US crumbling. Detroit shuts off water to residents. UN asked to help.

I'm a Detroiter and wtf is wrong is that the local government, corporations, and the state of Michigan owe 100's of thousands to millions in upaid water bills?!
But yet people who owe $150.00 water is being turned off with the quickness. We Detroiters are tired of the government doing wtf they want. I mean come on it's a depression and tptb just expect people to come up with money magically . But corps and government don't have to abide by the same rules total bs!

a reply to: gladtobehere

I have always said.

If you want to solve the illegal immigration problem.

Send em all to Detroit. No sane American would live there!

originally posted by: nickyc
a reply to: Destinyone

Surely clean water is a right to all people, regardless of povety?

Are they supposed to die?

It's a necessity, but not a right if you are incurring an obligation on someone else to provide it for you. When you start forcing/obligating others to provide for you, then you are starting a slave economy, enslaving them to your needs to provide your "rights."

I would be all in favor of centralized public taps that provide clean water that they can put into buckets and containers and haul back home. If they don't like it, they should pay their bills rather than having cable for a few months.

a reply to: gladtobehere

Just like clock work if you ask me. Just yesterday a few
threads went up on ATS in regards to some Armored UN
vehicles. Whereby within those threads, people were quick
to point out the impossible task, our government would face
in any attempt to disarm the american people. As I read I
was thinking to myself:


You Bozos, you really believe they are
stupid enough to go head on with us like that? Do you really
believe we will be fighting off our oppressors one hour. And the
next hour be in the local supermarket stock'n up on cheetos,
blow pops and beer for the coming weekend? $500 dollar fines
per day in california, just imposed for using water on your lawn
or for washing your car. Don't ask why, "Per day" is specified, but
it seems only for the soul purpose of being reduntly stupid, instead
of just stupid.

Who was it that said, "Control the food and water"?:

Maybe nothin to it. But one day, you can bet your ass.

SnF BTW

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
a reply to: gladtobehere

Water distribution systems, pumping stations, and treatment facilities don't magically build or maintain themselves and nobody works for free. It sucks, but it is simple economics at work.

So let the poor just fetser in dirty water?

What is the USA Africa? Every other 1st world nation can supply its people clean water without cutting hundreds of thousands off.

But hey USA USA USA!

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
a reply to: jaynkeel

Hell, most people living in the urban jungles don't even know how to collect water from a river, assuming it was safe to drink.

Again what is the USA? The 3rd world?

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: gladtobehere

I honestly would not be able to shut off someone's water supply, simply because they were delinquent in paying their water rates. If a person is having trouble with paying their bills, they are not going to be able to afford bottled water, and I really think that forcing people to thirst, purely over a matter of money is an inhuman, and utterly reprehensible practice.

I realise that in a capitalist society, people are expected to pay for every damned thing in the universe, but I really think that something as basic as water rates, should be paid by general taxation, and not on a by use basis, except in cases where that water is being used to grow huge gardens, or on a commercial basis.

The idea of cutting water off to anyone, let alone HALF A BLOODY CITY is absolutely ghastly, and I honestly believe there must be something morally wrong with the leaders of Detroit's city council, or with any council which would consider depriving a person of such a basic amenity.

Makes you glad we dont live in the "land of the free" Doesn't it?

originally posted by: smurfy

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
a reply to: gladtobehere

Water distribution systems, pumping stations, and treatment facilities don't magically build or maintain themselves and nobody works for free. It sucks, but it is simple economics at work.

That might be the simple view, but if the economics are no longer working, who ya' gonna call.
In any case do Americans pay no taxes, but if they do, what are the taxes for? If you pay taxes you should get something in return..simple economics.
The, ' I'm aright jack' attitude is a kind of smugness that so often comes back to bite you.

Americans pay there taxes to fund there Trillion doller a year Military, militarized police, NSA spy network and bankers bail outs DUUUUUUUUUH!

I think there's more to the story than just decay in Detroit. This has been going on for a long time. The new cycle going down is actually wealthy entrepreneurs buying up the city block by block, to reshape it into a new growing city. It's mighty ambitious, and may not succeed, but this cutting off of water supply is pangs from the past, best I can tell.

I think it's obvious that those with brains left over the last 20 or so years as industry left. This is a cycle, guys. Growth, leads to decay, leads to restructuring, and regrowth.

So I'm saying this won't last. Either it grows anew, else completely collapses. I'm betting on the former.

originally posted by: smurfy

originally posted by: eriktheawful

I didn't say anything is free, but water should be part of the national infrastructure, and should belong to everybody.
As for those with all their comms paid up I know nothing, neither should you.

I think every living thing on this planet should have access to water.

However, if you're going to live in a concrete, steel and glass jungle, or cramped up on the outskirts of that jungle in 1/4 acre plots, and expect to have that water come right to you (not you go and get it), then you need to have it piped, and that cost money.

You're going to need it pumped and that costs money, (the pumps run on electricity too, and need to be maintained with proper maintenance).

Before it's pumped, you're going to need to have that water cleaned, unless the water source is safe, and that costs money.

Your sewage: do you expect to just dump it into the oceans, rivers, lakes, etc? That's bad. A septic system allows for bio material to break down, and the water now filtered naturally by the Earth to return to an aquafier over hundreds to thousands of years. But most cities and sub-burbs can not use septic systems because it would overwhelm. So the sewage MUST be treated.......and again, that costs money.

To build all that, to make all that and to have people do all that costs money. Taxes can be used to do this, an for parts of it are.

If no one paid for it, it won't exist.

Let me ask anyone this: Let's say you don't have a water bill because we instead use taxes to pay for everything.

Let us also say that your neighbor George has a 24,000 gallon above ground pool.
Let us say you don't.

Let us also say that because George and you do not pay a water bill, but instead, it's part of your taxes, George decides it's okay for him to dump all 24,000 gallons out each month and refill his pool so he can clean it better.

Let us say that Tina up the street has a very big garden, which is watered with a sprinkler system several times a day, while you just have a normal lawn that you water here and there so it says green.

Now let us say that many people have the things that George and Tina have, and they are using a LOT more water than you. More water that needs to be treated and pumped to get to everyone. Usage goes up and up.....I mean, why not? It's all paid for with taxes, right?

Right. So the city needs to expand....which is going to cost.....which is going to be added to your taxes, so your taxes now go up.........

Is that fair to you?

No. Not really.

I'm sure that if no one was using that much water for things other than drinking, bathing, washing clothes, dishes and flushing water, that if the city needed to expand, most people would understand taxes going up.

But should it be because George wants to refill his pool every month?

No.

a reply to: crazyewok

Ah hell, before we even get to the water situation, there's the issue of entering the country with the sanctity of ones rear intact. It does not matter how bad it gets here in Blighty. I would rather go down swinging right here in Britain than deal with the bloody TSA!

Here's a video from July 15th, 2014 from a local Detroit news channel that gives a view of the situation. I don't know how to embed the vid, if someone could, thanks.

www.clickondetroit.com...

STM

I thought the chinese were taking over that area?

www.forbes.com...

I'm pretty sure they pump the drinking water in from the Detroit River and then process it somehow. But I'm willing to bet that if half the city went down to the riverside parks and started pumping water out for home use, they'd be fined and imprisoned.

The same will happen when they start opening the fire hydrants for water or go to the abandoned houses for water that might still be on. I bet they'll be panhandlers on the street soon with signs saying, "Will work for water."

a reply to: Destinyone

Because some low income folks are getting $700-1100 water bills...and are on social services, or SSI. The reason these are so astronomically high? Because the water company has offset THEIR repairs to the systems and split it out to seniors, new home owners, young families, welfare recipients, low incomes etc. THEY just can pay them.

The suburban city next to mine here in Michigan, where the average bill in $100 every 3 months...some have had it become $500-1,000 or HIGHER...each month. These families have a hard time feeding and clothing their kids...and now get slammed these bills with a "pay up or else". Of course, Im not referring to those who just arent paying. But the average family has a hard enough time in this area with unemployment so low. And there will be people basically walking away from their homes with their kids never to come back.

Many are still buying groceries, toiletries and cleaning supplies at $.99 cent stores. Im sure the average reader here has no concept. Try eating chicken hotdogs and buns from the $.99 cent store, and using soap from China and Korea, Thailand etc. Some people live like this EVERY DAY.

And then comes the Water Company...
"Customer: Well? We had to pass the water costs on SOME WAY...so...even though your last bill (which was late by the way because its was $20 higher than the last...well? Its now $1,200 this time...and dont forget you still owe us the $20 from the last bill too and the late fee. Get it to us by the due date please. Have a nice day."

And now? These families cant even buy the NInety Nine Cent hot dog or rubber lunch meat! And these huge water bills will be coming every bill...from now on.*

***For me and my family? Its around $80-120 every THREE months for a 3 bedroom-double yard and garage. Mine is likely to not go up where I live...

But, what would the average ATS member do today if you opened your bill and instead of around $50...it was $500? And you were told its going to be like that or higher...EVERY BILL...FROM NOW ON?

The whole thing here in Michigan is shameful and disgusting. You have to feel for folks....

Hey, why not just send all these illegal Mexican immigrants to Detroit instead of paying to open prisons and shelters for them. Everything is already there. Detroit's already starting to sound like Mexico.

a reply to: ThisIsMyRifle

Never been to Detroit, huh?

The exit signs on the freeway actually say "Mexicantown next three exits" on the west and Southwest side. (I can get pics if people want me to)

We have plenty of illegals here already trust me.............

a reply to: 200Plus

No, I've never been. I like my quiet little spot in the wooded mountains of PA. Cities are not for me. I've lived in Jacksonville, FL and Harrisburg at points in my life, and found the city is not for me. One plus living back here is the spring that supplies fresh clean water to my house, on my property, I will never be worried about my water being shut off. I couldn't imagine having it shut off, water is a necessity and I cannot imagine having to pay for it.

What the hell is going on, you have a whole city which is on the brink of anarchy and someone here suggested they look at their budget!!!.
This goes beyond domestic budget, this is city government budget, state budget, you are going to have almost half a million refugees in your own country probably within the next twelve months and 98% of the American correspondence on this thread are more worried about the Israel conflict.
It's insane, blows my mind.

a reply to: eriktheawful
A certian amount of water should be free..why not the basic needs met and after that a certian rate per cubic meter?

edit: I wonder if they are on water meters?..if not the cost of installing meters would be not cheap.