Today at 4PM, PUSH Buffalo and neighborhood residents turn up the heat in front of the HEAP Office at Lafayette Square to stage an “Anti-Freeze Rebellion” in demonstration against high heating bills. At this time, they will also call on National Fuel to aid the public sector in weatherizing 1,000 units of housing in 2010.
“Going Green” isn’t about a lifestyle, says PUSH, but a matter of survival.
“I have had to make tough choices like paying for my heat instead of paying my medical bills,” said Ron Andrews, PUSH leader and West Side resident. “I know it’s not just me; my family and friends are having the same problem.” Sound familiar?
According to a recent article in Forbes magazine, Buffalo is the 4th most expensive city to heat in the entire country. Because it is also the 3rd poorest city in the country, the high cost of heat poses an inherent challenge for city residents to stay warm during the winter.
With a call to weatherize 1,000 housing units in 2010, PUSH’s Green Jobs, Green Housing Platform takes on added significance considering the extraordinarily high levels of unemployment in Buffalo. “I need a job,” said PUSH leader Colin O’Malley. “All my savings go to paying my massive heating bills while National Fuel gets handouts of public money from HEAP.”
During the rally, a contingent of PUSH leaders will deliver a letter to National Fuel’s Headquarters in Williamsville, with a request for a National Fuel representative to meet with a PUSH delegation in the next 30 days in order to outline a strategy to weatherize the homes.
Several PUSH leaders will also give testimony regarding their experiences with high heating bills. In keeping with the holiday spirit, PUSH leaders and community residents will be singing Christmas carols tweaked for the occasion. There will also be a skit performed by PUSH leaders.