Mor_Tearach t1_iyhs82h wrote
What I wanna know is how we got to the point of being held hostage for our WATER by corporations. Don't answer that- we know it's $$$$.
It's water. Without water there are no towns and cities, there is no society, water is probably THE most fundamental foundation to any society and I'm sticking to that.
Our taxes pay for roads (nothing to brag about here in PA anyway ),pay for most infrastructure. Water is infrastructure. Please no one go up the wall on ' more taxes '. Achieve it by taxing the rich, somehow immune to shouldering the same share we do.
Dredly t1_iyhwzvx wrote
40 years of Republican leadership...
Mor_Tearach t1_iyj0nel wrote
Exactly.
[deleted] t1_iyi0ckn wrote
[removed]
Ok-Twist921 t1_iym368f wrote
Oh don’t worry, Democrats have caught up with their Republican counterparts over the last 40 years, too. The ratchet effect in this country is a vile thing. They are all corporate stooges
BigbuckValley t1_iyjudp1 wrote
Is the other line you use “you’re racist”?
mister_pringle t1_iyjgpkg wrote
> 40 years of Republican leadership...
CQU617 OP t1_iyjk5vz wrote
Mostly R, but aren’t residents making some bank off fracking on their land too?
mister_pringle t1_iyjuwra wrote
No idea what that has to do with anything. I can't figure out what "40 years of Republican leadership" means in this context?
Dredly t1_iyk3a2y wrote
Which part? Pa congress control has been republican for 40 years+
mister_pringle t1_iykuuma wrote
Democrats controlled the House last in 2010 and the Senate in 1993.
x8675309 t1_iyl0z8o wrote
And who was governor?
mister_pringle t1_iymkazu wrote
Democrats both times. Why?
Dredly t1_iyl3eo6 wrote
Senate was tied in 93, because some dude "switched parties"
mister_pringle t1_iymkdk6 wrote
And Democrats held the House and Governorship. Seems like a pretty strong position for Democrats.
Dredly t1_iyn3pmc wrote
your realize how silly that argument is right? the ONLY reason the Senate was Democrat is because a R wanted to make a statement and switched his party affiliation resulting in tie... he wasn't a democrat and didn't vote like one.
​
The last time Democrats held an actual majority was 1979, and they only held it during the 70's,
​
Democrats have only actually controlled the senate for 10 years in the states history
mister_pringle t1_iyna9p5 wrote
> your realize how silly that argument is right?
Not as silly as claiming the Republicans have controlled the PA government for 40 years.
I really don’t give that much of a shit.
melranaway t1_iyi6erm wrote
Does it truly go to the roads or to the pensions of some state employees who had their pensions mismanaged? I can’t believe any of it goes to the roads. If you live on the north east side have you rode on rt 29? Espc In Susquehanna county?
Mor_Tearach t1_iyj0ldy wrote
Oh, it's pretty clear roads are the last thing on the infrastructure budget. So 29 is a nightmare too? I know they've been ' fixing ' 78 through Berks for around 112 years now with no discernable end in sight, you have to watch where construction ends if you value your undercarriage.
Our nightmares here in Dauphin are 83 and 81, 83's probably worse since it runs at what always seems to be an unchecked 75 mph with like a foot clearance on either side. Don't get me started on bridges.
cpr4life8 t1_iyitl9d wrote
It's foundational to life itself. No water = no life.
Mor_Tearach t1_iyiypci wrote
RIGHT? Once was downvoted into a black hole for pointing out there should be no such thing as a water bill. I guess by people who HAD a water bill but still found NOT having one an unreasonable concept. We have a well- it's possible to feel outrage over the fact water- like you said foundational to life to be a ludicrous outrage when it's monetized when no, I'm not personally affected.
We are however all in this Capitalist shambles together.
cpr4life8 t1_iyj02u4 wrote
I work in the water and wastewater industry so I understand why municipalities have to bill residents for the service, as it's very costly to treat and distribute water, maintain the infrastructure necessary for the process, pay people who operate the water and wastewater treatment plants, buy the chemicals & equipment involved, etc. Many people think their property taxes pay for this, but that's not true. Maybe in a rare exception, but overall the utility bill you pay is what goes towards maintaining the service.
One of the big issues I used to hear all the time when I was a mfg rep for treatment equipment - the utilities make money that could be put back into the facilities to maintain and upgrade the service, but that money is frequently diverted to other things. I distinctly remember one wastewater superintendent in KY who was livid that his town had redirected a bunch of money from the sewer treatment plant to a fund to build a new park...because there was an upcoming election and parks are seen, whereas no one ever thinks about what happens after they flush the toilet. That is until they flush the toilet and things go wrong.
I have no issues with the normal operation of the way water and sewer is provided and billed for and so on...but I have major issues with people that do things to contaminate our groundwater and then basically walk away with a slap on the wrist. I will never understand how people put money before something that actually sustains life. I mean regardless of where we are in the world we're all drinking water and invariably there is some entity jeopardizing that water, by doing things like fracking, in the name of profit.
*Edit - typo
mrboozer t1_iyl5qhu wrote
At least look at it from their point of view...
..
"Fuck your water. I'm rich now and don't live here anyways, so I don't give a shit."
cpr4life8 t1_iymewe3 wrote
Unfortunately there is no escaping it though because people are doing things to destroy our water everywhere across the country. I know the super wealthy people think it's not going to impact them, but it will. Water isn't segregated underground.
JAK3CAL t1_iyk2rtv wrote
I studied hydrogeology. My professor would warn us that an imminent world war was highly likely; and it’s be over water.
Waters one of things… Don’t consider it until you don’t have it. Then it’s hell on earth
Mor_Tearach t1_iyk4rfo wrote
Wow? Grandfather was a civil engineer. Born around 1906. Water was always one of his concerns. He grew up in Colorado and Wyoming, worked ranches out there as a kid and through college.
I was too young to understand exactly why he was so alarmed but insisted as long as I knew him the next war would be over water. Hearing your prof say pretty much the same thing is chilling.
JAK3CAL t1_iykaeg5 wrote
We have seen early examples brewing, for example the Ethiopian dam.
We are very fortunate to live near the Great Lakes, the largest natural freshwater system. Wild that PA continues to pollute its own water at a breakneck pace.
As a side note - my property is serviced by a spring. Probably one of the last in the country where the only water supply is a spring and cistern system, fully gravity fed. We had a drought and water ran out for a week.
Holy shit was it awful. Toilet can’t flush. No showers. No cooking no washing hands no filling a glass, no wetting a paper towel to clean something… literally everything involves water. It was one of the most miserable weeks of my life
hahnyolo t1_iykyr1g wrote
Philadelphia and New York City have their water sources on lockdown. Upper Delaware River and Adirondack Park/Hudson River? Done deal that is protected. Not that it’s political but both are D cities.
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