Sunday, April 1, 2012

Water board hosing taxpayers again

From the Daily News:

City environmental honchos want to water-board New Yorkers yet again, saying they will propose Friday a 7% hike to water rates that have skyrocketed 78% since 2005.

The city downplayed the proposed soaking by describing it as not as bad as in recent fiscal years — and well under the 9.3% bump the Department of Environmental Protection projected just a year ago.

“This is the lowest water rate increase in seven years,” DEP spokesman Farrell Sklerov said.

“While we know that it is extremely difficult for our customers to have to pay any more, the downward trend clearly shows that our aggressive efforts to keep rates in check are paying off.”

This fiscal year’s rate was already 7.5% above that of last year, which itself was 12.9% more than the previous year.

But some city residents were fed up over word the city was going into their pockets again — and the Daily News was barred by a city agreement from even specifying what the rise would be until Friday.

“It’s getting ridiculous,” said Bill Clemente, 71, who owns a home in Howard Beach, Queens.

“You won’t be able to have swimming pools. You won’t be able to water your lawn. You won’t be able to shower as often.”

He even said a worst-case scenario could be in play for him: “Ultimately, we may have to sell the house and move out of the city.”

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hosing you say?

Sounds more like an enema!

Not all of the water boarding
is done at Gitmo.

Anonymous said...

Now that we've all been forced into having radio transmission water meters...we'll soon be assigned prime time hours for water use.

Maybe flushing your dump at 12 midnight can save you some money, rather than flushing at the expensive 6:00 PM rate.

ex.gov.a.schwarzenegger said...

Doo-doo vat I doo-doo. (Hahr, hahr!) Don't be a girrly mann. Mach der dump in der garbitch bek und Fetex it to der zity countzilmann. Safes a lotta vahter! Hey, you gotta haf zum fun now und den.

Anonymous said...

If wages, interest rates, and inflation have all held at 0%, what is their excuse for needing yet another hefty boost?

Anony2 said...

What hell cost the water utility 78% more than 7 years ago? Where's the transparency? Where's the competition? Where's the city overight?!

Anonymous said...

It's time to GET OUT of NYC!!!!

Anonymous said...

It'll be someday soon if it'd be cheaper to water your lawns or fill your pools with soft drinks/energy drinks/alcohol than water.