This is What Happens When A City Doesn't Pay Its Bills For 10 Years

The City of Highland Park decided it was going to refuse to pay its water bills for 10 years, claiming it was being overcharged.  

That didn't stop them from using the water all that time, collecting payments form the city residents, and racking up $24 Million with an M in non-payment.   Other municipalities in the region were getting soaked with Highland Park's unpaid bills through higher water rates to their residents.

Now the Piper (of water) has demanded to be paid:

Since the ruling, Highland Park officials have said the bill will financially sink the city. The majority Black city has a population of 8,900 residents, a per capita income of $19,401 and a 41% poverty rate in 2021, according to the Census Bureau. The estimated $24 million tab, the exact amount with interest is still being determined, is two and a half times larger than the $9.6 million Highland Park collects annually in property tax revenues.The Detroit News: Highland Park mayor: City in state of emergency

Yet another Democrat-run city, now hoping for a state-level bailout for its profligate actions. They certainly could have escrowed their water payments over those 10 years, but they apparently spent it on whatever corrupt local units of government spend stuff on, and now they have to come up with the money - or get bailed out.

So of course our dear Governor Whitmer instead of having them responsibly handle the situation of their own making,  suggested the city should be bailed out: 

Whitmer's office for months has suggested that GLWA could help solve the debt issue by tapping a $25 million state clean drinking water grant that the Democratic governor and Republican-led Legislature approved last year. Whitmer's office didn't immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment.

So instead of using that grant money for the purpose that it was appropriated for - ensuring clean drinking water for the region (kinda an important use of the funds, yes?), the governor wants to use it to bail out a Democrat scofflaw city that failed to pay its water bills for 10 years.

So the politicians and city that messed this up for 10 years should face no consequences and should be bailed out for their failure. That's Michigan under Whitmer for you.

Regionalism = Blue Area Bailouts Yet Again

Water rates in Southeastern Detroit are going up yet again.  The Great Lakes Water Authority, successor to the corrupt Detroit Water and Sewage Department, as regionalised in the Detroit bankruptcy bailout, just announced a 3.7% rate hike - and to continue to increase at that rate each year for the next five years.

The Detroit News: Regional water authority OKs 3.7% water rate hike.

Why are they increasing among the entire region?  Well, half of the increase is because one Democrat-controlled city,  Highland Park, just isn't going to pay its water bill, making an audacious argument that it should only have to pay for water at rates set in 1996 ignoring all increases since then.

Almost half or about 1.15% of the 2.4% sewage rate hike in 2023 owes to Highland Park's debt, officials said. The unpaid debts are passed on through rates to GLWA's remaining member communities. The rates go into effect July 1. 

Regionalism is, and has always been, a slickly advertised scheme for blue cities/areas that have mismanaged their funds via living beyond their means giving unsustainable benefits and pensions in return for votes, or by straight-out corruption, to be able to not just kick the can down the road, but to get other people to bail them out and pay for their largesse.

Weird Supply Chain Shortages

In today's episode of stores being out of certain things we have the latest local shortage to report:

Distilled Water.

Yep, distilled water was nowhere to be found within quite a radius as Kroger, CVS, etc were all out if it.

Had my Dad over for the weekend and he needs distilled water for his CPAP machine and none was to be found.  Fortunately we had a reserve supply and he had some with him so it all worked out but I've never seen the shelves completely bare of distilled water.  Other water was there and in plenty so it wasn't some weird panic buy - just a nice local shortage and a need to lower expectations or something.

A good visit was had, and he's off to his warm location for the winter.

As Predicted, Regional Water Department Siphons Off Suburbs' Funds For Detroiters

Regional - a term floated by many in the southeastern Michigan area, is a euphemism for having the suburb counties pay for Detroit's financial losses caused by corruption and malfeasance.

And so it is with the The Great Lakes Water Authority, our Regional water department borne out of Detroit's bankruptcy and incompetence.

As predicted, The GLWA, formerly the DWSD, is now going to siphon money from the suburbs to subsidize Detoiters.

The Detroit Free Press: Detroit to get $1.2M to help households pay past-due water bills, aid conservation education

The Great Lakes Water Authority is transferring more than $1.6 million to Detroit and Flint for conservation education and to help customers pay past-due water bills.

Board members transferred the Water Residential Assistance Program funding from uncommitted 2019 bill assistance funds from Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

Yep, using suburban ratepayers funds for Detroiters who either can't or more truthfully prefer not to pay for their own water. Regionalism at its best. Interesting that they were open this about it, I expect that 1.6 million to be just the beginning, and given how they've been charging the suburbs more for water than Detroit from the start its really not surprising that they're now openly diverting money from the suburbs to the city.

In another example of how regionalism works in this area, the Detroit Institute of Arts is looking to continue their regional millage - and renew it where Oakland and Macomb pay twice the amount of Wayne County where the DIA is located:

If approved, the renewal will draw about $13.6 million from Oakland County taxpayers annually, $5.8 million from Macomb County residents and $8.5 million from Wayne County taxpayers.

Expect more calls for Regionalism as they push for a regional transit system with Oakland and Macomb counties footing the bill for transit in Detroit.

Monday Night Boil Water Advisory For The Area

Due to a major water main break, there is now a boil water advisory in effect for Wixom, Farmington Hills, Walled Lake, West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills Commerce Township, areas of Novi Oakland Township (sand Rochester Hills.

Basically one must boil any tap water and let it cool before using.

Since I keep a reserve on hand of a few cases of bottled water (Costco does make minor incident planning rather easy), this should prove to be no more than a minor inconvenience.

Of course, they just announced that schools will be closed tomorrow due to the boil water advisory, so that will prove more of an inconvenience.

Update: Boil water advisory is extended through Friday for the whole area and lots of restaurants are ordered closed. On top of that we have very low water pressure now at the house.