Out Of Control

When governments get out of control, eventually someone
returns the favor. And despite the fact that such people
usually land in prison for long terms, the result for the
community is never a good one.

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This matter arose because of a "ready-to-serve" fee imposed
on the water bills of some unoccupied parcels that Markham
owned in the city of Manistique. The fee was imposed in order
to repay federal loans to upgrade water treatment plants to
keep them in compliance with federal law. Markham did not
understand how there could be a legal basis for billing for water
service on property where no water was actually used, so he
refused to pay those bills. Unpaid utility bills in Manistique
eventually are turned over to the county to collect as part of
property taxes, which exposed Markham to the potential loss
of his property. The prospect of losing his property, which
Markham considered to be his only asset, led him to express
his frustration and anger in menacing language on his website.
Markham posted references to "murder, arson, and suicide,"
"crushing the skulls of or setting afire my tormentors," and the
spilling of "innocent blood."

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http://tinyurl.com/mmcj6zh

The Michigan readers already know the length and breadth of
the charging not to use water gambit played out by so many
municipalities in this state so we'll not address the ongoing
problem here, but in court where it rightly belongs.

But this publication did want to call attention to the fact that
these practices are seen by many as universally corrupt and
without any sort of merit. In effect they are just another form
of income redistribution because water should righfully, and
by statute, be paid for by the consumers rather than those
who happen to own property in a community that takes from
those, mostly out of state or out of town property owners, who
do not get to vote on such matters and usually present no
political threat to the city council members. The other subgroup
of the population are those who cannot pay their water bill for
whatever reason, and are not only charged for water, sewer,
and garbage despite the fact that they receive none of the services
so long as one bill is missed, but are heavily penalized as well,
usually with no hope of ever catching up without outside
intervention such as a charity.

The nicest thing to be said about such practices is that they are
heartless. And from that point of departure the discussion can
only get worse, so I stop here.

Bill Vajk