Power cut off, woman dies

[shcabbeh]

They didnt want a response... they just called to swear & curse etc...

I work so hard... But im still just one of those bad people aye

I'm sorry to hear that. I work in customer services too and have also been called a murderer for an unrelated incident. It was a lie, though when you take them seriously as per your job it leaves you feeling rotten.

That's part of why I'm angry about this whole thing. Innocent people getting trashed for something they did not cause, did not have a part of. It's not on.

People are quick to forget that companies are made up of people. People that pay their taxes, give back to society, help others etc.

The total responsibility the family is pushing on the company disgusts me and people on the front line have to deal with the backlash. The backlash from brainwashed, ignorant fools.

[Skyryder]

For those of you who have been on the recieving end from abuse from the public over this death I can symphasise. I've been on the recieving end of this stuff myself............as a bus driver.

Skyryder

[oldrider]

For those of you who have been on the recieving end from abuse from the public over this death I can symphasise. I've been on the recieving end of this stuff myself............as a bus driver.

Skyryder

C'mon, that's not a bus, it's an Italian "masterpiece" (lol) John.

[Hitcher]

What's probably coming next is free electricity for "poor" people. Bloody socialist gummint fearing electoral annihilation, anything's possible...

[Beemer]

I don't fucking believe it - now they are accusing the police of racism - wonder how much 'compensation' they are seeking from them? And how nice to hear they are offering the contractor who cut their power forgiveness - considering he was only doing his job and they were lying scum who hadn't paid their power bill, how generous of them.

Stuff - today:

Police investigating the death of south Auckland woman Folole Muliaga have been accused of institutionalised racism by her family.
FAMILY OFFER CONTRACTOR WHO CUT POWER FORGIVENESS ... PRIVATE SERVICE FOR POWER CUT VICTIM


Mrs Muliaga, 44, died last Tuesday three hours after power was cut to her Mangere home because of an overdue power account.

Police investigating her death interviewed two of her sons and her husband over the weekend but family spokesman, Brenden Sheehan, said they were "hugely insensitive" and had shown "institutionalised racism" by not knowing how to deal with other cultures.

He said family members were interviewed for several hours in English in separate rooms.

"English is not their first language."

He said while the family had been in New Zealand for six years, Samoan was their first language and they thought and mostly spoke in Samoan.

"They are thinking and speaking in Samoan and the police are speaking to them in English which I find appalling."

Mr Sheehan said when another family support member had to leave the police station to pick up her own children he (Mr Sheehan) was not allowed in.

"They told me no they had to interview them alone and I was not allowed in," he said.

He said the Samoan way was to bring the body home, to grieve and mourn and to have the funeral.

"I think there is a real problem with the way police deal with other cultures."

He said as Mrs Muliaga's body was being taken home yesterday, he received a telephone message from police saying he was expecting one of Mrs Muliaga's sons to be interviewed with a lawyer present and "could he come down to the police station that day.

"Obviously I didn't return the call but it's outrageous. These people are victims. What hope has any brown person got if they are a suspect in a case in this country.

"If they treat victims like this how do they treat suspects?"

Mr Sheehan said he was also "disgusted and appalled" that the police had apparently said publicly that no charges would be laid because Mrs Muliaga was a very sick woman.

He said the unnamed police source was quoted in The Press newspaper after police had earlier told him they would not comment publicly but then breached their own undertaking by doing so.

"Of course she was a very sick woman. That is why we have gone to the press.

"But it appears (if you are sick) police seem to think your life is worth nothing."

He said he was "furious" and did not want to speak yet to police about it but the family now wanted a fresh police team to take over the inquiry.

"I think the investigation is so compromised at this stage that it cannot possibly produce a fair and balanced report."

The officer in charge of the inquiry, Detective Inspector Jim Gallagher, refused to comment on the claims today.

"I haven't had that conveyed to me so I am not prepared to make any comment about it.

"I am not entering into some media debate over police procedural inquiry matters.

"If he wishes to make those views known to the police then clearly we will listen but there is a process and that is what we would recommend," Mr Gallagher said.

Mr Sheehan said the family was coping with their grief but it would be after the funeral and the public service on Wednesday that it would fully sink in.

[Dave Lobster]

He said while the family had been in New Zealand for six years, Samoan was their first language and they thought and mostly spoke in Samoan.

"They are thinking and speaking in Samoan and the police are speaking to them in English which I find appalling."

This is pretty bad. There's no excuse for not having learned the language in that time.

I have a chinese friend who's been here two years. He didn't know a word when he got here. His English is now nigh on perfect. Within the two years.

How on earth is it appalling that the police speak to people in English? FFS.. this is getting really silly now.

[Fatjim]

Yeah, the Chinese lady down at Yum Yum F&C has it down pat too.

"How long you come".


Odds on being PDT'd?


$2.20

[BarBender]

Dont get me wong, It wasnt my intention to patronise anybody at all.
Fom what you have said here I may have read into your post differently from what you were trying to say... my bad. But yes NZ is a little hobby farm... I can think of a few little expressions that have words to that effect; and they always seem to ring true.

What - only friends and family who have kinfold die in motorcycle accidents get privileges in here?

I think that is a DAMN good point. How did the press get a hold of this story anyway? As with many things, this may not be as clear cut and defined as many, including myself are trying to make it out to be. I read yor post now as you saying the importance of family... and that posts can be relevant without sounding offensive, yes? in which case I completely agree also. I wasnt trying to sound like some pschObabble BS, but I think it is what we do that others judge us on. (or not do as the case may be) I may have read too much into your post.
PEACE

On a side note: as for the racial overtones, remember, white people commit crime and actions of excessive stupidity too!

Mate - I'm grateful for you coming back to me and not taking my post personally. The PM was well not required but appreciated.
Cheers
BB

[shcabbeh]

They're using the race card on the cops for doing their job now?

Is there anyone else they can blame?

Hey, y'know that illness she had was very inconsiderate of overweight people. The ministry of health clearly hasn't done enough to curb its racist and weightist movements against the family. I hold them fully responsible.

For crying out loud, this is just getting absolutely ridiculous.

[Beemer]

They're using the race card on the cops for doing their job now?

Is there anyone else they can blame?

Hey, y'know that illness she had was very inconsiderate of overweight people. The ministry of health clearly hasn't done enough to curb its racist and weightist movements against the family. I hold them fully responsible.

For crying out loud, this is just getting absolutely ridiculous.

I totally agree. For fucks sake, if they had gone to live in America or France or anywhere else in the world where Samoan is not the official language (gee, I guess that would be EVERYWHERE except Samoa) they would be questioned in English. She was supposedly an early childhood teacher - in a Samoan preschool? Yeah, right.

Well, there are three companies/organisations I won't support now - Mercury Energy - not for pulling the plug, but for wearing sackcloth and ashes and paying bad customers $10,000; the EPMU because they are Labour supporters and after Helen Clark's outbursts I won't be renewing my membership, and now Fisher and Paykel - on the weekend they gave the family a freezer. Bet it wasn't a second-hand one either.

I'm pretty broke right now and need some money to pay my bills. Unfortunately I paid the power bill last week so I can't try them, but I wonder if ACC would pay me something if I said I can't pay my levies this week and would be under extreme mental anguish if they set the debt collectors onto me? Oh, and my microwave is playing up, wonder if Panasonic will give me a new one because I need it to warm the kitten's milk.

I can't believe how much these bad customers have been rewarded - hell, even members of the public are giving them donations! They were quoted the other day as saying they wouldn't be using the $10,000 for the funeral as they would be paying for it from public donations. What wonderful NZers!

[Storm]

The age of no personal responsibility is here.

We're all fucked

[Grahameeboy]

An interesting debate.

2 points

1) Contractor should have called his Manager for a final decision.
2) A family member should have ensured that power was re-instated.

1) I know they get abuse at times, however, this appears to have been an out of the ordinary situation i.e. medical so a call to a Manager should have been the first decision, like any Customer Service issue.
2) Goes without saying.

But at end of day the proximate cause of this whole mess (not necessarily the death) was the contractor simply cutting off the power without any referral. What difference would a few hours or days have made while matter was investigated........the family had made some payments to reduce debt and at end of day it was only $168......

Family have for me not lost points because at the same time as dealing with the grief they are talking about compensation.........perhaps driven by media, however, as far as I know in Samoan culture the burial is 3 to 4 days max following death so they could have waited.

Often guilty in the country is not thinking outside the box....that's my job and that is all I have to do syndrome regardless of situation.

Simple example....a few years ago I had my leg in a brace / was on crutches. Ex had to park in a layby on Queen Street to pick me up for an appointment. Traffic Warden was going to give us a ticket despite the obvious.....said "I am just doing my job".

At end of day, fault lies with all parties concerned and maybe this whole incident will be a lesson for all.

[scumdog]

An interesting debate.

2 points

1) Contractor should have called his Manager for a final decision.
2) A family member should have ensured that power was re-instated.

1

But at end of day the proximate cause of this whole mess (not necessarily the death) was the contractor simply cutting off the power without any referral. What difference would a few hours or days have made while matter was investigated........the family had made some payments to reduce debt and at end of day it was only $168......

Piss-off GB, you're all one sided with the above man!

WHY was no Ambulance called
A cord COULD have been run from a neighbours (or was it that kind of neighbourhood where they don't talk to neighbours?)
Why was WINZ or whoever not contacted earlier to assist with the power bill if loss of power was going to be fatal (which I have reservations on) as the family would have had HEAPS of warning about the possible impending loss of power.

Yadda yadda and yadda again.

[Beemer]

An interesting debate.

2 points

1) Contractor should have called his Manager for a final decision.
2) A family member should have ensured that power was re-instated.

1) I know they get abuse at times, however, this appears to have been an out of the ordinary situation i.e. medical so a call to a Manager should have been the first decision, like any Customer Service issue.

I have to disagree here. The contractor's job is to disconnect or reconnect the power, end of story. He does not have the discretion to accept sob stories because trust me, he would have heard them all. From memory, when I worked for a power company, it was not a contractor's job to ring in and try to avert the disconnection, it was the customer's job. The contractor would wait while the customer rang the power company, and he would then talk to the power company himself, but he would only not go ahead with the disconnection if told not to by the call centre staff. And that would only be after the customer had produced a receipt that could be verified or had given the contractor the money to cover the debt - including the disconnection fee, which would be added even if the disconnection did not go ahead.

Everyone seems to forget that these people had about seven weeks to avoid being disconnected. The fact they made some payments on the account means nothing - they may have promised to pay the full amount on a certain date and reneged on that arrangement. Any variation of an agreed payment plan would result in disconnection and the customer is made fully aware of this.

Unfortunately it now means all our power costs will go up because instead of bad customers being disconnected, we will all end up subsidising them. And where is the fairness in that? I bet all the Samoans out there who DO pay their bills on time must be pissed off with this family playing the race card.

[MSTRS:Me]

Might have been said already...haven't read it all, but the media have a lot to be ashamed of in this saga....
Reporting at all times about 'the woman who died after her power was turned off'. In the simplest of terms this is true, but never do they draw attention to the fact that she was going to die sooner rather than later, regardless of any outside factors.
She was fat and deathly ill. Whose fault was that?