87 i didn't say all were dead beats but when you say the problems run from mental illness which that's something you can't always help to the dead beat drug users that's like saying oh it's ok to have drug houses and it makes for a good excuse not to pay the bill. when there are good working people like yourself and i that could fill those empty apartment or houses. The other thing is some are way out there for rent cost. so maybe lower it to an exceptable level so these people can get it together and get on there feet. we live on a limited income and things are tight sure but get off the drugs clean up these places and who knows what could happen. and for the other properties that he manages wheres these owners like andersons?

foodforthought, maybe you should not generalize all of Billy's tenants. Some yes have addiction problems and maybe some are not deserving of help but I know some of his tenants and many are good people who do work hard and still are having trouble. And just because a property is in foreclosure does not mean that payments can not be made at some point. I had my house in foreclosure when my business was slow and a few months later when I got some sales, I was able to get current on my loan. Not everybody gives up when times get tough, obviously Billy is a fighter and is not yet giving up. Remember if his tenants paid their back rent Billy would have $110,000.00 to pay his bills.

this is for 87
if you knew anything about the properties that he has five are in foreclosure and if you know anything about foreclosures they are told not to make payments. THe point is the lazy people who are not working but still can buy drugs don't need anyones help.

alishamae, Are you ignorant enough to think that 22 people paying their rent on time is enough to pay for all the expenses on 99 units? And you say "where did that money go?" Umm, maybe to pay taxes, mortgages, repairs, utilities, and other expenses that every business pays.

THis is in reguard to the pore land lord that couldn't pay his bills. He claims that he got rent from 22 tenants where did that money go. I believe there is something fishy about the whole thing. Why would you allow things to get so far out of hand. And then have the gull to ask the government to bail you out. Gee what if all of us landlords wanted the tax payers to bail us out when we made bad choice. And you want to use the excuse that most are mentally ill or drug users well there you go lets all pitch in so that they can sit on their butts while we pay for them to go out and buy their drug instead of getting up and going out and getting a job. I agree with the citizen who talked about the couple with the little boy, he's a druggy and just got out of jail the kid don't live with him and what ever the girls name is from what i've heard from people around her she can't keep a job. So don't expect every one to feel sorry for people who are to lazy to go out and work for a living like the rest of us. and if that couple are both on unemploymet why aren't they paying rent. And for the land lord first he says he owes 43,000 dollars on fox 47 now it's 30,000 according to the gazette. So which is it?????? If you can't be honest about the amount how can you expect people to help. SO to all the tennants this is hard times deal with it and get up in the morning and actually get out there and hit the street and look for work. YOU Can't do it taking naps all day.

I talked to a person at the Salvation Army, they started a fund for Billy's residents to get caught back up on their bills. People can send checks to:
Salvation Army
514 Sutherland Ave
Janesville, WI 53545
Make sure you put "Billy Kesselring" in the memo of the check. The money will go toward the individual families rent owed to Billy and be sent direct to Alliant so everyone gets paid. The families who use these funds also will go through some financial budgeting classes offered by the Salvation Army. I think this is a great plan for everyone. Also the donations are tax deductible. I believe all the details above are correct but I do not work for the Salvation Army or for Billy so you can double check anything I just said. The Salvation Army's phone number is 608-757-8300. I also heard that a plan is in place so the lights will not go off tomorrow.

just run an extension cord over the nieghbors fence, problem solved =)

gmaof3, I couldn't agree more with you that the system bites. It irritates me to no end the kind of people that do get assistance and those like your daughter struggle. I never knew this until I saw first hand from my next door neighbor. He chose not to work but was never without. How did he do it? He knew every trick in the bag for cheating the system and that is what I see as a major defect in how the "system" works. If you follow the rules you are screwed. If you know the tricks like this guy I'm talking about, the world is handed to you on a silver platter. He actually had the nads to laugh at me because I have to go to work every day while he and his buddies hung out in his driveway smoking and drinking Mountain Dew all day.

My daughter waited three years to get the "golden appointment" for energy assistance. She is a single mother of three (the ex is a deadbeat...) with little to no child support. A full time job, going to College and just had her second hip replacement surgery. She also has a chronic disease for which there is no cure. (CMT is what it is called) Her doctor has labeled her disabled... and she has a placard for her car. She is - by no means - a lazy person. She finally got the appointment only to find out that she made just $50 a month too much. I was appalled that with all the struggles she endures, she didn't qualify.

Bless her heart, she managed to pay the $1100.00 she owed Alliant from her savings for the fall tuition for college, the 3 kids funds for school in the fall and a very small cushion, should she lose her job. It is what she does with her tax return every year.

How can drug addicts and illegal aliens get all this financial aid... but the working poor have to suffer so much? The whole system BITES!

With what she makes from her job, she is classified as poverty level.

frusion, thank you, I actually do not know much about how Alliant or any other utility company works, I am sure you are correct.
melstew47, thank you! If everyone reading this who can afford to send a few bucks in to Billy does it will help. Billy's address is PO Box 1764 Janesville, WI 53547 (I once rented from Billy) I am curious to find out how many $5 checks Billy receives and I hope the Gazette will update the story to let us know.

87... yes a monopoly, I will not argue that. In my post I was addressing MakeItBetter's comment on the "thriving monopoly" statement. That comment would lend you to believe all is great at Alliant and they pull in profits regardless of any other circumstances. Utility companies in Wisconsin are regulated. That means they charge what the state of Wisconsin allows. The profit margins are closely monitored by the state and is largely structured to keep the company viable. No one is going to get rich by working for nor investing in a Wisconsin based utility company.

cut the crap this man needs some help, some of his tenants may not,but thats beside the point.i agree with 87, if you have the 5 dollars, please send it, its only 5 dollars, you will feel better about yourself knowing you helped this man,alot of us may not know him, but hes our neighbor in this community,if anything some of these people have children, some of these people in recovery might regress,this community has benefits for everything else, and remember one day you may need help and we will be here for you.thank you to all of you who are donating to help your fellow man.

frusion, if I can't afford Woodman's I can always go to Aldi's or Wal~Mart. If I can't afford my Alliant bill I can turn down my heat (yes I did). In Billy's case he can't turn down the heat and Alliant is the only power option. That is what we call a monopoly.

MakeItBetter.. you actually make me laugh with your ignorance of how the utility industry works. How would you suggest the rules change? Do you think power is generated for free? Jackboot thugs?? ha ha.. again you make me laugh! Have you ever heard of ANY utility company walking around with a lead pipe threatening people to pay up or suffer at the hands of Guido? Every utility company goes at great lengths to work with a customer to come up with some kind of a payment plan to catch up on arrears. Humor me and switch this mind-set to Woodman's. If you are down on your luck does Woodman's give you free groceries? How is that scenario any different than gas or electric utilities? I would love to hear how you would change the rules under which utility companies work under. One last thought for you..."thriving monopoly"? I think not. ALL utility companies are struggling right now with the economy. Inferring that Alliant or any other utility company is living high on the hog right now just shows you have no clue about what you are talking about.

I agree with "hooters" (not the restaurant). I never thought I would say hooters on a message board. I mailed my $5 yesterday.

hooters, nice name door knob. what do you mean there is no alternative ? do you live under a rock or in rock ? you can put up windmills (not the old kind) and make your own power. i thought American was the mother of invention and not a helpless child that needs their hand held for everything.

So how come people are not forced to leave when the power fails from a storm or from Alliants doing? True, it usually is only short term...but people have been forced to live without power for days at a time without being ousted from their home. It is possible to live safely & healthy w/o power.
As for helping out, true that power service is a product that must be paid for when used. So how come Alliant expects all of us to cover their lack of profit when GM is no longer using the product. Product has not sold, therefore Alliant shold NOT collect! They simply find someone else to buy it..not increase the cost of what is already being purchased by others.
I have no sympathy for alliant...especially when they have the consumer by the balls and can practically whatever they please because there is no other alternative.

$5.00 on the way!

Come on people' what's $5.00???

Thanks for the address, 87. I'm going to pitch in $5 also ... just because I can. Good luck, Billy.

blondieb74, Not all of Billy's tenants are low-income, drug and alcohol addicts and NONE of his tenants stay for free. All his tenants are supposed to pay and all do pay something or they do get evicted. I only know of one person who was there for "free" (single mother of two boys) and that was because she already used up all her days at the shelters. She was asked to keep her heat turned low and I think her oldest kid did some yard work for Billy (I could have him mixed up with another?). Billy is kind, not stupid. Does he have some drug and alcohol addicts, yes but all of them have to be in some recovery program and Billy does help them to stay on that path of recovery.

I think it's great this guy has helped so many people out, but really, why do these people who were stated in the paper as low-income, drug and alcohol addicts, and have mental illnesses get a free ride?? I am not downing these people in terms of their status, I am low-income myself but have worked my butt off to buy myself and my children our home, pay the bills,etc. I have had my power shut off myself and I did not get any help from the entire community to get it turned back on. I work for my money to keep these things for my children. Drug addicts and alcoholics do not deserve a free ride in my book, they are as capable as anyone of getting out there and working. It is too bad this man was taken advantage of this way. These people need to be held responsible some how. This is just my opinion. Yes, jobs are scarce right now, but that is something these people could have been doing instead of getting to where they are now.

I am sending my $5.00 to Billy right now, his address is PO Box 1764 Janesville, WI 53547. A few months ago I needed a place to stay for just 1 month but could not afford to pay right away. Billy gave me a place for a good price and let me pay it off over 4 months. Billy helped me out when I really needed help. Today I got my tax return and paid my neighbors Alliant bill of $564.00 or they were going to shut her power off tomorrow. If everyone who can sends $5 to Billy and emails this story to someone else maybe Billy can keep the power on in some of his buildings. Maybe the Gazette can follow-up with Billy later to see if he got more than the $11.00 promised so far.

Just wait. When you've lost your job and are facing foreclosure and bankruptcy, you'll really need your cell phone and internet access just to have a hope for the future. But if you can't pay Alliant, you're toast! They have no mercy at this point.

You'll wish you'd spend your last few mortagage payments on a gun and some ammo so you can shoot some squirrels to eat and fend off the hoardes coming our way from Chicago.

So what if the unemployment rate is high? I totally agree with the others posting below. Alliant is offering a product, if you don't wish to pay for that product, there's is no way Alliant should be forced to provide it. If I fill up my car with fuel and then realize I cannot pay, should I be allowed to drive off with no consequence? I think it's admirable that they don't cut these people that don't pay off during the winter months......the gravy train should end sometime though.....

Prevention: I think it has something to do with the FACT that Rock County has the highest unemployment in the state??!

I like the idea of everyone chipping in. I'll put in $5. Where do I send it?

gpawcat: why are we so special here in rock county? because we lost gm? do you realize that unemployment is high around the state and nation? enough said.

The rules that Alliant Energy is working under must be changed, and our elected officials must make that change happen soon. Robson, Hixson, Benedict, Sheridan, and Doyle: Get off your butts or get out of the way! Alliant Energy acts like jackboot thugs when it comes to the policies they have for turning off power for commercial accounts. They have a thriving monopoly in this time of global depression, but they don't help one little bit, even for customers that have paid them dearly for a long time. The laws need to change soon, and our few elected officials need to get with the program!

That money that Alliant charges for the low income assistance fee goes to the state. Alliant has nothing to do with that other than they are mandated to charge it. Alliant has it's own bills to pay. You walk into a store, get something and pay for it right away. The only difference is with utilities you pay for it after the fact.

If half the people in Janesville each gave him a dollar, the problem would be solved for now.

Each month Alliant Energy charges $3.15 or 3% of our electric bill to a state wide low-income assistance fee. Alliant serves 435,000 Wisconsin customers. This totals $1,370,250. per month, or $16,4443,000 per year that goes to WI Dept. of Administration. Is Rock County getting our fair share? Exceptionally high unemployment we need special consideration.

gmaof3
How would picketing Alliant help this situation? Do you picket the grocery stores, clothing stores, gas stations, or any other place of business that expects payment upon reciept of their product or service? This is a terrible situation brought on in part by the economy and in part by a supposedly well intentioned landlord. Alliant seems to be working with all involved or they would have already disconnected. Why not picket the General Office of one of the many companies in the area that have moved work out of town or out of the country or handled their finances/business decisions in such a way that they have had to close or make severe cuts? In an effort to help this landlord has left both his good tennants and his bad in a no win situation. This has very little to do with Alliant other than the fact that they haven't been paid for a product that has already been consumed.

I'd skip the attempt at contacting Governor Doyle! If you did get a hold of him or anyone in his office, he'd impose a tax on the phone call! Let's face it, these are dire times for everyone and the ones in state power aren't doing enough to help. Its time to call on Ryan and Feingold and put a boot in their butt so they do what they were elected to do!

Last I heard, our local area has a 13+% unemployment rate... the highest in the state! If Alliant refuses to work with these people and this landlord, we should picket Alliant and contact the Governor. This is beyond outrageous... These families are destitute and will have no place to go.

It is adding insult to injury in my opinion. How are these people supposed to rebound?