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Heat is off ... finally
Waterbury Republican-American ^ | June 17, 2008 | Editoral

Posted on 06/17/2008 11:35:42 AM PDT by Graybeard58

The owners of the 300-unit Seabury Heights Apartments in Worcester, Mass., got in trouble last year when they turned on the building's air conditioning in early June. As reported in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, some of Seabury's elderly tenants complained, first to management, then to the city, about being cold. In the end, Seabury was forced to turn the heat back on because in Massachusetts, it's against the law — against the law! — for landlords to turn off their furnaces before June 15.

You see where this is going. Chastened by last year's run-in with the government, Seabury kept its furnaces on and its cooling systems off last week as temperatures soared into the 90s, not out of spite but because firing up the AC would require turning off the furnaces, which is against the law. Fire Capt. John M. Ford, director of the city's Emergency Management Team, said the landlord did the right thing: "It is not a switch-on-and-off system. You just can't turn a lever and go from hot to cold. You have to shut down the heating system before you can turn on the air conditioning. There are some code requirements." And don't forget the June 15 furnace law.

On Sunday, Seabury residents got their AC. But because of inflexible health laws and building codes, and an ordinance that bans window air conditioners in multidwelling housing, a complex full of elderly tenants, many with heart or respiratory conditions, sweltered. A few managed beat the heat, however, by moving into air-conditioned hospital rooms.

So tell us again how Big Government with its rigid, contradictory rules and aversion to common sense benefits the people.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: apartmentwarming; deathofcommonsense; elderly; freedomofcontract; globalwarming; nannystate; propertyrights; redtape
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Stupid nanny laws.

Also read on F.R. that more and more "upscale" communities are out lawing window air conditioners.

When elderly people start dying from the heat, maybe the libs will learn a lesson.

On second thought, that may be their goal.

1 posted on 06/17/2008 11:35:42 AM PDT by Graybeard58
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To: ballplayer; warsaw44; Grizzled Bear; Tunehead54; G.Love; nothingnew; dcwusmc; Responsibility2nd; ...

Ping to a Republican-American Editorial.

If you want on or off this list, let me know


2 posted on 06/17/2008 11:36:25 AM PDT by Graybeard58 (McCain, my penultimate choice in the primary and only choice in the general)
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To: Graybeard58
Also read on F.R. that more and more "upscale" communities are out lawing window air conditioners. When elderly people start dying from the heat, maybe the libs will learn a lesson.

If it's an 'upscale' community, wouldn't they have central air?

3 posted on 06/17/2008 11:39:03 AM PDT by Ditto (Global Warming: The 21st Century's Snake Oil)
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To: Graybeard58

Global warming could be the answer to the Social Security and Medicare crisis.


4 posted on 06/17/2008 11:39:20 AM PDT by rednesss (Fred Thompson - 2008)
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To: Graybeard58

they gotta get rid of the current elderly so there’s money left in social security for them.


5 posted on 06/17/2008 11:39:28 AM PDT by absolootezer0 ( Detroit: we're so bad, even our mayor is a criminal)
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To: Graybeard58

Amazing. You own something, pay the bills and taxes on it, put up with all the problems along w/time spent and the government controls it.


6 posted on 06/17/2008 11:41:02 AM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: Graybeard58

Were Morty and Helen Seinfeld living there?


7 posted on 06/17/2008 11:45:22 AM PDT by kms61
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To: Graybeard58
I'd have loved to be the super in those apartments...

"You bitched and complained to the city last year, and now you expect me to break the law for you this year? Roast! Bwaaaahaaa!"

8 posted on 06/17/2008 11:46:13 AM PDT by Cyber Liberty (Who would McQueeg rather have mad at him: You or the liberals?)
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To: Ditto

My sister lives in an “upscale” area in an old house that never had AC until recently. One bedroom doesn’t have proper duct work, so a window air-conditioner is in it.


9 posted on 06/17/2008 11:47:47 AM PDT by stevio (Crunchy Con - God, guns, guts, and organically grown crunchy nuts.)
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To: Graybeard58

President Obama would have the government controlling our home thermostats so as not to offend the rest of the world.


10 posted on 06/17/2008 11:51:10 AM PDT by The Great RJ ("Mir we bleiwen wat mir sin" or "We want to remain what we are." ..Luxembourg motto)
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To: Ditto

Seabury Hgts is subsidized housing overlooking Bell pond on Belmont St. in Worcester Mass. It is part of the Worcester Housing Authority buildings. Years ago we fought the street department in Worcester over the timing of the lights on Belmont St. Elderly walking to church had to cross a dangerous road. The light allowed the poor souls a very short time to get across to the middle island. The Massachusetts drivers honked and edged up on the the canes and walker users. The white crosswalk lines could hardly be seen. They refused to extend the timing for the safety of the elderly. The building at that location on Belmont St. had no AC at that time. I am amazed that Seabury Hgts had AC.


11 posted on 06/17/2008 11:51:53 AM PDT by oldironsides
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To: Graybeard58

Great story...and just coincidentally, I caught an encore presentation
on BookTV by the author of the book “The Death of Common Sense” this
last weekend.

The current story shows legal insanity ain’t dead yet!


12 posted on 06/17/2008 11:52:24 AM PDT by VOA
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To: Graybeard58

“So tell us again how Big Government with its rigid, contradictory rules and aversion to common sense benefits the people.”

They open government offices extra hours for gay people to get married in California.

Nothing for hetro-couples.


13 posted on 06/17/2008 11:53:54 AM PDT by edcoil
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To: stevio

I have a shed/work shop, it’s 12x24. I’m going to put a window unit in it. I don’t think my little town is “upscale’ enough to ban them.

The problem is, finding a unit that’s small enough to fit the windows.


14 posted on 06/17/2008 11:54:27 AM PDT by Graybeard58 (McCain, my penultimate choice in the primary and only choice in the general)
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To: The Great RJ
President Obama would have the government controlling our home thermostats so as not to offend the rest of the world.

We can't keep eating as much as we want either.

15 posted on 06/17/2008 11:55:51 AM PDT by Graybeard58 (McCain, my penultimate choice in the primary and only choice in the general)
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To: Graybeard58
I've been remiss in thanking you for the articles/pings.

Thank you.

FMCDH(BITS)

16 posted on 06/17/2008 12:01:48 PM PDT by nothingnew (I fear for my Republic due to marxist influence in our government. Open eyes/see)
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To: Ditto

Talking sense around her isn’t allowed. The tools running the gubermint are idiots.

If it’s an ‘upscale’ community, wouldn’t they have central air?


17 posted on 06/17/2008 12:01:52 PM PDT by zek157
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To: Graybeard58
On second thought, that may be their goal.

It's the first phase in the left's plan to implement national healthcare rationing. Old people just use too much healthcare.

Just look how Oregon's plan is working. The state pays for patients who kill themselves, but many life-saving treatments are not covered.

18 posted on 06/17/2008 12:02:44 PM PDT by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: stevio
One bedroom doesn’t have proper duct work, so a window air-conditioner is in it.

There are other options available today for single room air conditioning that are more efficient, quieter, don't block the window, and don't require removal for the winter.

19 posted on 06/17/2008 12:06:38 PM PDT by Ditto (Global Warming: The 21st Century's Snake Oil)
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To: presently no screen name

You own something and the government controls it.
Fascism by definition.

And the left is the source of fascism, always has been.


20 posted on 06/17/2008 12:06:39 PM PDT by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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