By NoMorePropertyTax

June 24, 2007 2:17 PM | Link to this

I find it amusing that West Palm Beach is complaining that nobody wants to buy their recycled sewage “product”…

By Greg

June 24, 2007 1:06 PM | Link to this

“If it continued for a long time, it could force us to raise rates,” Delray Beach City Manager David Harden said Thursday. “But we would look to what we have to do to reduce expenses first.” ARE THESE PEOPLE FOR REAL?

By TAX WHAT?

June 24, 2007 12:57 PM | Link to this

THEY SHOULD CUT THERE OWN SALARYS AND TAXES THE BIG OIL COMAPANYS AND STOP FUC*K WITH THE MIDDLE CLASS

By SirPercy

June 24, 2007 12:48 PM | Link to this

TWO IMPORTANT FACTS TO CONSIDER BEFORE VOTING TO AMEND THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION:

1. This is really just a plan to do away with A CITIZEN-BASED INITIATIVE, SOH, in favor of an inferior plan. I am ALL FOR FIXING SOH, but not by tricking people into giving it up for good. EVENTUALLY VIRTUALLY everyone moves or sells. After January 1, 2008, if the plan passes, you CANNOT use SOH whether you buy for the first time, OR MOVE after that date if you already have SOH.

2. FROM THE PDF FILE THE POST PROVIDED: THE COUNTY COMMISSION CAN OVERRIDE FUTURE CAPS (Estimated at 4.2%) by up to 10%!!! (does take unanimous vote though). they can make smaller adjustments with only a 2/3 vote.

HELLO? Who here thinks they won’t do this?

By Vic

June 24, 2007 12:28 PM | Link to this

Solution:

Cut work force.

Drop salary’s of the management.

Layoff-non essential help.

Stop over spending.

Let workers use thier own vehicles to go back and forth to work, and eliminate personal use.

Suffer like the rest of us in state.

We save gas-they raise the price we save water they look for an increase. School roles drop 14% they bulid new ones.

What the hell is going on?

By c

June 24, 2007 11:56 AM | Link to this

illegal aliens need to be brought to justice.they are a huge burden on our tax base.we need to ajudicate the landlords who harbor them,and the employers who hire illegals.make it hard for them to break our laws.we can’t afford to support them,and their huge families.

By badges

June 24, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this

water conservation should be the priority not how to get additional revenue. wake up

By badges

June 24, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this

water conservation should be the priority not how to get additional revenue. wake up

By badges

June 24, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this

water conservation should be the priority not how to get additional revenue. wake up

By badges

June 24, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this

water conservation should be the priority not how to get additional revenue. wake up

By badges

June 24, 2007 11:15 AM | Link to this

people are conserving water like we are supposed to and all the water company can think of is the almighty dollar. which is more important. i think having enough water is more of a priority. wake uup

By badges

June 24, 2007 11:15 AM | Link to this

people are conserving water like we are supposed to and all the water company can think of is the almighty dollar. which is more important. i think having enough water is more of a priority. wake uup

By badges

June 24, 2007 11:15 AM | Link to this

people are conserving water like we are supposed to and all the water company can think of is the almighty dollar. which is more important. i think having enough water is more of a priority. wake uup

By mick

June 24, 2007 11:14 AM | Link to this

We need to drastically increase the cost of water after a determined amount of fair and common use. Make people who use over a fair amount pay handsomely for making our future more difficult.

By mick

June 24, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this

Cut any projects that are aimed to increase the population of make it easier for more people to go from one place to another except for public mass transportation. We do not need more roads or wider roads. We do not need more people so do not make it easier for more to mve here.

By Bob

June 24, 2007 7:26 AM | Link to this

Hey E Finley, Baaaaaahhhhhhhhhh. BTW, I live in the city and my drive to work is over an hour already.

By Bobby Mac

June 24, 2007 7:08 AM | Link to this

Commisioners can start out by giving up their slush funds. That would be a good will gesture.

Unfortunately for them, great for us, none of them should be in office after their next election.

We need an independent big 4 CPA firm to come in and analyze the spending increases from 2000 to the current numbers, report large increases, make recommendations for reductions and report any abuses. They should report to the Clerk of Court, not the commissioners.

The open check book days need to end!

By Mad Mike

June 24, 2007 7:00 AM | Link to this

Let me get this right…

You tell us we HAVE TO cut back on usage… Then you tell us you HAVE TO raise the price because we don’t use enough

THIEVES

By Bill Neubauer

June 24, 2007 6:54 AM | Link to this

I notice in the Post story that the WPB water ultilities department has its own public information officer. I don’t know how such a person helps clean and pump water. That would be a great place to cut the budget. I can’t help wondering how many other departments have their own public information officers, whose services could be eliminated without affecting the department’s service. With the budget cuts which seem to be required by the legislature, this is the sort of budget padding which should be eliminated at the start.

By Bob

June 24, 2007 6:47 AM | Link to this

Right on realproblems. The ammendment which protects all others is in jeopardy and the sheeple just follow along trusting in the government to do the right thing.

By Bruce E. Holmes,PE

June 24, 2007 3:47 AM | Link to this

Our average water output is 34 million gallons a day; that is usually what we sell,” said Peter Robbins, West Palm Beach public information officer. “We’ve dropped to as low as 17 million on some days, which is phenomenal. It’s a great conservation record, but we’re selling a product, and all of a sudden we’re selling half of it.”

THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG. What they are trying to say is that they make a “profit” from their municipal services which most don’t know about and now that revenues are down, profits used for other purposes are down too. Proper rate design recovers fixed expenses regardless of the flow and usage.

We need smarter managers and leaders in utility services that have the foresight to do the right thing. As Chair of Conservation committee some time ago in Orlando, I helped push into use a low flow toilet replacement program for Orlando Utilities where they PAID for customers to replace higher water use toilets.

Was cheaper than adding new water capacity, sewer capacity and lowered operating expenses. Many things can be done to be conservation minded and good for community. Unfortunately, the big government bureaucracy will have to shrink.

Who will do the right thing for the citizen???

By E Finley

June 24, 2007 1:43 AM | Link to this

“By realproblems

Jun 23, 2007 7:47 PM | Link to this

I agree with Bob. F them. Lay some people off. Cut expenses. Like real business. This is not a commie country ( at least not yet) sorry if if you can’t get a subsidy from the government or ration natural resources. Marxist A$$ holes. Go try and sell your water in Russia. F off and let us live. time to take back this country form special intrest like unions, government, lobbyist, Illegals, Socialist and liberal Marxist SOBs. Good thing they have not taken our second amendment right (yet). ITs our only hope against tyranny! Wait till the next big hurricane or Attack on the US. Jerico here we come.”

Dude, your an idiot. If you are so anti-govt, I guess the only alternative would be that you are pro-business right? Well, whats so hard to understand about utlities needing money to pay for things?

Hold on while I go out back and pick some off the magical money tree to pay the utiltility bills.

By E Finley

June 24, 2007 1:33 AM | Link to this

Everyone on this board sounds like a bunch of first graders who still believe in Santa Claus. The fact is that it costs money to get water and dispose of it after everyone poops and pees in it and takes 30 minute long showers in it.

READ THIS: The fact that there are budget shortfalls since useage has gone down is testament to the fact that the correct unit pricing for water was being used in the first place. If there weren’t shorfalls once water useage dropped, THEN you should be worried, because that means that your water would have been OVERPRICED then (which it was not).

Now utiltities have a shortfall because although variable costs go down, fixed costs remain the same, and those fixed costs must be tended to, or pumps break down, old pipes burst, expansions and additions get delayed, etc…then that means no fresh water for you kiddies.

If you have a problem understanding this, please move to the boonies where you can have a well and septic tank and stop complaining. Enjoy your hour-long ride to work…

By michael

June 24, 2007 1:05 AM | Link to this

Aint it great being government. They want the money for selling water but don’t want us to use it. Here is an idea. Cut the high pay and benefits of the government workers. fire the realatives who take a salary but don’t work.

By trouble

June 24, 2007 12:09 AM | Link to this

Ever since the Jupiter Island Clan took over the water company and now call themselve’s “SOUTH MARTIN REGIONAL UTILITY” my rates have climbed sky high and my monthly bill has more then doubled. My water and sewer bill is almost as high as my electric bill and I’m only one person living in my house.I’m delighted to hear their getting hit hard in the pocket, it’s about time. We the people can squeeze them right out of business if we choose to, so they damm sure better be real careful.

Trouble

By trouble

June 24, 2007 12:08 AM | Link to this

Ever since the Jupiter Island Clan took over the water company and now call themselve’s “SOUTH MARTIN REGIONAL UTILITY” my rates have climbed sky high and my monthly bill has more then doubled. My water and sewer bill is almost as high as my electric bill and I’m only one person living in my house.I’m delighted to hear their getting hit hard in the pocket, it’s about time. We the people can squeeze them right out of business if we choose to, so they damm sure better be real careful.

Trouble

By bobk

June 23, 2007 10:57 PM | Link to this

Remember you have to do some selective voting. First step is to register and to find your polling place, then you have to show up to vote. Otherwise you have no complaint to these politicians

By GMAB

June 23, 2007 10:55 PM | Link to this

Let’s all decide to run our water one night a month (same night) we will run our faucets for hours, so the water usage can go up. This way we won’t get a fine & we can keep our rates where they are! How stupid is it getting to be to live in this state? Abide by the law-reduce water usage, then you get penalized for using less water. Why don’t the politicians just give us a tank full of gas, so we can all pack up and head north!

By Water User

June 23, 2007 10:51 PM | Link to this

Florida is a JOKE in this nation.

I will be out of here soon - this state is totally F*ED UP

By Bobo is an idiot

June 23, 2007 10:14 PM | Link to this

Bobo you are an idiot. The local police agencies are BEGGING PBSO to take them over.

By Eric

June 23, 2007 9:50 PM | Link to this

Most cities use the excess revenue from utilities to beef up their already bloated budgets. They also pledge this revenue for bonds. So guess what…these pigs are ABSOLUTELY going to charge us more for less! Would anyone like to bet that the increase in our utility bills FAR exceeds that joke of a tax cut? LOL

By Palm Beach Gardens Resident

June 23, 2007 9:42 PM | Link to this

This is a shame. Just like property taxes and insurance…I can not wait to sell my house and leave this state.

By Chris

June 23, 2007 9:38 PM | Link to this

The real insanity is that anyone believes the demand for water is going down. No local politician ever met a developer whose campaign contributions he didn’t love. Trust me, water usage is going to go up not down!

By Kathy

June 23, 2007 9:23 PM | Link to this

No, we don’t need to raise the rates. Lay someone off or reduce hours but remember the community is who pays your salaries and if you hurt the community then you hurt yourself and your future. As for the community we will have to replace bushes, trees, and lawns after the drought is over so we will be paying more in the long run.

By Nick

June 23, 2007 9:08 PM | Link to this

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my entire life. We are told to use less water so we do, and now the water companies are trying to raise rates. It would be like the police being mad because nobody was speeding.

By bobo

June 23, 2007 8:43 PM | Link to this

I like the part about how it jeporadizes the ability to main tain the infrastructure they have built.What they are really saying is that they have built a camel out of a horse with a lot of political patronage jobs and it would hurt to let them go.The sheriff is a good example of a camel.You elect him and he hires all his friends at taxpayers expense.The sheriff in other states is a jailer,but here we pay taxes to have him ride around in cities already covered by local police.Miami/Dade is a county that combined the police and eliminated the sheriff.Its time to find a way to cut the camel back to a horse.

By Whattt???

June 23, 2007 8:40 PM | Link to this

You’ve got to be kidding me! Pay more for less water. Look out folks…it’s gonna happen!

Just look at what FPL, the County, the State, and insurance companes have been allowed to do to us.

Funny how they just keep taking from the “little guy.”

By wastewater guru

June 23, 2007 8:30 PM | Link to this

THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SPECIAL INTEREST OR PAYOFFS. IT IS A SIMPLE FORMULA THAT IT TAKES “X” AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IN A GIVEN FISCAL YEAR TO SUSTAIN A UTILITY. IF THE FUNDS AREN’T THERE THEN IT IS A PROBLEM. YOU CAN’T JUST LAY WORKERS OFF BECAUSE NO ONE WOULD TAKE THE JOBS IN THE FUTURE. TRY DRINKING THE WATER IN MEXICO THEN CALL ME TO COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR LOCAL UTILTY PEOPLE. DO YOU REALLY THINK SOMEONE IS GETTING RICH OFF OF YOUR WATER AND SEWER BILLS? CRY ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE I.E. PROPERTY TAXES.

By Gerard Barra

June 23, 2007 8:26 PM | Link to this

What is all the confusion about. It’s supply and demand. They supply less because of mismanagemt and we pay throught “hose”… What a crock!!

By Rose

June 23, 2007 8:23 PM | Link to this

It’s the movie “CHINATOWN” come to life.

* I think we need to get Jake Gittes to investigate… And considering it’s South Florida, I bet there’s even a little incest somewhere in this whole mess*

By realproblems

June 23, 2007 7:47 PM | Link to this

I agree with Bob. F them. Lay some people off. Cut expenses. Like real business. This is not a commie country ( at least not yet) sorry if if you can’t get a subsidy from the government or ration natural resources. Marxist A$$ holes. Go try and sell your water in Russia. F off and let us live. time to take back this country form special intrest like unions, government, lobbyist, Illegals, Socialist and liberal Marxist SOBs. Good thing they have not taken our second amendment right (yet). ITs our only hope against tyranny! Wait till the next big hurricane or Attack on the US. Jerico here we come.

By Bob

June 23, 2007 7:30 PM | Link to this

So they want to raise our rates yet because of the drought they aren’t pumping as much water, doing as many repairs, etc.. so they do NOT need as many employees. They need to make sacrifices just like us ordinary peon citizens have to. It’s high time for We, The People, to take back our government. It just a shame that the government has been able to successfully and subliminally spin the Communist/Socialist ideals in such a way that American citizens actually thank them for doing so. WAKE UP.

By ScumScummyScummier

June 23, 2007 7:21 PM | Link to this

Good thing i have a nice Biscayne Aquifer WELL, cause i’m hooking that S.O.B. back up to my home. This B.S is out of control. If you live in W.P.B. Just Hook-up to your TOILET…

By Rob LipO'Cola

June 23, 2007 7:14 PM | Link to this

IF WE HAVE CUTBACK THEN THEY NEED TO DO THE SAME, EFFING GOVERNMENT.

By vince

June 23, 2007 7:14 PM | Link to this

When the drought is over will they reduce their rates?I don’t think so! Just trying to keep their revenues up and they will do what ever they want.Politicians are bought and paid for by big business.

By vince

June 23, 2007 7:13 PM | Link to this

When the drought is over will they reduce their rates?I don’t think so! Just trying to keep their revenues up and they will do what ever they want.Politicians are bought and paid for by big business.

By Water woes

June 23, 2007 7:09 PM | Link to this

First the public is using too much water.

Then the public needs to stop using so much water.

Taxes are too high and they’re going to decrease taxes.

Now, the water company is going to raise taxes because the public has cut back on using water.