U.S. Rep. John Conyers calls Detroit water shutoffs inhumane

[rex]

I feel a level of sympathy for the child who has to beg 75 cents so their water stealing mom can have a cigarette. That kid grows up thinking its OK to lie, its OK to get handouts. Its OK to lie to get handouts. I hope they aspire for better when they grow up but with role models like that chances are they will be the same.

[sumas]

Yes, sadly some of their children left them this legacy. i know it it is hard to pay bills, yet I feel economics aside that there was a culture of simply NOT paying the water bill.

After all nothing happened when you didn't, things continued as they always had: toilets flushed, sinks still worked. Then look up and it over a grand or two or twenty grand [[as with some of these business and other entities). Standard "kick the can down the road" thinking and now the collective bill must be paid!

Same thinking in the white house, ala federal spending and waste--kick 'that' can! And they are suppose tyo bail use out....? Laughable.

Yes you are right, water bills could be carried for years as a lien against property. Had a neighbor many years ago in a different area of town. His bills mounted so high he would get shut off. He would simply go out with a tool and turn it back on. He had no heat, no electric. He was mentally ill. I heard years later, after we had moved, that he tried to build a fire for warmth,the house burnt and he died. Pretty sure he was no loss to humanity but still it seems tragic there is no safety net for desperate or ill people.

Detroit humor I suppose, but he had actually applied to be a police officer. He got to the level where the dept comes around and interviews neighbors. I flat out told them if he gets hired I am moving way way out. Very sorry Engler made sure that no help was available for "challenged citizens".

[sumas]

I feel a level of sympathy for the child who has to beg 75 cents so their water stealing mom can have a cigarette. That kid grows up thinking its OK to lie, its OK to get handouts. Its OK to lie to get handouts. I hope they aspire for better when they grow up but with role models like that chances are they will be the same.

Sadly you are probably right, but so many communities, individuals and organizations try so hard to protect, assist and educate these kids. There are many successes.

The stories I could tell!!!! I know I post a lot but so much gets untold.

[Jimaz]

... His bills mounted so high he would get shut off. He would simply go out with a tool and turn it back on.... He was mentally ill....

Heh. That sounds pretty clever to me.

Just thinking off the cuff here: Would it be impractical to drill a few free community water wells where they're most needed?

I'm thinking back to my grandfather's farm where he had a classic windmill constantly pumping aquifer water up into barrels, stored for when there was no wind. I have always admired the simple genius of those squeaky old windmills. It was free energy, harnessed.

[MSUguy]

isn't that what socialized welfare is? working people are forced to hand over the fruits of their labor to be given as "benefits" to others.... what happens when the workers say enough is enough and too many of them stop working and decide they want "benefits"?? who pays then?

Every industrialized countries has a far better safety net than US and many with far better economies. Yet this moral panic about people's work ethic the American right works themselves into materializes anywhere.

But what I really came post about was this, I'm shocked [[Ok not really) commercial customers are still being pass. Remember folks in America it's only a handout if goes to help the underprivileged.

A local news investigation revealed that Joe Louis Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings, owed $82,255 as of April. Ford Field, where the Detroit Lions play, owed more than $55,000. City-owned golf courses owed more than $400,000. As of July 2, none had paid. Mr. Latimer said the Department of Water and Sewerage would post notice, giving these commercial customers 10 days to pay before cutting service. But he did not say when.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/04/opinion/going-without-water-in-detroit.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&modul e=c-column-top-span-region&region=c-column-top-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region