Tons ' O Fun here

[fng]

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/n...tory.ssf?/cgi- free/getstory_ssf.cgi?o0228_BC_OH--OverweightTenant&&news&newsflash-ohio



Housing agency works to accommodate 772-pound tenant

The Associated Press
11/17/03 1:04 AM


CLEVELAND (AP) -- The city' s public housing agency is trying to resolve a lengthy dispute by accommodating the needs of a 772-pound tenant immobilized by her weight.

Carmen Bowen, 44, has been involved in a two-year dispute with the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority over how much work must be done to help her move around her apartment.

The agency is about to provide her with a handicapped-accessible apartment with extra space to allow an oversized wheelchair to turn. Bowen lives with her 19-year-old son and a caregiver.

Still, Bowen filed a discrimination complaint, saying the agency took too long. Housing officials responded that the agency went well beyond what federal disability law requires at a cost of about $15,000.

" Her special condition requires special equipment," acting Executive Director George Phillips said last week.

The modifications include removing doors and walls, installing an automatic door operator and panic device, demolishing the existing bathroom and installing a special shower, and putting in a sidewalk to the front door. Bowen could move in next month.

In her current apartment, Bowen can' t move from a medical bed in the middle of her living room.

In August, 22 firefighters and emergency medical technicians worked for 2½ hours to move Bowen from her apartment so she could have dental work. Emergency crews had to help her back when she returned. The authority widened the door in October.

Bowen does not yet have the wheelchair. The Medicaid government insurance program has not yet said whether it will pay for it.

[Jorgy]

one of the many questions I have had when I hear cases like this is, why is the fire department called to help move a big ole fat lady? Don' t you think it would be more cost effective to have a dentist make a house call then to send 22 firefighters to her house?

Also, how about hiring Richard Simmons for a few months for her instead of spending $15,000 on widening the doors and reinforcing the floor under the fridge.

[fng]

Don' t you think it would be more cost effective to have a dentist make a house call then to send 22 firefighters to her house?

Actually, it' s not my responsibility to make sure obese lazy pigs can get anywhere.
Leave her alone in the house for several weeks to fend for herself (ie: roll around in her own feces ) and she' ll start to diet.

[1eyedfish]

Dick gregory now offers emergncy at home lyposuctions? Legt / leftwith a tooth ache could make you diet- get so dam big ya cant get out the door you came into[]? lol sorry that is just odd. i guess better then spontanious combustion.

[Charlie P]

In her current apartment, Bowen can' t move from a medical bed in the middle of her living room

Might be time to put down the friggin Bon bon' s, don' t you think?

Her special condition requires special equipment

Try not filling your body with so much crap every day. I' d love to see a list of what she eats everyday.

[rockytop]

She can' t get out the door to buy food, so just shoot the sob that' s bringing the food to her.
Realistically, people that weigh 700 pounds have a lot more than a eating disorder. I actually have alot sympathy for these people because there' s not much they can do to control their weight but starve. I have a weight problem and have to fight like hell to keep my weight under 300 pounds. My body produces way too much insulin and it all turns to fat if you don' t burn it and when you get that fat you can' t excercise. It' s a catch 22 deal. My wife is 130 pounds and eats twice as much as I do and eats anything she wants too and doesn' t excercise.
If this 700 pouns woman is eating like a hog, that' s one deal, but most often these folks have serious medical problems that cause that much obesity.

[model722]

Rockytop I agree that some folks have a body that sometimes dosn' t work like others(my own included), but do they all sit around and eat 10 pizza' s a day? No, if they give 2 sh**, they get off there arse and do as much as they can not too end up weighing so much that they can' t even move. I have no sympathy for anyone that weighs this much, she did not go from 120lbs. to 700lbs overnight. This is also not a disability this is just someone to damn lazy to take care of themselfs.

[burniegoeasily]

Bowen lives with her 19-year-old son and a

Shooo Shooo. That means some one got a little (lot) of that one time.[] I dont think she gained all that weight after birth.

[burniegoeasily]

Also, how about hiring Richard Simmons for a few months for her instead of spending $15,000 on widening the doors and reinforcing the floor under the fridge

What would have been more cost effective, would to have hired someone to slap the spoon out of her mouth the moment this garbage came to light. I love
my tax dollars going to support a twinkey habit. Im almost to the point; no I
am to the point to where I consider gross weight gain and addiction, there
for, should be treated the same way as drug addicts.[:@] All the same
thing, a self control problem. If we make special accommodations for
grossly obese persons, we need to put smack addicts up in a special place,
accommodating their addiction.[:@]

Sounds sadistic, but booting someone like this out on the street could be a
good thing. They wouldn"™t have access to excess food, causing them to live
off of their fat reserves. There excess fat would keep them warm. Once they got to where they could do things for themself, then they could rotate back into the work force.[>:]

[stork]

That is just down right sickning!

I have no feelings what so ever for people that don' t at least try to help themselved!