WATER.....CONTROL IT AND CONTROL ROCKLAND

WATER...CONTROL IT AND CONTROL ROCKLAND

A PLOT UNVEILED 


United Water has been vilified in the news almost daily, the latest because of the PSC coming to the County seeking comments regarding rate increases. I sit in wonderment as UW and their Management get attacked by none other than the politicians who brought our County to its knees. But it is not just these self serving politicians. There seems to be a universal dislike for the water company and I just cannot understand it. I will surmise however that we are treading on dangerous territory for there is no doubt that whoever controls our water supply will control Rocklands future. And from where I sit, it looks very bleak. 


I agree with the assessment of some UW supporters that  UW fails to defend itself, to tell its side of the story and I am puzzled at that stance as well.  But perhaps we have to ask ourselves why UW does not fight back more.   Is it because they do not want to lower themselves and go head to head with the low life Enviro politicos like Cornell, Wolfe, Carlucci and Stewart? Or perhaps they are just waiting for the PSC decision and if it denies Desal and they cannot recoup their investment they will pack their bags and we will have to find another Water Company to come into Business Friendly Rockland. I am sure there will be a bunch of Water companies waiting in line anxious to have Harriet Cornell and Alden Wolfe do annual (or daily) performance reviews on their Management. 


Since the ability to attract another private water company is ZERO ENTER to the Rockland Water Coalition who will rule with no PSC oversight. Otherwise called the END GAME. Then St Lawrence can do as much building as he wants. He seems to be surreptitiously drawing in the Republicans and "Conservatives" to accomplish these objectives. This also explains why the BLOC voters, who Republicans say, may benefit from more water have remained strangely silent. Patience, my man, patience. The game has just begun. 


It is interesting that United Water is not the only one increasing rates but the only one being put through the wringer by the low life enviro whackos. It seems as though Verizon and Cablevision increase their rates willy nilly and O & R recently increased their rates again!  (Snooze).  A New Jersey owned company is getting treated a lot better than one of our own without any of the Hoopla and without of having  to "tell its story". 


According to To a recent Journal News article:

"Fares on NEW JERSEY OWNED Rockland Coaches buses will go up 5 percent starting Thursday, impacting thousands of Rockland residents who commute to the city. Prices were ALSO RAISED LAST YEAR. Bus officials blame rising fuel costs. (This despite the elimination of certain Rockland routes to NYC over the objection of the Rockland Transportation Commissioner.)

A 20-ticket book from New City will now cost $183.15, meaning riders will pay an extra $8.70."

When I moved here this fare 40 years ago the bus fare to NYC was about $40 a month and my water bill was $30. Now my water bill is $50, a $20 increase, and the bus to NY is $183, a $143 increase, for LESS SERVICE, without a whimper. Perhaps United Water should ask them how they do it?  

Why are these politicians constantly attacking the water company, by far our cheapest utility? Why are they taking the unprecedented tactic of vilifying Management?


 I will tell you why. 


CONTROL WATER AND YOU CONTROL ROCKLAND AND ITS FUTURE DIRECTION. 


It may surprise some or many that opposition to the increase in water rates by United Water is NOT ABOUT MONEY.  It is about CONQUEST OF THE WATER COMPANY for the Democrats/Liberals/ and Enviro Whackos and about trying to put a  lid on Hasidic overbuilding by the Free Enterprise Republicans. United they stand. 
Let's deal with the first group, Democrats/Liberals/ and Enviro Whackos. Team Conquest. The PLOT thickens but seemingly still Remains unrevealed to the Rockland Republicans. 


THE CURTAIN OPENS:

ACT ONE Is almost over. Attack, Villify and DISCREDIT MANAGEMENT. 
It is the latter that explains the UNPRECEDENTED attacks on Management at at PSC hearing. Their strategy? Current Management cannot run UW properly so Chris St Lawrence's Water Coalition has to take it over. Never mind that the very politicians attacking United Waters Management are the very people who brought Rockland County to the brink of bankruptcy, turning it over to Ed Day with just $42,000 in Cash to pay its bills, a near Junk Status Bond Rating (Negative Outlook), a $140 Million Deficit, despite 69% compounded tax increases the last 3 years, a 4% tax on our electric bills, millions in new mortgage taxes etc. In fact over the last 40 years your water bill increased about $20 a month to about $50 a month while your taxes increased by $1,000 a month, 50 times the the increase in your water rate. What Chutzpa you say? No matter. They already roped in the naive Republicans. The dirty work has been done.The PSC will rule shortly.  Now is the time to reap the benefits and provide a little peek  as to what these democrats are really planning.


ACT TWO Now that we have all parties on board, the next step will likely be to enact some strict legislation to make sure you comply with the "conservation" measures you said would offset the need for a Desal Plant. Why is legislation needed if as Wolfe and Cornell suggest that everyone already agrees to conservation measures? Because that is what politicians do. This is their PLAN.  

CONSERVATION and ENFORCEMENT. All at a price for taxpayers. after all, we cannot trust these lawbreaking Rockland County taxpayers to CONSERVE on their own So an ENFORCEMENT DIVISION will needed.  More patronage. Controls placed on watering lawn, filling pools etc. Fines for  those who do not comply. Want a new lawn? Apply first. Maybe for a small fee to cover the cost of handling the paperwork. As I mentioned, THIS IS NOT ABOUT WATER RATES, NEVER WAS, IT WAS ABOUT CONTROLLING YOUR LIFE AND CONTROLLING ROCKLAND. Republicans were manipulated. 

Later, when FORCED CONSERVATION does  not work to their satisfaction there will be moratorium  on new lawns (Permission required, perhaps another fee to cover "costs") and increased taxes to raise the cost of water because everyone knows, like the tax on cigarettes, higher rates mean less usage except when proceeds from higher rates go to the private water company. Then they are defined as egregious increases brought upon by inept greedy French management, and we all know how evil the French are!  We love Paris but ........ 

ACT THREE..THE FINAL CURTAIN

Here is the kicker. You see, no matter how it unfolds, CSL and the Water Coalition are the winners. If by some crazy stretch, FORCED CONSERVATION does succeed,revenue to the water company diminishes and since there is a required rate of return, a new rate case will surface which will bring out the crazies and their liberal buddies at the UIU and hired guns like Lawyer Duthie. If they succeed in stopping the rate increase,United Water will be a losing operation and it will bail as happened in Connecticut. No other water company in their right mind will want to come here. Enter CSL and the Water Coalition to save the day. 

If the water company goes down, all of Rockland will shortly look like Route 306. The Republican County Executive will be blamed destroying his Legacy and that my friends is the end of the story and the end of Rockland County as we know it.

It all could have been avoided by approving Desalinization which would have guaranteed Rocklands water supply for the next century. Yes, it would cost a little more but the cost will pale in comparison to what you will pay the County for CONSERVATION AND ENFORCEMENT.

 On the bright side, it will be fun watching Andy Stewart kicking the soccer ball through a Field  of Wildflowers. 

Charles Clewsow