in the Hall of Justice had no time to prepare. Senior citizens and disabled citizens using elevators in the city’s downtown district had no way to know what was coming. The entire criminal justice system was shut down without notice. Wayne State University Campus was just one of many sites evacuated under emergency conditions. Traffic lights across the city stopped working. 1,400 public and private locations were left without power. And the entire thing was intentional, to “send a message” to the people of Detroit. Bill Nowling works in the office of Kevin Orr, Detroit’s Emergency Manager.

Many people believe that the deliberate power outage was carried out because Orr’s office has been pushing for the privatization of the city’s power supply. The video below shows Gary Brown laughing about the power outage. After saying that he deliberately took power away from the city, causing chaos in the process, of course, the need for privatization of electricity in the city is stressed. Here is the interview where you can hear it for yourself: (video in link)

[Starry Messenger]

1. k&r

[MinM]

173. "You thought you were voting for a Gov. Bill Milliken, but you got a Gov. Dick DeVos."

@MarkSchauer: RT @tse2935: BOOM! "You thought you were voting for a Gov. Bill Milliken, but you got a Gov. Dick DeVos." - @MarkSchauer on Rick Snyder.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1058792

[Gidney N Cloyd]

2. Class action suit.

[Horse with no Name]

3. City Manager's have supreme authority and answer to nobody.

Quite scary.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

7. I have to question whether that authority covers intentionally compromising public safety.

[LiberalFighter]

126. I agree. He and those that conspired to cut off power should be in handcuffs.

[Heather MC]

151. This is a Terrorist Attack

And it should be treated as one.
It's one thing if power goes off because weather or maintainence malfunction. but intentionally cutting power should be illegal.

[yurbud]

163. California had a similar attack at the turn of the century and got blackmailed for $14 billion

[Octafish]

9. Michigan voters made them illegal via referendum...

...so the GOP legislature and Gov Gateway passed a new law.

Federal intervention is what's needed.

[Horse with no Name]

11. Agreed because now public safety is at risk.

[awoke_in_2003]

53. And federal intervention will never happen. nt

[ReRe]

80. Totally agree...

... WTF is going on in this country? As soon as it was announced that it was not accidental, but pre-meditated and AND purpously un-announced, the Feds should have waltzed in immediately.

[Hosnon]

25. They are accountable to both constitutions. nt.

[roguevalley]

64. Holder doesn't care or he would have intervened long ago on this

that man can't compromise his future employability.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

84. Risk his future employability? It's more likely that he's working on his retirment.

[roguevalley]

89. one can hope

[AnotherMcIntosh]

90. It's going to be a profitable retirement. How much is an Attorney General worth?

[avebury]

69. If he deliberatly had the power shut off AND

had his actions resulted in the death of any citizens who were reliant upon electricity to maintain life support then he would have been guilty of a crime - criminally negligent homicide. His actions could have cause any additional number of deaths (heatstroke, heart attacks, diabetic issues if insulin could not be stored properly. Rational people would recognize the risk to human lives that could occur by intentionally cutting off the power.

[avaistheone1]

79. In my town, the City Manager answers to the City Council.

Doesn't yours?

[louis-t]

138. No, City Council can only 'meet and take roll'.

That's about it. Elected officials have no power in Detroit. Kevin Orr is the supreme leader, dictator and punisher of the people.

[b.durruti]

148. In Fascist Michigan, the emergency manager answers to no one. ~nt~

[Sheldon Cooper]

4. Stunning.

The lives and safety of tens of thousands of people jeopardized, for no remotely acceptable reason, because of shitstains like Orr, Brown, and Nowling? Criminal charges are in order, they should pay and pay hard for this.

[enough]

5. Terrorism. (nt)

[Laffy Kat]

8. You're right. Plain and simple.

How is this NOT terrorism?

[Scuba]

96. Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner.

[ljm2002]

10. That's exactly what it is...

...harming innocent civilians in order to further one's political agenda == terrorism.

[silvershadow]

38. Yes, it is. They should be arrested. nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

73. exactly this. nt

[ReRe]

81. Corporate Terrorism n/t

[uponit7771]

86. +1

[pandr32]

142. On Sept 11 no less

What people affected must have been thinking! It is hard to imagine because it is so terrible.

[Paulie]

6. Criminal intentional life safety endangerment

Gross negligence and incompetence.

Send in the Feds! Arrest him and all co conspirators under racketeering.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

27. Yes. Criminal endangerment. Arrest, prosecute, convict, sentence to prison time. nt

[ewagner]

140. Agreed

[Igel]

12. Saying that they asked people to use less power ...

and that people didn't respond as fast as "they'd like" puts a rather different spin on it.

Lots of places have rolling blackouts with little to no warning when the grid's in danger during heat waves, esp. at unexpected times of the year. The blackouts are intentional. And they often happen when requests to voluntarily curtail power aren't heeded.

Without digging, the info at the link in the OP all but says that this was essentially rolling blackouts. Large power consumers were hit first. The alternative is to turn off power to large swathes of residential housing. Detroit's not got much heavy industry drawing a lot of power. If that's what it is, the kneejerk reaction from "addicted" is inappropriate.


Some cities have contacted large power uses and gotten them to agree to be first in line for power cuts if they get some incentive--lower power rates, for example.

[Horse with no Name]

16. Another excerpt:

>>>snip
Many people believe that the deliberate power outage was carried out because Orr’s office has been pushing for the privatization of the city’s power supply. The video below shows Gary Brown laughing about the power outage. After saying that he deliberately took power away from the city, causing chaos in the process, of course, the need for privatization of electricity in the city is stressed. Here is the interview where you can hear it for yourself:

[etherealtruth]

130. Something not included in the article

The Detroit Board of Lighting supplies power to a comparatively small amount of the City. Most of the citizens receive their power from DTE.

The event was a pain in the @ss downtown. I was personally 'inconvenienced' (which is what it was "an inconvenience&quot .

I keep posting all over this thread, because the events that occurred are not exactly as portrayed by the article. The impression of the article is the city (the entire city/ large swaths of the city) were impact. this is simply not true. The average Detroiter was not impacted unless they were working or doing business with very specific institutional customers of the Detroit Lighting Board.

There are so many legitimate complaints about Orr gutting the city ... this isn't one of them

[Baitball Blogger]

13. He should be fired.

[woo me with science]

37. He should be jailed.

[niyad]

42. horsewhipped, fired and then jailed.

[Rain Mcloud]

59. And hoisted on his Petards!

[DBoon]

67. he should fear this

[AnotherMcIntosh]

85. Ever hear of Peterloo?

[mojowork_n]

147. Here it is...

http://www.peterloomassacre.org/history.html

It happened in the center of Manchester.

On the 16th of August 1819 the huge open area around what's now St Peters Square, Manchester, played host to an outrage against over 60,000 peaceful pro-democracy and anti-poverty protesters; an event which became known as The Peterloo Massacre.

An estimated 18 people, including a woman and a child, died from saber cuts and trampling. Over 700 men, women and children received extremely serious injuries. All in the name of liberty and freedom from poverty.

The Massacre occurred during a period of immense political tension and mass protests. Fewer than 2% of the population had the vote, and hunger was rife with the disastrous corn laws making bread unaffordable.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

160. You got it. An important historical event which apparently is not commonly taught in our

history classes.

There are those who want to tout the French Revolution as something that should happen again. They ignore or are unaware of Peterloo.

[mojowork_n]

174. Saw this cartoon today, reading Chris Hedges at Truthdig

[DBoon]

180. So should he fear this instead?

and Peterloo reversed the movement sent forward by the French revolution how?

Did it bring the dead aristocrats back to life somehow?

[AnotherMcIntosh]

181. Peterloo occurred in England, not France. It stopped an English revolution.

England has not had a revolution since that time.

[ewagner]

123. If anyone died as a result...

he should be charged with 2nd degree murder (depraved indifference to life)

[Baitball Blogger]

154. If we lived in Europe, he definitely would be held accountable.

I don't think that leaders are held accountable for their mistakes because there is no one who has the resources or resolve to throw the book at them.

[b.durruti]

149. He needs to be

destroyed.

[Andy823]

14. Michigan needs to makes some changes

I would think that most of Michigan is getting tire do this kind of shit. These "emergency mangers" are sick! There has to be some law that can be used to prosecute those responsible for putting so many lives in danger. Legal action needs to be taken, and voters need to make damn sure that come the next election, those who have been doing so much damage to the state are voted out of office, and if possible put in jail for the crimes they committed while in office! They should run these bastards out of the state, after they tar and feather them!

[Doctor_J]

22. Nah. Besides a few pockets of decency, Michigan is run by Fox News and hate Radio

just like most of the country. That's where the revolution will start, BTW - complete, harsh devastation of the propaganda apparatus and everyone involved with it

[Romulox]

104. Dumb. nt

[salin]

28. Unless things have changed since the 90s -

Most of Michigan doesn't care about Detroit. Back then people didn't see the city as the canary in the coal mine. Instead the city was seen as a drain on the state (re: those lazy people of color). Perhaps the racist/extremist views have eased since I lived there. Otherwise the rest of the state won't react, as they won't relate to Detroit. A holier than thou "otherism" (some people other than my own) being the read. Unless things have changed in the past two decades, outrage outside of Detroit proper will be minimal, and the recognition that this could hit your community next will be completely missed - as empathy has become a lost art when the process of dehumanization of people different than oneself has become so pervasive.

Very sad.

[mstinamotorcity2]

127. No it has not changed.

And you have those who think this is a joke. Pontiac, MI got a Emergency Financial Manager. they went from 3000 public employees down to 6. The work of those public employees was contracted out to Republican businesses. Coincidence, maybe. Pontiac Silverdome sold for only half million dollars. Valued at much, much more. In every city they have evaporated every city asset available. While they are in the streets acting like fools, they are having a fire sale. And a convict leasing strategy that won't quit. In every way an Emergency financial Manager is UNCONSTITIONAL. And now that they think its only those people, guess who noticed that the downfall of Detroit mean it affects their tax base also. The neighboring Suburbs, that have workers in their community who work right here in the city of Detroit. Or who have retired from the city. All I can say is Welcome to the Party.

[etherealtruth]

128. Nothing has changed

The us vs "them" mentality continues ... if anything it may be even stronger than in the 1990s. suburbanites and folk living out-state do not bat an eye as pensioners face losing all, as the DIA's treasures are sold off, as anything of value is simply being handed over to "creditors"

This, however, is a really poor example. The vast majority of the city was not impacted by the City Light Board blackout (most of the citizenry receives their power from DTE). It was a real pain in the @ss downtown .. but, large swaths of the populace did not have their power cut.

Commuters seem to be enraged more than the citizens of the city (more folk from outside the city were impacted by the institutional power outages).

Orr does want to sell off the City Light board and very well used this to make his point ... but, the vast majority of the city suffered no black out whatsoever. (unfortunately storms did disrupt power all over the region in the days that followed)

[JaneyVee]

15. Shock Doctrine.

[arcane1]

26. Exactly.

[LittleGirl]

57. Yep n/t

[ctsnowman]

98. Nailed it.

[MinM]

171. Dan Gilbert & Mike Ilitch

Dan Gilbert (Quicken Loans/Cleveland Cavs) and Mike Ilitch (Little Caesar's Pizza/Detroit Tigers/Detroit Red Wings/MotorCity Casino) have been buying up a lot of the depressed properties at bargain basement prices as per the Shock Doctrine.

Although now it seems there might be a new player in town...

?@DeadlineDetroit: Both Free Press and David Stott Buildings Went To Same International Bidder Last Week – Deadline Detroit: http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/6409/both_free_press_and_david_stott_buildings_went_to_same_internaitonal_bidder_last_week#.Ujd_PjODN3Y.twitter …

[Ilsa]

17. If the democratic process isn't working,

if the Feds won't intervene, if people's lives are at risk from this evil bastard, then a public revolt might be necessary. Make the next "power outage" a deadly event for him.

[rhett o rick]

110. I hope you aren't suggesting that he should be killed? nm

Last edited Sun Sep 15, 2013, 03:48 PM - Edit history (1)

[Ilsa]

136. I'll back down. A little. (I'm so angry about this.)

He needs to feel the danger he placed others' lives in. He needs to wonder if he'll survive. He needs to experience that fear.

If it produces a vengeful response, then maybe he's fair game to have "an accident".

[rhett o rick]

139. I understand your frustration. I had to edit my post as I said "I hope you are" instead

of "I hope you arent". Vengeance isnt the answer.

[Ilsa]

156. It isn't about vengeance. It's about

survival by showing them that what affects one side affects all sides. They need to learn that we all can't be any better than the least of us. For some people, that requires personal experience.

[sulphurdunn]

117. Rest assured that the feds

will not intervene unless the people revolt. Then they will most assuredly intervene to crush the revolt.

[TheMadMonk]

153. You mean "Democracy by other means".

As war is diplomacy by other means, so is revolt.

[kestrel91316]

18. I just reported him to the FBI for domestic terrorism.

[Left Coast2020]

39. Next thing is to report him to Rachel...

She's had stories on this since it started. Perhaps CNN?

I do however, like the idea of a class action suit. If there is no precedent, could be a unique case.

But damn, start mobilizing now and do what you normally do with the garbage: throw it out.

What did FBI say when you called?

[kestrel91316]

43. I reported electronically, gave the link to the article, said to investigate the issue.

[EC]

116. and why isn't Melissa covering this today? n/t

[leveymg]

76. He's a white Republican - by definition, he can't be a terrorist. ;-)

[AnotherMcIntosh]

78. No, Kevyn Orr is not "a white Republican".

[Union Scribe]

82. Nowling is, though.

Orr is too busy eating tax-payer-paid crab cakes in his tax-payer-paid penthouse to do his own dirty work. He's hired plenty of top-dollar (guess who paid for them?) cronies to pillage the joint.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

83. Knowling is just a spokesman. Unlike Orr, the Emergency Manager, he cannot turn off the electricity.

Knowling is just a mouthpiece.

[leveymg]

101. Yikes! If this sort of thing is being done by not "white Republicans" we're in real trouble.

There used to be bad and worse, now there's worse and worst.

[OnionPatch]

109. Not white, but appointed by Rick Snyder

That says it all.

(edited: I got my evil Republican governors mixed up)

[Hekate]

172. Good. For. You.

The whole thing is just stunning.

[Brigid]

19. I'm surprised Michael Moore hasn't said anything about this.

I looked on his site and on Google, and found nothing about that. But anyway, Brown's laughing about this is reprehensible. I don't know what can be done about this "emergency manager" crap, but obviously it's gotten out of control.

[NuclearDem]

20. Wow, what a gigantic piece of shit.

[Doctor_J]

21. One of these times these terrorists are going to fuck with the wrong people

and in the ensuing carnage they will regret ever being born. Here is hoping I am alive to take part.

This guy's actions were criminal

[MrsKirkley]

23. How many charges is he facing?

I hope he gets locked up for a long time.

[davekriss]

24. A criminal, terrorist act!

Federal intervention is called for. However, we live in an oligarchy, political power answers to economic power and the rest of us are just screwed. For now.

[KoKo]

29. You know...Every Day the News is the "ONION"...no wonder so many DU'ers

feel we've been taken over by that Website.

You read stuff and your brain just starts to fall out...and you push it back in...and it begins again!

from the "YOU CAN'T JUST MAKE THIS STUFF UP" Department...

From your post:

"Just sickening. "Emergency Manager" in Detroit caused blackout during heatwave to teach a lesson...."

[ChairmanAgnostic]

152. I pity the Onion. Reality is often crazier than their worst (best) ideas.

Keeping up with Tea Baggers is impossible.

[Why Syzygy]

30. Put him under the jail

to let him know they got the message. He's a criminal.

[Oilwellian]

31. Incredible

Smiling, speaking to the camera, another city official, Gary Brown, said that some buildings in the district were contacted and people were asked to turn off their air conditioners. He then says that people “didn’t respond as fast as we would like them to, so we had to send them a strong message, by turning off the power.”

I wonder what buildings he was referring to. I doubt they were major banks or insurance companies. It sounds like they specifically chose municipal and public service type buildings. Others mentioned were:

The intentional power outage also shut down the City-County Building, the McNamara Building, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit public library and the Detroit People Mover, a main source of public transportation in the city.

This is criminally sick.

[Uncle Joe]

32. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Horse with no Name.

[gopiscrap]

33. what a fucking asshole

if anyone died during that outage he should be charged with manslaughter. If some one got sick, then battery and at the very least: reckless endangerment.

[Scootaloo]

34. Kevin Orr takes away Detroit's power? Detroit should take it back

This "Emergency manager" and his entire team should be dragged from their beds, tossed in a truck, and driven to the Ohio border. Leave 'em in Wauseon in their pajamas, they can walk back.

[Ed Suspicious]

36. yes!

[Left Coast2020]

40. MOBILIZE NOW!!

Detroit needs a movement--bigtime. If there is a time, this is it.

[SwankyXomb]

41. I'll trade you an extra pitchfork for a torch

That failing, I suggest tar and feathers.

[Scootaloo]

44. Torches AND pitchforks? What are we, the Amish?

No, no, no. We have this thing called technology. Imagine if you will, a weed burner, slipped through awooden haft with four tines, each capable of an individual flame jet. Brother, we have the torchfork, never will you have to choose between a potato-tosser or a lit brand for your angry mob needs!

[LaydeeBug]

107. We are not the Amish. Or this shit just wouldn't be happening. nt

[zentrum]

35. Has to be a way to bring criminal

...charges against him.

[Octafish]

45. This story is NOWHERE in the Detroit media

WWJ Newsradio 950

The Detroit Free Press

The Detroit News

Dis. Gus. Ting.

[etherealtruth]

112. The story was all over the Detroit media when it occurred

I despise Kevin Orr, I despise the fact an emergency manager was appointed (almost) immediately following Michigan voters voting down the "emergency manager law".

The information missing in this thread is that the black out impacted institutional customers ... the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, Wayne State University, The DIA, the City County Building and the Detroit Medical Center Campus (back up generators are capable of accommodating this and did) and other "institutional" customers.

The folk effected were Public Lighting Department customers ...most of the city is NOT served by the Public Lighting Department, they are served by DTE (a publicly traded company not affiliated with the Public Lighting Department).

While I agree this is a political ploy to further Orr's desire to sell off the public lighting department and it was BAD (really bad) ... it did not necessarily occur the way it is being portrayed in this thread. The truth is bad enough



http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/09/11/power-outage-in-downtown-detroit-2/

[Octafish]

115. Yes, the power outtage. ZIP about Orr's role ''to send a message.''

Same with your article, "Detroit Power Outage Due To Public Lighting ‘System Overload’," and the rest. Great information about who was affected, when power will be restored, nothing about Orr's man throwing the switch because people didn't move fast enough.

Nowling told local reporter Dennis Kraniak: “City grid customers were asked to reduce power, but failed to, so we had to move to intentional outages.” Smiling, speaking to the camera, another city official, Gary Brown, said that some buildings in the district were contacted and people were asked to turn off their air conditioners. He then says that people “didn’t respond as fast as we would like them to, so we had to send them a strong message, by turning off the power.” (Watch the interview with Brown on the video below.) When asked what he plans to say to the people still “trapped in elevators in 90 degree heat” a still smiling Brown replies that he is restoring power to those buildings.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/09/14/detroit-blackout/

My wife was downtown when that crap happened. I don't appreciate intentional power outages affecting her or anybody, especially when they happen on the orders of an unelected greedhead bankruptcy lawyer.

[etherealtruth]

118. I was at the the Coleman Young Municpal Building

(I do not work there; however, I do a lot of work that involves municipalities and spend an inordinate amount of time downtown). I do not use the "people mover" ... I simply pay exorbitant parking fees

It was a pain in the a$$; however, in the scheme of things the power outages caused by recent storms were just as bad or worse.

I despise Orr ... he has no business being in the position he is in ... i blame our jack-a$$ governor that bypassed the will of the voters of this state He does want the city to sell the public Lighting Board.

However, portraying the story as something it is not, is not helpful and stating that it was not in the news is not what i experienced. the local news carried the story to the exclusion of everything else.

[quakerboy]

144. Storms are not the same as an intentional act

Did they shut down the power, on purpose, without any real necessity, to send a message, with the likely intent of undercutting a public utility? Did they do so despite potential endangering of lives?

Their words, as quoted, would seem to indicate that the answer is yes.

What exactly abut the story is being portrayed as what it is not? You keep saying that, but Im not entirely sure what you mean.

[etherealtruth]

145. If you do some research on this

Edit: farcenter has a good explanatory post, #61 below, their source, WXYZ, is no fan of Kevyn Orr)

You will find it was shut down intentionally to prevent damage to the antiquated transmission system. i am not a defender of Orr ... as I have stated through out this thread ... there are so many legitimate things to complain about his management of the city ... workers pensions, looting the DIA, selling off every asset the city has (thus preventing any possibility of Detroit ever recovering).

Granted this was done in an in your face way ... it effected the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, the City County Building, the Coleman Young Municipal Building, numerous buildings on the campus of Wayne State, portions of the Detroit Medical Center (all with back up generators and UPS). The citizenry of the city were generally NOT effected (as they are not supplied power by the Detroit Board of lighting) .

The general public was not put in harms way ... People on this thread have expressed amazement that Detroit (the citizens) were not up in arms about this. It was covered heavily by the media as it occurred then went away ... People did not become enraged because this happens annually during heat waves and few of the citizens of Detroit were impacted (certainly those that work at any of the institutions were impacted).

Most of the city of Detroit is provided electricity by DTE and they were not effected whatsoever. The Detroit Board of lighting has a truly antiquated grid and comparatively few entities were impacted by the black out.

Googling for citizen reaction to the black out it appears that an intentional black out in 2011 really pissed people off. This one has generated more outrage on DU than in the city in general.

[quakerboy]

168. I appreciate your explanation

I would differ with you on a few points, but I think I get what you are saying.

point one of differing... Were people trapped in enclosed spaces(elevators) in high temperatures, for extended periods of time, without warning? If so, I would say that the people were put in harms way. Not the populace as a whole, but I still think it would qualify, and any injury or illness should be on the heads of those who made the choice.

Second point of differing.. By what Ive read, It sounds like this was primarily reported locally as a accidental/unpreventable outage. The remarks re the nature of the event(ie "teaching a lesson&quot do not seem to have made major news locally. Perhaps I am wrong, and you can correct me on that. But assuming that I am correct in this, Why would people get pissed off about an unpreventable accident.. Change the context, and you might change the response.

[etherealtruth]

169. We in the area are used to this with the Detoit Lighting Department

It is an antiquated system. The shut downs in 2011 (a much hotter summer than 2013) were more frequent and immediate.

Certainly, it would have been best if elevators had been cleared. I was in the Coleman Young Municipal Building and had just cleared security ... I had not even made it to the bank of elevators when the power went off. Sadly, the powers that be (keep in mind the Coleman Young Building is the City of Detroit Municipal Offices) appeared to know immediately what had happened.

The "teaching a lesson" remarks did make the news ... it was in the context of "when we say you have to power down you have to power down NOW" ... "We will not allow the system to 'fry' when you don't" Most in the region know the Detroit Lighting Department is archaic in infrastructure and technology. They had to call in the regional electric utility to help them fix the problems enough to get back on-line

There were relatively few instances of anything other than inconvenience.

Admittedly I would have been enraged if trapped in an elevator ... but, should (parts of) the distribution system be allowed to be destroyed because of it? Had this never happened before there may be some question ... it had not happened this summer because we had a very mild summer. We had several 90+ degree days after Labor Day (our unofficial end to summer and summer vacations)

The main point is VERY FEW Detroiters were impacted.

There are many, many BAD things being done to the city by Gov Snyder's henchman Orr ... this just isn't one of them

http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?11286-City-of-Detroit-Dept-of-Public-Lighting-Blackout-today

Here are some issues:

September 09. 2011 1:00AM
Power failures prompt outrage

Residents losing patience with aging system's problems

Mike Wilkinson, Darren A. Nichols and Jennifer Chambers/ The Detroit News

Detroit— After power failures Thursday zapped the Detroit Public Schools and shuttered the Detroit Institute of Arts and the main branch of the Detroit Public Library, simmering anger resurfaced toward the city's public lighting system amid fears it is on the brink of collapse.

Separate incidents contributed to Thursday's woes, as a power pole snapped in west Detroit, closing four schools, and a substation malfunction near Midtown took out electricity to public buildings in that area, including dozens of schools. That prompted DPS to close the remainder of its 130 buildings early on just the third day of the new school year.

...

"You know when you get a good rain it may go out," said Shawn Crump, a business representative for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 58, which represents about 25 electricians in the Detroit Public Lighting Department.

"Really, there's a need for infrastructure repairs. Anything short of that is a Band-Aid. Nothing can be fixed short of infrastructure upgrades and putting (in) enough people to maintain the system."

Keep in mind this is from 2011

[suffragette]

129. So a month after removing Director of Public Lighting, they throw the switch off on purpose?

Sounds like they're accelerating the drive to privatize using Shock Doctrine tactics.
And they don't care who they hurt in the process.

http://www.freep.com/article/20130809/NEWS/308090158/Kevyn-Orr-Detroit-Public-Lighting


Orr spokesman Bill Nowling confirmed that lighting director Richard Tenney was booted from his job as part of Orr’s efforts to restructure city government. The lighting department is among Detroit’s most troubled operations, with as many as half of the city’s 88,000 streetlights not working, blamed on lack of money to upgrade equipment and thieves stealing copper wiring.

Tenney, who couldn’t be reached for comment Friday, was escorted out of his office by police, but Nowling said there was nothing untoward about his removal. “It’s not unusual when you terminate someone they’re allowed to collect their belongings and are escorted out,” Nowling said.

Gary Brown, the former Detroit City Councilman whom Orr tapped to lead his restructuring of city operations, said that Tenney, an engineer, has the option of reverting to a civil-service position in the department, and his removal as director shouldn’t reflect poorly on him. The lighting department “was underfunded and understaffed, and he was set with a Herculean task,” Brown said.

Brown said the city next week will put out a request for proposals for private companies to provide a team of experts to help run the department as it transitions to the newly created lighting authority as well as “getting the lights on in the city immediately.”

[freshwest]

46. Since 2010, the Koch Kingdom has been taking terrtory without a shot being fired.

Last edited Sun Sep 15, 2013, 03:06 PM - Edit history (1)

It's a civil war in slow motion, with state governments falling to fascism. Too many look at it and just say 'Meh.'

[Isoldeblue]

134. +1000% n/m

[SunSeeker]

175. You're so right freshwest. If it inconvenienced Glenn Greenwald, there'd be more outrage.

[freshwest]

176. That's why I call G.A.S. 1% media. They don't see our lives from their lofty position on the clouds.

We're invisible to them, but they are there to distract us from what we're losing, along with so many other shiny things to keep us busy.

Our right to our bodies, to love who we choose, to work and get education to improve our lot, to have healthcare, housing, air and water, and to vote, are neglible, never discussed.

They gloss over our needs with the big terrors, war, spying, to catch our eyes, but do nothing to make peace worth having. So they obviously don't have to fight for such needs as the rest of us lesser folks here on the ground.

I don't begrudge them their exalted positions in our world system, where they have the ear of media and governments, travel about to have adventures with the freedom that only great wealth affords, then pull us into their version of an Anna Nicole Smith marathon with all the perfect teasers.

But I won't exalt them until they really begin to speak for me and those I care about. They never talk about what makes my life better, me, a plebian.

Obama does that, and no matter how hard they try to paint him the villain and themselves the heroes of all mankind, I'm not buying what they sell.

JMHO.

[SunSeeker]

177. This is probably a really stupid question....

but what does "G.A.S." stand for?

Great post, by the way.

[freshwest]

178. A DU acronym. First letter is Greenwald, and I bet you know the rest of the heroic trifecta.

I was quite impressed with all three of them at one time but after a while the patterns were impossible to miss.

So much has been said for and against the trio. I guess we could add Putin to the end to make it into a G.A.S.P.!

And be as nutty as the comedic references to the 43rd prsident and his pals, that is, Bush, Dick and Collin. Considered by some to the USA being mocked by the gods.

It's shallow, yeah, but, I never said I was perfect. As I've said before, you can always count on me to 'go there.'

[SunSeeker]

179. LOL. nt

[Unknown Beatle]

47. They're really pushing the envelope.

The sales of torches and pitchforks are going to skyrocket if they continue with this type of shit.

Enough is enough!

[drynberg]

48. HEY, Bill Nowling, YOU GOTTA DO HARD TIME FOR THIS TERRORISM ATTACK

Funny? How about looking at the world through bars, yeah, then let's see you laugh, Asshole!

[Rebellious Republican]

49. Hell and here I thought they had already been bought up, seems to be the trend.

I can't wait to pledge allegiance to the flag of the Incorporated States of America.

[awoke_in_2003]

50. You know you live in a Banana Republic...

when assholes like this can get away with it.

[another_liberal]

51. Those responsible need to be prosecuted . . .

They need to be convicted of willful negligence and serve lengthy prison terms, "To send a message."

[gopiscrap]

52. This needs to go viral

like I said, if it was purposely done then criminal charges should be filed. All those who lost food (spoiled, melted) should file suit against the fucker!

[xfundy]

54. Sociopaths and psychopaths are praised in modern society.

They head most corporations. They're at the top of government. We need to find an achilles heel.

[nikto]

55. Detroit's problems=Public School's problems

Both are being degraded, gentrified and ultimately, Privatized.

It is dishonest, immoral and unethical.

But it looks like it's legal.



Investor wet-dreams.

[question everything]

56. I was hoping that the perpetrator is

Bill Nowling who used to work in the office of Kevin Orr, Detroit’s Emergency Manager and was subsequently fired.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

58. What about people in hospitals?

What about those undergoing operations? Do all hospitals have working back-up generators that immediately kick in?

What about those who otherwise depend upon oxygen delivered from wall units? Do they all have to rapidly switch to oxygen tanks?

[Union Scribe]

60. Here's Nowling's Twitter in case

you'd like to tell him what you think: NowlingQED

[FarCenter]

61. The root cause was the failure of feeder cables

Five cables deliver electricity from DTE to the Detroit Public Lighting System.

Action news has learned, three of the five cables failed on Wednesday--cutting off electricity to parts of downtown Detroit.

Getting juice flowing again was a slow process, because Detroit's equipment is at least 70 years old and one cable in need of repair is underground, causing a delay.

Detroit city employees that missed work because of the power outage will still be paid.

7 Action News reporter Jim Kiertzner was invited to look inside the Detroit Public Lighting Command Center.

With many downtown buildings without power for the last two days, watch the video in the player above to see the massive and fragile grid-- some of which is 100 years old.

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/persistant-power-problem-in-downtown-detroit

When three of five feeders went out Detroit Public Lighting shut off power to the various municipal and government buildings that it supplies. Had the remaining feeders failed under the overload, traffic signals and streetlights would also have been out.

Most commercial and residential buildings in Detroit are supplied by DTE, not by the city's DPL, and they were unaffected.

[etherealtruth]

113. thanks

I posted some of this information upthread (prior to seeing your post).

I think folk that are not from the area have gotten the impression that the city cut power to "everyone" or over a large area.

I do think it was "bad" ... but, it did not occur the way many in this thread think it did

[johnnyreb]

62. We've heard this story before.

Even made mashups about it.

Earlier tapes obtained during the Enron-Snohomish lawsuit indicated Enron had manipulated the Western power grid for a year and a half.
Those tapes include traders gloating profanely about overcharging "Grandma Millie" in California.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/03/enron.tapes/

[DallasNE]

63. This Reminds Me Of Enron And California's Brown Out's in 2001.

Last edited Sun Sep 15, 2013, 03:50 PM - Edit history (1)

Here Orr has no accountability to worry about meaning it is a big joke to him so there is nothing stopping him from throwing his weight around in this manner, sick as it is.

[leveymg]

103. Exactly! You nailed it - another industry privatization scam driven by fear and greed

[fascisthunter]

65. all promoted by this corporate race to a bottom

that enriches the top tier employees... and most massively their makers. They must feel proud as their country and world falls down around them... soooo patriotic of them.

[CoffeeCat]

66. Do you ever get the feeling that Detroit...

...is being intentionally destroyed and systematically decimated? It's almost like the higher ups mess with the city, the people and the economy for a research project I'd something.

The elites are probably testing out a few scfnarios to gauge reaction, so they can be prepared when they destroy the rest of the nation.

[blue14u]

92. YES!!! I am happy to know

I am not the only one thinking this is on purpose. t's like you said... A testing program to see how to do it in other cities and states. The oligarchs are already selling a project called "BELLE ISLAND". Minimum incomes to live there... $300, 000, 00.... Look it up on the net. It will b an island for the rich, and they make all the laws, religion, rules, and so forth!!! One day Detroit will be at the top of the food chain. The less fortunate will be the ones who only come in to work for the rich.

[Liberal_in_LA]

68. shouldnt he be arrested?

[livingwagenow]

71. Was my first thought as well. nt

[Raksha]

70. K & R

[livingwagenow]

72. Recced. nt

[Jack Rabbit]

74. It sounds like Detroit was hit by a terrorist named Kevin Orr

He was appointed by another terrorist, Rick Snyder, who answers to the imperial terrorists, the Kochs.

The people of Detroit cannot recall Mr. Orr. I'm sure the law gives him some kind of immunity from prosecution for the crimes he is committing quite legally. What recourse shall the be?

OK, where are the sophists who were here a few weeks ago defending NSA spying? Aren't they going to point out to that a term like "legal crimes" is an oxymoron and therefore I cannot know what I am talking about. It'll all legal, and therefore, it's all right for the good of all us. Yes, I know "legal crimes" is an oxymoron, and I knew it when I wrote the phrase. It's a phrase that could be used to describe the Nuremberg Laws, but "legal crimes" is still an oxymoron, so it can't exist any more than a married bachelor, and besides, if its legal, it must be right and wonderful and holy and good. Aren't those who defended government domestic spying going to defend Michigan's Emergency Managers? How about those who who tell us bombing isn't anything like going to war? Aren't you going to tell us that Kevin Orr and other Emergency Managers in Michigan are just defending freedom and democracy from the people? Or is it "legal crime" a crime only when a Republican does it?

Hey, Kevin Orr is black, therefore I must be a racist for criticizing him for taking a job authorized by an unjust and anti-democratic law passed by white racist tyrants in Lansing. Isn't that how it works? So, why is an oxymoron like "legal crimes" any worse, how does it do any more violence to logic and sound reasoning than that kind of sophistry?

[Festivito]

75. I think this one was pragmatic rather than the Shock Doctrine.

One of five lines was out of service being repaired. Two went out. The remaining two could not handle the entire city: Schools, traffic signals, buildings, university, ... So, they opted to close several buildings along with some downtown traffic lights and traffic lights in a couple other locations were affected.

This means traffic lights all around the city did not go down. We would have lost all had the last two lines been overused to their breaking point.

I had to drive through a few darkened downtown semaphores to go to work and to return home. It was not bad, just a little slower by a minute or two overall.

[etherealtruth]

120. I was at the Coleman Young Municipal Building

It was a major pain in the @ss, but no more than that.

The power to the city was NOT cut. comparatively few people and entities (institutional customers) were impacted.

I despise Kevyn Orr ... (I keep saying this) portraying what happened as something it was not is in no way helpful.

The biggest complaint appears to be associated with the disruption of the Bashara trial

[Warren DeMontague]

77. Let me guess, he graduated Summa Cum A-Hole at the School Of Enron.

nice.

[TeamPooka]

87. time for people to take back their government

[Spitfire of ATJ]

88. Give him the chair. That would make me laugh.

[TorchTheWitch]

91. the only failure was not warning ahead of time

But there's always the possibility they couldn't do that either. This guy didn't just willy nilly shut down the power to "teach people a lesson". There was mechanical failure where they had no choice to do some shut downs or the remaining working infrastructure would have overloaded and huge swaths of the city would have lost power. It was a controlled shutdown to purposely preserve power for essential services. They did ask people to lower their usage voluntarily, but not enough did, so there was no choice but to do deliberate shutdowns in order to KEEP power for essential services.

This article makes is seem like he just shut down service for no reason even though they cite the original article which is here...

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/23415960/what-is-the-cause-of-detroits-power-outage

On Wednesday, Bill Nowling of Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr's office told Fox 2's Alexis Wiley:"The outages are precautionary measure while DTE and city crews work to fix two main lines in the grid that went down earlier today."

Nowling also said, "That city grid customers were asked to reduce power, but failed to, so we had to move intentional outages to protect crucial service."

City of Detroit Chief Compliance Officer, Gary Brown smiled as he talked to Wiley about the "intentional outages" on camera. Play the video to see the exchange:

Wiley: Did any of the customers get any notice that the power would be cut?

Brown: We did start calling our customers prior to taking them down and asking them to turn off air conditioners, but they weren't responding as fast as we would like them to so we had to send them a strong message by turning the power off.


Turning off power to buildings with elevators to send a message was still asinine without making sure that those elevators were cleared first.

[BKLawyer]

93. Not True

I live in the Detroit area and go to court downtown. We had some severe storms roll through the area during the week, knocking down trees, knocking power out for some customers in the area.

Here's the story - and no mention of this being purposely done - it was a result of system overload ... http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130911/METRO01/309110089

[Agony]

99. Yes, True... shut off power to justice but not to convention center, WTF?

In your link...
"As a result, Nowling added, the city powered down the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center and Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, among other areas, around 1 p.m. The city, he added, wants to ensure it can maintain power for hospitals, nursing homes and other essential facilities.

Cobo Center did not lose power, said Phil Frame, a spokesman for the arena. However Department of Public Lighting officials asked Cobo to reduce its use of electricity to ease stress on the grid, he said."



From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130911/METRO01/309110089#ixzz2extemJaL

[etherealtruth]

150. Nobody on this thread cares that no one from this area (including the residents of Detroit)

... have characterized the black out the way the Addicting Information article has. Folk question why the news outlets in Detroit didn't report it as some great conspiracy... or why residents aren't up in arms over this travesty? Does it not occur to anyone that perhaps the Addicting information article a sensationalized?

[struggle4progress]

161. Not quite true: Fox News carried this take at one point -- but no one else I've found

[etherealtruth]

164. Google WDIV Detroit, WXYZ Detroit and the Detroit News

Last edited Mon Sep 16, 2013, 05:57 AM - Edit history (1)

These are all the major news outlets in the area. They have all reported the same thing.

The people of Detroit are not stupid ... they know when they have been "F"ed over and they do not sit back complacently.

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/power-outage-hits-downtown-detroit-municipal-buildings-people-mover--traffic-lights


On edit: I began doubting myself and searched everything i could think of that disputed my "story" ... the only thing an internet search comes up with is the Addicting info story and the DU.

You can imagine huge swaths of the city being impacted ... however, the Detroit lighting department does not provide service to most of the city.

https://www.detroitmi.gov/?TabId=392

The big news and awful tragedy within the city last week was highlighting the City's broken 911 dispatch system. Google that , there is NEED for outrage there.

[struggle4progress]

166. My point was that I could only find one link, at Fox News, that supported the addictinginfo story

All the other stories seem to say that one to three lines failed and that to prevent further damage further shutdowns were enforced during repair

[etherealtruth]

167. Oh, oh, oh i am sorry

I have been 'crazed' by this thread. It doesn't agree with the reality here. I had to talk about this at work today ... many co-workers are residents of the city of Detroit (and many are not). None of us could figure out the understanding of the situation expressed here or in the addicting info article.

Though my frustration is no excuse for rudeness I (truly) apologize if I was rude or responded harshly to you.

[Berlum]

94. Republicon OCCULTISM. As usual.

Revolting Republicon values.

[DiverDave]

95. Why isnt it the lead story @ Detroit Free Press?

I expected to see a 40 point typeface on the front page...nothing.

Does this idiot have that much power?
Or is this bullshit?

Why havnt YOU looked it up?

[BumRushDaShow]

97. The local Fox station apparently mentions this

Here's what city officials are saying:

<snip>

Nowling also said, "That city grid customers were asked to reduce power, but failed to, so we had to move intentional outages to protect crucial service."

<snip>

City of Detroit Chief Compliance Officer, Gary Brown smiled as he talked to Wiley about the "intentional outages" on camera. Play the video to see the exchange:

Wiley: Did any of the customers get any notice that the power would be cut?

Brown: We did start calling our customers prior to taking them down and asking them to turn off air conditioners, but they weren't responding as fast as we would like them to so we had to send them a strong message by turning the power off.

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/23415960/what-is-the-cause-of-detroits-power-outage

There is a video included and a transcript of the exchange noted by the OP.

The Free Press had a generic article earlier, although I would think the would have had a follow-up since this article - http://www.freep.com/article/20130911/NEWS02/309110128/bob-bashara-power-outage-trial

[Bernardo de La Paz]

106. Shades of "We burned the village to save it" (from Vietnam War).

"so we had to move intentional outages to protect crucial service."

[Union Scribe]

159. The Free Press endorsed Snyder.

If they were ever a more liberal paper (I'm told they were but cannot remember that far back) they certainly aren't now. They also were critical in defeating a ballot prop that would have put collective bargaining in the state constitution. They said there's no way that not doing so would lead to right to work. Now...we got right to work. And what did the Freep (well nicknamed, imo) say? That it'll take ten years to know if that's a bad thing. They're garbage.

[Mc Mike]

100. Funny how the repugs who screamed and cried, about

the threat posed to our way of life from imaginary 'appointed czars' in our Federal government, are strangely silent when these real actual repug appointed czars pose real threats, and pull these fascist moves.

Repug projection again. Whatever charges they're screaming about, are really just them accusing Dems of doing something repugs are doing or want to do. With a healthy dose of double-think thrown in.

[LaydeeBug]

105. This is so fucking disgusting, I wish there were a recourse for this kind of shit. nt

[LiberalEsto]

108. They can thank the Kochroaches for this nightmare nt

[valerief]

111. Pilot city for the future of all American cities. nt

[Brigid]

121. That's what scares me.

[EC]

114. Are there not any kind of criminal charges

that can be brought? It seems like extortion or terrorism of some sort. Since they are trying to convince the population into excepting privatization this seems like extortion. How is it any different than the mob beating you to buy protection from them?

[etherealtruth]

122. Most of the City of Detroit ...

... is not supplied power by the City Lighting Board and most of the city was not impacted.

I despise Kevyn Orr (I despise our right wing nut job governor that appointed him almost immediately following a vote by the residents of the State of Michigan voting down emergency managers). Kevyn Orr wants to rob the city's pensioners, wants to gut the DIA ... he wants to rob the city of anything of value the city owns.

He is evil ... however, this incident did not occur as it is being portrayed in this thread.

I fear people are getting the impression that already beleaguered citizens across the city had their power cut during a heat wave. This did not occur.

[yellerpup]

119. Sounds like our Super is in charge of Detroit.

He stalls or refused to fix things in the common areas to "teach the tenants a lesson." The people of Detroit are under attack.

[Vashta Nerada]

124. I hope he gets sued and thrown in prison.

[heaven05]

125. very, very evil uncaring people

I bet Snyder the snake got his jollies behind this one too.

[rlegro]

131. Sounds to me like Orr and his people might be guilty of endangering public safety.

That is a crime. Of course, is the local DA under Orr's thumb, too?

[Snake Plissken]

132. So basically terrorists caused a blackout during a heatwave

Why aren't they sitting in a prison cell right now?

[The CCC]

133. ust sickening. "Emergency Manager" in Detroit caused blackout during heatwave to teach a lesson....

An outdoor cage sounds about right for this less than animal.

[Moral Compass]

135. Guy should be in jail

If this is actually what he did, then this "emergency manager" should be in jail...

He should also be liable for any number of civil suits by those injured, killed, our damaged by his reckless actions.

This is one sick bastard.

[sweetapogee]

137. I have nothing to say

but since I think this might become The Thread of the Year, I wanted in on the action!

[Major Nikon]

141. These people should be strapped to a chair and beat to death with toy hammers

Preventive maintenance is just that, you do it during times of low demand to prevent outages during peak demand.

Hospitals and airports have backup power systems, but they don't always work when you need them. Imagine what would happen to babies in incubators.

[glinda]

143. He should be stripped of his Office Title due to "endangerment to the Public".

[Bay Boy]

146. Is there any real proof that: the power outage was caused by the emergency manager

... wanting to teach a lesson? Or is that just someone's opinion of what happened?

[TorchTheWitch]

155. it's bullshit

Follow the Fox link in the beginning of the article. There was a power outage, and while it was getting fixed they needed customers to reduce their usage so that the remaining working parts didn't get overloaded and cause a blackout for the whole city. They asked for customers to voluntarily reduce their power usage but they weren't doing it fast enough, so they had to do a controlled shut down of some places so that critical places like hospitals and whatnot would still have power. However, they didn't warn the people in some buildings that power was about to be shut off for an overload emergency, and thus no one knew to make sure elevators were cleared first. It could be that they didn't have time to give warnings to the places they had to shut down because of the available working infrastructure overloading.

The article in the OP makes it out that this guy just shut down power for no legitimate reason.

[etherealtruth]

170. You have no idea how much I appreciate your post

Reading this thread does not reflect the reality of the situation. Just about everyone from the area (Detroit/metro Detroit) has called bullshit and has been met with "thats not true" (solely based on this article). The City of Detroit Public Lighting department is in shambles, the infrastructure is ancient and VERY importantly most of the residents of Detroit are serviced by DTE ... NOT the City.

Orr is doing so much damage to the people of Detroit ... he needs to be aggressively fought for the things he is truly doing (numerous/ things that will ensure that the city is devastated for generations) ... this isn't one of them.

If you want to be enraged be enraged about the pensions of city worker, the looting of the Detroit Institute of Arts, the potential sale of the Detroit Water and sewer department (something the suburbs have coveted for sometime), the "leasing" of Belle Isle to the State ...

[KamaAina]

157. If there aren't any lampposts to hang the SOB from upside down,

use this:

[Warren DeMontague]

158. "people weren't turning their air conditioners off fast enough"

[struggle4progress]

162. There seem to be multiple other takes on this, besides the Fox News version addictinginfo picked up

[B Calm]

165. That would be an act of terrorism!