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40% of households in Philadelphia can't pay their water bill
BoingBoing ^ | 06 March 2017 | Cory Doctorow

Posted on 03/08/2017 9:45:33 PM PST by Lorianne

America is in the midst of an "invisible water crisis" as the post-war water infrastructure reaches the end of its duty-cycle and cash-strapped public utilities struggle to find the money to rebuild it.

The estimated bill for upgrading the end-of-lifed American urban water infrastructure is $1 trillion. Cities that have tried privatization as a means of pushing the bill onto investors have been shocked by the bills: in Atlanta, the private water provider charges $325.52 a month, which only qualifies as "affordable" if your household income tops $87K.

(Excerpt) Read more at boingboing.net ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: philadelphia; waterbill
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1 posted on 03/08/2017 9:45:33 PM PST by Lorianne
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To: Lorianne

They can make water free. Just finance it with the sugar tax. LOL


2 posted on 03/08/2017 9:47:36 PM PST by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Gone but not forgiven.)
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To: Lorianne

Solution: ObamaWater. Oh, wait...


3 posted on 03/08/2017 9:47:39 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland US. There'd be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: Lorianne

If the moochers didn’t keep voting for more socialism, they might be able to get jobs allowing them to pay their own damned bills and the city might have more money for public works because of more tax collections and less waste on social programs.


4 posted on 03/08/2017 9:52:22 PM PST by fluorescence
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To: Lorianne

And do they still get water, or is it now free? Detroit had the same problem. Call the United Nations, arrest them when they arrive.


5 posted on 03/08/2017 9:53:09 PM PST by Fungi (Five species of fungi are responsible for 90% of all inhaled fungi. The remaining 10% will be named.)
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To: Lorianne

I suspect that much of that 40% are folks who WON’T pay their water bill (but could should they so desire). I’m not heartless, I just live in Realville.


6 posted on 03/08/2017 9:58:40 PM PST by House Atreides (Send BOTH Hillary & Bill to prison.)
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To: House Atreides

Detroit has had this problem for years, it’s a matter of WON’T pay, they think water is sposed to be free. Well it is free but costs to deliver clean water to your home.
There was TV news stories one lady complaining about the expensive bill had flat screen TV and a PlayStation in the background.


7 posted on 03/08/2017 10:04:01 PM PST by FreedomGuru (Clinton a gazillion wrong moves)
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To: House Atreides

If they prioritized their expenses they could pay the bills. However new designer clothes and other items become more important to certain groups.


8 posted on 03/08/2017 10:08:37 PM PST by matt04
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To: Lorianne

Deduct it from their welfare checks.


9 posted on 03/08/2017 10:28:19 PM PST by boycott
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To: Lorianne

Whaaat? Try CA water bills!


10 posted on 03/08/2017 10:33:24 PM PST by Yaelle
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To: Lorianne

Let me guess, the city can’t cut off municipal water to “needy families,” right? They have a perverse incentive not to pay.

Do I get a gold star?


11 posted on 03/08/2017 10:36:18 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: RegulatorCountry

In other words “60% of Philadelphians are paying all the water bills”


12 posted on 03/08/2017 10:47:36 PM PST by inchworm
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To: Lorianne

40% of households in Philadelphia DON’T pay their water bill (and get a free pass for it).
There, corrected.


13 posted on 03/08/2017 10:51:24 PM PST by miniTAX
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To: inchworm

The NYT has an article about the teachers pensions in Puerto Rico, comparing it to a Ponzi scheme. Which is accurate. The far more critical scheme to look out for are attempts to federalize the public pension system deficits. You broke it (PR, Illinois, CA, etc.) you bought it!


14 posted on 03/08/2017 11:07:43 PM PST by Wally_Kalbacken
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To: fluorescence

what jobs


15 posted on 03/08/2017 11:38:49 PM PST by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: Lorianne

Impossible. Obamastimulus paid to rebuild our “crumbling infrastructure.” Surely some of the 10 trillion dollars Obama spent, courtesy of the spineless GOP, went to upgrading water and sewer systems.


16 posted on 03/09/2017 12:46:44 AM PST by Organic Panic (Flinging poo is not a valid argument)
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To: Lorianne

Well, don’t tell anyone, but one of the secret benefits of living out in the country (with no city water or sewer) is no water bills.

Years ago when those bills were low it was not such a big deal—today when the city politicians have failed to maintain their infrastructure it is another reason to flee their domains.

If you live in the country you can either do the routine maintenance or pay for major repairs or a new system.

Another secret—here in the Northeast the small towns intentionally block attempts to build city water and sewer to stop commercial and multifamily development. It is very successful and stays below the liberal’s radar.

Now the secret can be told since all the cities and states are broke and can’t pay for any extensions anyway.


17 posted on 03/09/2017 1:39:50 AM PST by cgbg (Hidden behind the social justice warrior mask is corruption and sexual deviance.)
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To: reg45

... or just declare that water is a ‘Constitutional Right’ and mandate that it be ‘free’. That’ll fix it good.


18 posted on 03/09/2017 3:30:52 AM PST by Tallguy
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To: Lorianne

$325.52 a month, insane. I wonder how much of that is pension costs. My water and sewer bill, about $20.00. I’ll never live in a city.


19 posted on 03/09/2017 3:44:51 AM PST by VTenigma (The Democrat party is the party of the mathematically challenged)
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To: Lorianne
in Atlanta, the private water provider charges $325.52 a month,

Holy crap Batman!

Our water/sewer/trash bill is about $70/month. I can add electric and TV and not come up with $325....

20 posted on 03/09/2017 3:49:52 AM PST by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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