Water......

Water, water everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink.
Water, water everywhere
Or nary a drop to drink.

The latest brouhaha in Detroit is over water.  With the Great Lakes surrounding Michigan, who'd a thunk water would be the latest in the long list of problems in Detroit?

Well, it's not water, per se.  It's people not paying their water bills.  Apparently, the scofflaws have had their water shut off.  According to one newspaper account, as many as half of Detroiters don't pay their bills.  But, the doo-gooders (and I do mean doo) are already on the march.  These include some Hollywood-types (Cher chimed in yesterday.) and some group (Homeroots Nation?) coming in for some sort of convention.

We are hearing claims of "cruel," "inhumane," and even "unconstitutional" to describe the shut-offs of water to homes.  Of course, if that was the real story, we could understand.  But, as Paul Harvey used to say on his radio show, "Here's the rest of the story."

While 50% of Detroiters pay their water bills, half opting not to pay, 2/3 of Detroiters still pay their cable and/or satellite television bills.  And more than that, almost 3/4 continue to pay their cell phone bills.  (And why do I think most of these cell phones are not of the most basic variety?  Why do I think they have all the bells and whistles?  Hmmm......)  Isn't water a necessity?  Aren't television and cell phones, if not out-and-out luxuries, merely desires?  Of course, since water is a necessity, those doo-gooders will argue shutting it off, even though people opt to pay cable and cell phone bills instead of water bills, is inhumane, yet another reason to criticize the fabric of American society.  This is a humanitarian crisis, of growing and epic proportions.

I wonder how much money Cher has.  I'll bet she can take some of her money and pay the water bills for a lot of those Detroiters, so they can keep their phones and television.  Now, wouldn't that be the humanitarian thing to do?  In fact, there's nothing to prevent others, in the spirit of humanitarianism, to skip those dinners out, their latest vacations, those bottles of wine, etc. from paying the water bills of the scofflaws.

I suppose that's what comes with the growing idea that people deserve freebies, that things they need, but don't want to pay for, should be paid for by others.  Besides, the UN has declared water to be a basic right of people.  And, if the UN has spoken......

No doubt, there are some folks genuinely in need, perhaps living below the poverty level.  But don't they already get assistance, federal or state money, food stamps, etc.?  Why isn't that money used to pay for necessities, like water?  For what is that money being spent?  Remember, the US and Americans have been the most charitable people in the history of the world.  As Casey Stengel used to say, "You could look it up."

Someone must pay for the water, pumping it, purifying it, delivering it, maintaining its infrastructure, etc.  With so many scofflaws, those who pay their bills must cover the extra costs.  That's why there's a double-digit percentage increase in rates in Detroit.  And that's why there is talk of as much as a 50% rate increase for suburban water-users.  After all, there's no such thing as a free lunch (water).  Somebody has to pay for it.

Which brings about another troubling thing.  From what I understand, the county executives in Oakland and Macomb counties have been muzzled by the federal judge overseeing the Detroit bankruptcy.  They've been warning of the 50% increase on suburbanites.  Yet, those who support "free water" are allowed to continue to speak their views.  Isn't this America?

Gee, I wonder why so many more Detroiters who don't pay, opt to pay their cell phone and cable/satellite television bills.  Can it be that the phone and television people actually shut off services if not paid?  Besides, it's a lot harder to garner humanitarian sympathy over the loss of cable and cell phones, but that's not too far in coming, I'd guess.

I recall this more and more.  Legend has it the British army band, under Cornwallis, who was surrendering to Washington at Yorktown, played "The World Turned Upside Down."