Collier was one of five citizen commissioners at the March 2010 hearing of the Citizens' Inquiry into the Dexter Avenue fire that claimed the lives of 62 year old Marvin Allen, and his brother, 61 year old Tyrone Allen and Tyrone's friend 58 year old Lynn Greer in January 2010. Both of the brothers were disabled, struggling to live on SSI income of about $600 per month. Hearings at the Inquiry proved that the fatal fire resulted from resorting to unsafe alternative heating after their utilities were cut off.
Collier and fellow commissioners took testimony from Detroit area residents and experts on the relationship between utility shut-offs and deadly residential fires in Detroit; the nation's poorest city with a real unemployment rate close to 50%. The Inquiry — a precursor to the newly formed Committee Against Utility Shut-offs (CAUS) — exposed the policies of utility monopoly DTE and the role of local, state and federal lawmakers in protecting the interests of the utility industry.
Collier spoke with Detroit residents who are suffering from poverty, unemployment, and health problems.
Impoverished Michigan residents have yet to see any jobs. Instead, what they got was utility deregulation which removed rate caps that previously protected the public from price-gouging and shut-offs for the poor — resulting in increasing deaths.
Collier met with Detroit residents who told of being denied help with unaffordable utility bills.
One man identifying himself only as Royce, told about becoming disabled and how his family is being crushed with an unaffordable utility bill of several thousand dollars. Royce explained that he tried to work something out with DTE and that a DTE rep informed him that if he paid $400 towards his back due bill, his electric and gas would not be cut off. Rocye stated that his family got a $1200 voucher from social services that was supposed to go towards their rent, their water bill, and their past due DTE combined gas and electric bill. But when his partner, Laquinta, went to the DTE payment center, DTE took the whole $1200 voucher amount and demanded full payment of the remainder of the outstanding DTE bill.
Other residents told Collier personal stories of going to DTE payment centers in order to get help towards an unaffordable $250/month budget payment arrangement plan and leaving with a new monthly bill that was twice as high.
Collier condemned legislation signed into law by Michigan's Democratic governor Jennifer Granholm that launched a crackdown on Michigan's poor for "energy theft."
This law, sponsored by both Democrats and Republicans, makes it a felony offense punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5000 fine for the first offense of "illegally selling or transferring utility service." This also includes bypassing or tampering with gas and electric meters.
"Who benefits from this law? Only DTE Energy. Obama is with the corporations on this and many other things. The utility companies and all major corporations must be run democratically in the interests of social need, not private profit. basic human rights such as energy and heat can no longer be subordinated to the interests of a tiny layer of the population," Collier said.
Collier referenced his 77 year old neighbor, a widow of a GM retiree. For over fifty years they paid their utility bills. But now she is forced to choose between medicine, food, and not freezing to death or being without power. Collier said that she tried to get help from THAW only to get nothing. THAW is a utility industry and government funded non-profit that purports to help the poor with unaffordable home energy bills.
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