Alabama residents vow to riot on $300 month water bills

[Jhhnn]

Jefferson County became quite an interesting place after the 1960s.



I'll give you a clue, that's no Republican County.

Of course not- it's owned by the neighboring Repub counties, who rent it piecemeal to working & poor people, gerrymander them out of political clout.

You might notice how many state officials were accused of bribery... and that Repubs & their policies dominate Alabama politics...

 

[boochi]

Democratic corruption caused this problem led by Mayor Langford who is now serving 15 years for it.

 

[monovillage]

Democratic corruption caused this problem led by Mayor Langford who is now serving 15 years for it.

But that's impossible because everybody knows that somehow and someway it's got to be the Republicans fault no matter what the evidence says or the truth is.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100306/NEWS/100309711

 

[DCal430]

If they are saying what you are, that the mere fact that environmental regulations have costs is evidence that the EPA needs an overhaul they should be laughed at. We can add it to the list.

Where I used to live the local government didn't provide water service, so we had to get it through a private monopoly, yep a private company was given the water rights to around a million people here. Typical water bill was around $100 a month for people. In 2 years time it went from $20 to $100. Sewage bill was around $50 a month in a separate bill. I wonder if this county in alabama has private water service too.

Sad thing is I live in a Democrat controlled county, and they are the one who refuse to provide water service to the people, saying private corporations do it better.

 

[MovingTarget]

This seems like Alabama's government's mess to me. Shouldn't they have small, effective government like the good red state that they are?

In any case, I'm not sure water and sewer service are really the comparison you want to draw. Everywhere I've lived, the water and sewer service has been incredibly reliable and ridiculously cheap. I can't imagine many people have serious complaints about their water and sewer service, which is more than I can say for the private enterprise services most people have.

It is our government's mess, and several on the county commission have gone to jail for it. Those on Wall Street come out of this smelling like a rose despite being just as guilty. It really is a mess down here. If the sewer debt deal was the only problem, we'd be able to handle it. However, the 1901 constitution prohibits the county from dealing with the problem effectively on its own. It isn't a conservative or liberal problem at this point. Between the debt deal and the loss of the occupational tax, the county has had to shut down many services to its citizens due to no prospects of additional revenue.

 

[MovingTarget]

If they are saying what you are, that the mere fact that environmental regulations have costs is evidence that the EPA needs an overhaul they should be laughed at. We can add it to the list.

QFMFT. Environmental regulations are there for a damn good reason. Yes, they do have added costs due to enforcement and compliance, but I'll keep my clean rivers, streams, and lakes thank you very much.

 

[kranky]

$300 a month! That's nuts.

Ours is now about $40 a month and it's gone up 50% in the last couple of years for the same reason - government mandated rebuilding of sewer lines.

 

[monovillage]

If they are saying what you are, that the mere fact that environmental regulations have costs is evidence that the EPA needs an overhaul they should be laughed at. We can add it to the list.

There's costs and then there's prohibitive, extreme, job-killing and unnecessary costs. The difference is a Toyota Prius that costs $30,000 is a cost, a Toyota Prius that costs $530,000 is a prohibitive cost. Can you see the difference?

 

[spidey07]

I'm sure Obama and his EPA are to blame.

 

[Rainsford]

All we need to know. And people laugh at the GOP when they say the EPA needs an overhaul.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't take the GOP seriously when they say things like that because they never seem to address the value of having the regulations. When they're preaching to the choir that already believes regulations, by definition, have no value, that works fine. When they're trying to convince someone who's NOT already on board, it sounds kind of like a kid complaining that he doesn't want to do his homework.

Yes, regulations cost money. Do you think clean water happens by accident?

And people laugh when Newt said we need an overhaul of the federal courts.

Just like with the EPA example, the problem, as usual, is that Republicans are just complaining when they don't like a particular result. Nobody even tries to make a case that the alternative would be better, or that taking the proverbial axe to the political target of the moment wouldn't have unexpected negative consequences. Nope, it's always "I didn't like some particular result, so let's burn the whole damn thing down."

 

[Rainsford]

There's costs and then there's prohibitive, extreme, job-killing and unnecessary costs. The difference is a Toyota Prius that costs $30,000 is a cost, a Toyota Prius that costs $530,000 is a prohibitive cost. Can you see the difference?

And that would be a very convincing argument if anyone had done anything to demonstrate that the regulations were unnecessary, extreme, etc.

Considering that everyone has to meet federal guidelines for water and sewage, but this particular place in Alabama is notably having problems, MAYBE the regulations aren't the issue here.

 

[piasabird]

Just turn your water off and get bottled water.

Take 5 gal cans to work and fill it up with a hose.

Try moving.

It is a sad fact that in some geographic locations, for some reason, water costs more. I think for me, water costs like $30.00 for 60 days, including sewage. All I can say, is do what you have to. My grandmother lived on a lake and the water was not good so all drinking water had to be brought in by hand.

 

[feralkid]

I'm sure Obama and his EPA are to blame.

Everyone knows this.

 

[spidey07]

Everyone knows this.

Funny. My water/sewage bill has skyrocketed since he's been in office, almost doubled.. The water company cites "recent federal regulations" as the reason. Are you trying to say the cost of water and most other utilities AREN'T caused by Obama and his EPA?

"Under my plan energy prices would naturally skyrocket" - Barrack Hussein Obama.

 

[Jhhnn]

I'm sure Obama and his EPA are to blame.

Obviously. He used that Kenyan mind control voodoo time warp to start it all back in 1996, then laughed with glee as costs ballooned 10X while the Bushistas prioritized the ebil Saddam over projects at home.

The project would have been a great place for a congressional earmark, too, but since most of the voters there are black Dems and the congress was white Repub, screw 'em.

What's more important- killing brown people, or taking care of our own? The welfare of the financial elite, or working people? Spidey's delusions of grandeur or the gritty lives of southern working poor?

 

[monovillage]

And that would be a very convincing argument if anyone had done anything to demonstrate that the regulations were unnecessary, extreme, etc.

Considering that everyone has to meet federal guidelines for water and sewage, but this particular place in Alabama is notably having problems, MAYBE the regulations aren't the issue here.

It's likely that in this particular case the regulations aren't the issue. I would like to see a report on why costs have skyrocketed though.

It's not as if EPA regulations on other issues haven't caused problems. They've backed off for now on milk spills and farm dust, but their penchant for high cost/low effect new regulations has been going on for years.

 

[Jhhnn]

It's likely that in this particular case the regulations aren't the issue. I would like to see a report on why costs have skyrocketed though.

It's not as if EPA regulations on other issues haven't caused problems. They've backed off for now on milk spills and farm dust, but their penchant for high cost/low effect new regulations has been going on for years.

Antiquated sewage systems aren't just about the collection system, but about the treatment systems, too. People downstream have reasonable expectations for the quality of water they receive, and people who use wells have the same.

Part of the EPA's mission is to prevent communities from externalizing their sewage liabilities into the groundwater or onto people downstream, which seems entirely reasonable to me.

It wasn't the EPA who caused project costs to skyrocket, either. At the original price tag, or even twice that, rates would have likely remained tolerable.

 

[spidey07]

Obviously. He used that Kenyan mind control voodoo time warp to start it all back in 1996, then laughed with glee as costs ballooned 10X while the Bushistas prioritized the ebil Saddam over projects at home.

The project would have been a great place for a congressional earmark, too, but since most of the voters there are black Dems and the congress was white Repub, screw 'em.

What's more important- killing brown people, or taking care of our own? The welfare of the financial elite, or working people? Spidey's delusions of grandeur or the gritty lives of southern working poor?

Water and sewer costs are skyrocketing because of Obama and his EPA. Just use some google. This is known fact by anybody paying attention or reading what their water company sends them. I pay attention to my PSC/PUC meetings, do you? You'd learn of the crushing blows from this administration to everyday americans wallets.

http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/water-water/Content?oid=2435955

Within days, Oldemeyer laid his dilemma in the laps of Public Works commissioners and Boise City Council members. In a detailed presentation, Oldemeyer said that when the Environmental Protection Agency issues new permits for the city's wastewater treatment facilities in 2012, it will unveil never-before-seen restrictions on phosphorous and water temperature. Adhering to the new limits will be complex enough, said Oldemeyer, but he had a more immediate challenge: how to pay for such significant changes.

Here's more, off to google with you.

http://www.nebraska.tv/story/16150763/hastings-watersewer-rate-hike

The city of Hastings will see a rate hike in their water and sewer rates, effective in January. Water will rise by five percent; sewer rates will go up ten percent.

This was voted in unanimously by the Hastings City Council on Monday night and suggested by Hastings Utilities.

Public Information Officer Steve Cogley of Hastings Utilities said that the predominant reason for the rate hikes is increasing demands from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Cogley said this is a frustration for the titles department, as they have recently spent millions to update the system to meet EPA regulations.

"We wish they would provide us with the entire list of regulations at once instead of spreading it out over a decade," said Cogley. "They have developed regulations that are so restrictive that we're going to be faced with additional plant expansions and more equipment put in."

 

[DrPizza]

I live in Jefferson county and this has been a big mess. I just paid my water and sewer bill for last month. It was $51.84, $26.68 for water and $25.16 for sewer. I used 2,992 gallons. This is for 1 person living in a small home with city water and sewer. They have been talking about adding a sewer fee for septic tank users to help offset the cost increase.

1 person?! How the hell do you go through that much water? That's pretty close to 100 gallons per day. 10 minutes in the shower with a 1.6 gallon/minute shower head is 16 gallons. Flush the toilet 4 times, that's maybe 8 more. Washing the dishes shouldn't take more than 10 gallons, unless you leave the water running full blast the entire time. Brushing teeth; 2-3 gallons?

Fix those leaking toilet valves! And to the $300 a month whiners, stop watering the lawn & washing your car!

 

[CPA]

Democratic corruption caused this problem led by Mayor Langford who is now serving 15 years for it.

Looks like some ownage was just handed out in this thread.

 

[waggy]

Just turn your water off and get bottled water.

Take 5 gal cans to work and fill it up with a hose.

Try moving.

It is a sad fact that in some geographic locations, for some reason, water costs more. I think for me, water costs like $30.00 for 60 days, including sewage. All I can say, is do what you have to. My grandmother lived on a lake and the water was not good so all drinking water had to be brought in by hand.

actually in some areas you can't turn off the water. Even then you still get charged a "maintenance fee" wich can be just as much.

try moving? easier said then done. that advice most times is pretty fucking idiotic.

 

[spidey07]

actually in some areas you can't turn off the water. Even then you still get charged a "maintenance fee" wich can be just as much.

try moving? easier said then done. that advice most times is pretty fucking idiotic.

Yep thanks to Obama and his EPA we were paying some 35 bucks a month on a house that used zero water or sewage.

 

[monovillage]

1 person?! How the hell do you go through that much water? That's pretty close to 100 gallons per day. 10 minutes in the shower with a 1.6 gallon/minute shower head is 16 gallons. Flush the toilet 4 times, that's maybe 8 more. Washing the dishes shouldn't take more than 10 gallons, unless you leave the water running full blast the entire time. Brushing teeth; 2-3 gallons?

Fix those leaking toilet valves! And to the $300 a month whiners, stop watering the lawn & washing your car!

I still remember the quote from a nameless Los Angeles resident in the L.A. Times that said "if those damn farmers didn't use so much water i'd be able to have a glass of water at a restaurant without asking for it." Let me tell you how much that broke my heart. Of course the same people that talk about too much water use are usually the same ones that try to stop every new water storage plan.

 

[Lemon law]

thats insane. why? people with septic tanks aren't on the sewer. why should they pay the fee? if you are on septic you pay if anything goes wrong. redoing a leach field or a septic tank can be expensive!
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I have an alternate theory hypothesis somewhat based with my experiences cave exploring in Kentucky. As Alabama is another state largely under laid by Karst topography.

A huge problem not really comparable to those states North of the "Mason Dixon" line where soils are underlain by hundreds of feet of impermeable glacial till.

Then we have to face the facts, human beings generate poisons easily just flushed down the toilet. As we just whoopie, flush our toilet, and poof our shit just goes away, out of sight and out of mind. Nor is it that simple, we are talking farm chemicals, landfills where our garbage is collected and dumped, as that too just goes poof away.

Then we have to realize that momma nature has an asset, given time and slow groundwater movement, years of time and slow groundwater movement can breakdown and detoxify most chemical we just dump into the ground. As many Northern States measure their groundwater movement in increments of less than a dozen feet a year.

But go to Kentucky, in prime Karst topography, research has shown that groundwater can move miles per day. As it become not hard to understand why many Kentucky residents suffer from the highest cancer rates in the nation. Of course many swear, my great grand daddy has been drinking from that spring with no ill effects for 200 years.

Why should Alabama be different be radically different? Its more expensive to purify water in such locations, and septic tank owners just add to the problem. And even if we don't charge septic tank owners for their bit of the problem, they have their own wells as they pump groundwater and swill the same carcinogens as everyone else.

Add in corruption and human stupidity and we have a perfect storm.

 

[Jhhnn]

Yep thanks to Obama and his EPA we were paying some 35 bucks a month on a house that used zero water or sewage.

How is it that you attribute that to Obama? Is he the source of all evil in the world, or what?

Sewage fees are usually levied on the basis of being hooked up- it's not like they meter it. Water fees often have a minimum, as well, with meters, or a simple flat rate for unlimited usage. The structure of such charges is determined at the local level, not in Washington.

It's a bit unseemly for a guy making all the money you claim to make to be whining about a lousy $35/mo, don't you think?

Will that cut deeply into your ammunition stockpiling plans, or what?

Obviously, it's all Obama's Fault! Everything! It was all fine right up to the moment he was sworn in, and then it went straight to Hell in a handbasket!