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Despite being fairly right wing I'm perfectly fine with letting people who truly cannot pay slide since there are social positive externalities and it's a relatively cheap thing to provide that tremendously improves peoples' lives, but most of the cut offs the people who "can't" pay seem to find enough cash to do so mighty quick. The problem is it's not so easy to distinguish the people who really can't with those who just don't want to (understandably, when a large proportion of people weren't paying without consequences until the shutoffs) without turning off the tap, at least for a bit.
I remember reading (not where) that most of the people who were shut off paid off their debts very quickly to restore water -- please correct that though if my memory is faulty.
Anyway, time behind may or may not be indicative of ability to pay it back. If you know your neighbors aren't paying and nothing is happening to them, and you don't care about your credit score, then you're kind of a sucker if you keep writing the utility a check you know? I'd pay because I might want a house some day but if I already had a mortgage I'd probably be among those getting a shut-off notice and then paying in full the next day myself. It's hard to blame people for not wanting to pay 2x normal rates in other places for the privileged of being the one guy in the neighborhood paying the bill that no one is collecting on, and in that situation time behind might not be the best indicator of ability to pay anymore.
I talk to people everyday about water......some can not afford to have a well drilled.
Should the government provide water for everyone???
The cost to do so for the detroit residents is minor, unlike those you are providing your services too.
Realistically? Dunno. Im just pointing out that various human rights accords that we have signed say we should. might be different if you moved some place with water. Dunno.
I honestly am torn on this one. While we have signed things that say water is a right, is it a right to have, or is it a right to have it not taken away? I suspect its the not taken away part.....and the government isn't, its a private business correct?
I remember reading (not where) that most of the people who were shut off paid off their debts very quickly to restore water -- please correct that though if my memory is faulty.
Yep, I read that too......many said they could not pay......but, came up with the money when the water was truned off.
The cost to do so for the detroit residents is minor, unlike those you are providing your services too.
Realistically? Dunno. Im just pointing out that various human rights accords that we have signed say we should. might be different if you moved some place with water. Dunno.
I honestly am torn on this one. While we have signed things that say water is a right, is it a right to have, or is it a right to have it not taken away? I suspect its the not taken away part.....and the government isn't, its a private business correct?
They have all the water they want to haul home.
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