Ah, Detroit.
To no one's surprise, or at least to no one who was paying attention, when Detroit announced a moratorium on water shut offs at the start of Covid, Detroiters stopped paying for water.
How much didn't they pay? $38 Million dollars worth.
Not pocket change, and a pretty large receivable resulting from the moratorium.
Payments dropped 20% after the moratorium was announced.
So they're now going door-to-door asking the scofflaws to pay.
The Detroit News: Detroit's water department will go door-to-door as shutoff moratorium losses for city mount
Asking people to pay nicely, when there's no penalty for doing so, is likely not going to do much.
The moratorium for any consequences for non-payment continues.
Of course, the Detroit community organizers expect water should be free:
"Water is a human right," said [former city council member now community organizer JoAnn] Watson. "We don't have to pay for sunlight. We don't have to pay for the air we breathe. I don't believe anybody should have to pay for water."
That's the standard Detroiter, if not also the standard Democrat, mentality right there.
Sunlight and air don't need expensive pipes, water treatments, maintenance, and skilled personnel to get water to people.
If you want free water you can always trot down to the Detroit River with a bucket, but to have it piped to your home and having it arrive safe to drink takes skills, equipment and the money to pay for it. See Flint for what happens when shortcuts are taken.
No worries though, with the glories of regionalism, it is highly likely the rest of us will end up being the ones paying for the Detroit water debt.
2 comments:
We don't have to pay for sunlight. We don't have to pay for the air we breathe. I don't believe anybody should have to pay for water."
Sunlight and air are free because nobody had to design and build and maintain the delivery system, you frikkin IDIOT.
Justin_O_Guy: Exactly, but that's their mentality - have someone else pay for it.
Note this is a former Detroit City Council member who, one would presume, have seen the City's budget for water and the costs involved in water distribution and certainly knows better.
Post a Comment