Detroit: How the Left Made Water More Expensive Than Cell Phones

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/arnold-ahlert/detroit-how-the-left-made-water-more-expensive-than-c ^ | June 24, 2014 | Arnold Ahlert

[Gaffer]

The water became more expensive than phones when Obama started giving the doggone things away. ObamaPhones.

[ken5050]

I recall that one summer, during the early years of the Clinton administration, there was a bad heat wave in the south, and Congress passes a bill to help poor people by air conditioners...wonder how that turned out..

[SolidRedState]

Water should be free up to a certain usage amount. Meter it and charge those who use above a certain amount per cubic foot.

In this case, they should just cancel all unpaid balances, readjust the rates and start over.

Too messed up to fix.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

If you ever look at the employment history of city public authorities, you would be amazed at the corruption and flat out theft. By theft, I mean putting people on the payroll at inflated salaries to do nothing. And then there is the issue of floating authority “utility” bonds with the revenue going into the general account to be spent on God knows what. Or spent on dubious utility projects like “green” bike trails or solar projects. The whole system stinks and its no wonder it is collapsing. The end result is customers left holding the bag with water rates being jacked up to 5 or 10 times the rates of surrounding communities.

[yldstrk]

well you know what? I think humans have a right to enough water to drink and bathe. They don’t have a right to enough water to run a power plant or irrigate a farm, just enough for personal use. A right. Like air to breathe. Water used to cost a little for having been put through the cleaning process.

Now it costs an arm and a leg.

Here are the things I think humans have a right to:

Free speech
Religion
Enough food and water to sustain life
minimal housing and medical care
Self defense
Due process before deprivation of life liberty property
pursuit of life liberty and property

all the rest is gravy

[sickoflibs]

RE :”The latest news from Detroit, the poster child for failed progressive policies that have dominated that city for more than a half-century, is not good. In March of 2014, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) announced it would begin cutting off water service for customers at least 60 days overdue or more than $150 behind in their water bill payments. Activists outraged by the decision have taken their case outside the city—all the way to the United Nations.
The DWSD has targeted 1,500 to 3,000 business and residential customers every week as part of a get-tough approach that would enable them to begin recouping the $118 million owed from delinquent accounts. Accounts that comprise nearly half the city’s total number. As a result, the Department has shut off water service to more than 7,500 properties in the past two months alone.”

Al Sharpton did a segment on this with a black activist from Detroit and their take on this was ludicrous.

She blamed the Koch brothers for this water problem, its was them soaking the poor for more $$$. Not kidding.

She also mentioned automation taking away Detroit's residents jobs. This is a ironic as Sharptons prior segment was about how the GOP cant get women votes because they wont go along with Obama’s call for more employer mandates, paid leave, child care, etc.

Their fans must be completely clueless.

[Jacquerie]

Water should be free up to a certain usage amount.

You forgot the /s, right?

[pallis]

We need Obama water, like we have Obama phones for flash mob kids and drug dealers. The kids need water.

[stars & stripes forever]

LAMENTATIONS 5:3-5

3 We have become fatherless,
our mothers are widows.
4 We must buy the water we drink;
our wood can be had only at a price.
5 Those who pursue us are at our heels;
we are weary and find no rest.

[sickoflibs]

RE “What we see is a violation of the human right to water,” said Meera Karunananthan, an international campaigner with the Blue Planet Project. “The U.S. has international obligations in terms of people’s right to water, and this is a blatant violation of that right. We’re hoping the U.N. will put pressure on the federal government and the state of Michigan to do something about it.”

Yeah, our right to FREE water. Maybe the UN will step in and force bankrupt Detroit to turn that water back on.

Apparently they don't know where clean water comes from.

Note that Dems/libs have ruled that place for many many decades bankrupting it, now they are blaming the Koch brothers and crying to the UN.

[OldSmaj]

Water should be free up to a certain usage amount...charge those who use above a certain amount per cubic foot.

Okay, let's substitute a few words in there for water:

Gasoline should be free...

Food should be free...

Housing should be free...

Automobiles should be free...

Get my point?

In this case, they should just cancel all unpaid balances, readjust the rates and start over.

Who is "they"?

The gooberment?

Who's gonna maintain the infrastructure?

My tax money, even though I live 900 miles from the cesspool?

Or would you have those that "use above a certain amount" pay for those oh, so poor folks below them?

Perhaps we can get some advice on this problem from Karl Marx.

[Fire_on_High]

No one has the right to the fruits of another’s labors.

[SolidRedState]

No, I did not. I am not a leftist. But really, most cities won’t even let you have a personal well even if you can. So a simple small fee for normal water usage for a family should be the norm and a charge per cubic foot for those using above a certain amount.

Although most of the bills are for sewage rather than water. Water treatment and supply can be expensive. What is the alternative? Move out of the city.

In this particular case, the city was outright raping the taxpayers as is indicated with the $56,000 a year salary for a horseshoer.

Scrap this system and start over. Detroit is toast, in bankruptcy anyway. I don’t know how anyone could support going after these unpaid bills when the bills were unfair in the first place.

This is not your normal situation.

[yldstrk]

I am talking about the basics to live

[MamaTexan]

I wonder if anyone as looked to see if there is any correlation between the rise in casts and the increase in union contracts.

----

The average water bill is now an outrageous $75 a month, compared to national average of $40. For perspective sake, the average cell phone bill is $71 per month.

I don't know where they get their numbers to squawk about $75 dollars a month. That's what we pay...and there is no sewer or garbage attached to it.

Most people don't have cell phones, they have portable entertainment centers. The family kids me about how they have smart phones, but I have a stupid phone. All it does is make phone calls...... and costs $7 a month.

----

Who taught these people to budget?

[yldstrk]

yeah those phones aren’t all that and a slice of bread, I work with parents in the court system and even with those phones you can’t reach them because they are out of minutes. More minutes can be bought.

[MamaTexan]

casts = costs

[Mister Da]

Put a free faucet on every street corner, & tell them either pay up or collect their water on the street.

[John O]

This is not your normal situation.

It's your normal democrat run situation.

Amnesty, whether for unpaid bills or illegal alien attackers, is ALWAYS a bad idea.

These overdue accounts are owed by people who have money(either from work or more likely from welfare) that they were supposed to use to pay for their cost of living. They refused to pay for the things they needed. Since they caused the problem by stealing the water, let them die of thirst until they pay what they owe.