Schools across the country deploy a variety of humiliation tactics on students whose parents haven’t been able to pay their school lunch bills, whether it’s publicly throwing away perfectly good trays of food or marking students’ hands. Some states and schools say these practices go too far and are adopting laws and policies that don’t punish schoolchildren for their parents’ debts. [More]
unpaid bills
National Grid Cuts Off Mall’s Electricity For Apparent Non-Payment
By 2.13.15
Rotterdam Square Mall, outside of Schenectady, NY, is not doing so well. It keeps losing stores, as dying malls tend to do, with its Gap and Macy’s shutting down early this year. Yesterday, something unusual happened when the mall’s power went out…not because of weather or supply issues, but allegedly because of an unpaid bill. [More]
Elderly Couple Could Lose Home Over $1.63 Tax Bill
By 7.17.07
In 1996 a property tax bill for $1.63 was mailed to Kermit and Dolores Atwood. The bill never reached its destination, according to the Times-Picayune. Now, 11 years later, the Atwoods are in danger of losing their home.
TSA To Airlines: "You Owe Us $219 Million"
By 6.8.07
US Airways Group Inc. owes $18 million; UAL Corp.’s United Airlines, $15 million; Continental Airlines Inc., $14 million; Northwest Airlines Corp., $9 million; and America West Airlines, now part of US Airways, $8 million, Howe said
According to the airlines, the fees are excessive, and they’re refusing to pay them. It all stems from the way the TSA’s budget is calculated. The airlines are responsible for paying fees based on an estimation of what it cost them to run airport security in 2000. The airlines say it cost $300 million, the TSA says the real figure is closer to $750 million.
“We believe it is time for the TSA to develop a new system for allocating these costs, which is based on 2000 market shares,” said Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American, the world’s largest airline. “This old system is fundamentally unfair.”
