Water Rate Increase 42% Why? Here It Is!! City Hall Screw up!

[Guest Guest]

Funny how Tony Russell doesn't even touch this issue (FEMA MONEY LOST) about City Hall raising water rates! Other then his callers who are undoubtably upset to raise water rates and of City Hall's LIES and DECEPTION about not knowing the increase was going to be announced claiming they didn't know a thing. (WOW Mary Clark thinks this mayor will be re-elected??? Think again Mary!)

 

I can't wait when Ryan comes on Russell's show and lies!!! I can just imagine how Russell and Mo treat him or better yet CODDLE HIM!!!

 

Stupid (Russell) do your job ask the question what happened to the FEMA money for repairs to the Water Filtration Facility because of flooding? Who screwed (Citizen Action's Daphine Gathers employed by the City) up the paperwork? Missing the window for getting FEMA Monies to repair the plant.

 

Taxpayers get screwed yet again!

 

Russell I'm willing to bet woun't do a thing!!

[Guest Guest]

Funny how Tony Russell doesn't even touch this issue (FEMA MONEY LOST) about City Hall raising water rates! Other then his callers who are undoubtably upset to raise water rates and of City Hall's LIES and DECEPTION about not knowing the increase was going to be announced claiming they didn't know a thing. (WOW Mary Clark thinks this mayor will be re-elected??? Think again Mary!)

 

I can't wait when Ryan comes on Russell's show and lies!!! I can just imagine how Russell and Mo treat him or better yet CODDLE HIM!!!

 

Stupid (Russell) do your job ask the question what happened to the FEMA money for repairs to the Water Filtration Facility because of flooding? Who screwed (Citizen Action's Daphine Gathers employed by the City) up the paperwork? Missing the window for getting FEMA Monies to repair the plant.

 

Taxpayers get screwed yet again!

 

Russell I'm willing to bet woun't do a thing!!

 

You know you have a good point but Russell hate's this site although Mo strolls through once in awhile!

 

If this is what happened, then someone should be persuing the story to inform the public of City Hall's incompetence?

 

 

 

@

[Guest Guest]

What happen to the employee who explained the fire at the water treatment plant and the fake FEMA submission?

 

 

@

[Guest Guest]

What happen to the employee who explained the fire at the water treatment plant and the fake FEMA submission?

 

 

@

 

Boy things are pretty bad over at WNBF. Now that talk show moron is reading old newspapers from 35 years ago! Instead of talking with residents of our community about serious matters in front of us he runs his mouth like a DELETED reading a newspaper from 35 years ago and grunts like a pig!!!!

 

A real class act this arogant clown is!

[Guest Tony Russell = Radio BUM]

Your right about Russell he's a loser that's why he's reading something from a crapy 35 year old newspaper Why? Tony doesn't know any better! (He's not smart enough) We don't want to hear about old news! Stale just like him!

 

Oh BCV rocks!

[Guest Radio BUMS (WNBF)]

Must be Mo saw the last post and shook or woke Tony up!!!

 

 

BCV STILL ROCKS !

 

We LOVE YOU BCV!!!!

 

 

@

[Guest Eastside Taxpayer]

Still waiting Tony??? Mo did you read what your looking at? Of course you have just too dumb to admit it!

[Guest Concerned Taxpayer]

Can someone tell me what position Daphine Gathers holds at City Hall?

[Guest Guest]

Can someone tell me what position Daphine Gathers holds at City Hall?

 

 

DELETED to the mayor

[Guest Guest]

 

 

 

LOL thats funny!!

[Guest Guest]

You should have included Tony Russell he's also licking the Mayor's backside while he's on the show.

[Guest Out Raged Taxpayer]

Todays headline in the Press screams out "City raises water rates 30% for '08"....10% hike will follow in '09 under new plan".

These hypocrites then have the onions to proceed to editorialize the headline in the B part of the very same edition with "Lawmakers won't make needed cuts"!!!!!!!!! Beautiful!

 

Where were these concerned editorial watchdogs for the tax payer when Ryan, Abdelazim, & Silberstein "negotiated" the very recent and very lucrative 10 Million dollar Fire Department deal, which was then approved by a complicit City Council?

A guaranteed 4 year, no-cut deal with the highest City raises for the highest paid City employees. A department with 40 officers for 92 firefighters, including 5 chiefs, a fire marshall, 9 captains, and 24 lieutenants, a 2 day work week with built in overtime, holiday pay, out of title pay, and extra duty pay for the ambulance service. Couldn't find $303,000 to make up the water fund deficit? Now keep in mind this was done just a short while ago, a short time before this recent water department shortfall crisis. They either never saw it coming or were anticipating funds that were never received. Either way, the lack of administrative foresight is appalling and inexcusable.

 

Our form of government was obviously designed to include critical checks and balances. When this was not to be, citizens could hopefully rely on the investigative newspapers as their last line of defense. At this dangerous juncture In Binghamton, we now have the inept Ryan administration, a Citizen Action/Ryan controlled City Council, a Ryan appointed Board of Estimate & Apportionment, and an impotent and complicit newspaper. God help Binghamton taxpayers for the next year and a half.

 

 

@

[Guest Guest]

Some women called at the end of Tonys show said she saw it on a local website about the screw up and asked the hard question, why should the taxpayers and her be responsable for City Halls mistake's? Thus the increase!

 

Where's the FEMA money........what happened and why????

[Guest Guest]

More facts, we are told we are talking about only a $300,000 deficit. This increase will pay it all back in a year. I know four or five commercial users alone that will pay half that deficit on their own.

 

 

@

[Guest bored at work]

Better yet, what happened to the FEMA buy out grant that Daphne was given to write??? Did those people that signed up for it ever get their money?? NOOOOOO. Why dont we look at all the grants she has been in charge of writing, it wasnt just the one! I bet they will try to blame it on someone who has already left the city that they pawned it off on AFTER she messed it up AND missed the deadline. At least the FEMA contact knows who she dealt with to begin with and she sticks to her word.

[Guest Guest]

I recall that the current administration was itching to fire the guy who headed up the public works when the Ryanesque took the helm. Does anyone know what that was about and whether it is related to the current billing issues?

[Guest Guest]

Better yet, what happened to the FEMA buy out grant that Daphne was given to write??? Did those people that signed up for it ever get their money?? NOOOOOO. Why dont we look at all the grants she has been in charge of writing, it wasnt just the one! I bet they will try to blame it on someone who has already left the city that they pawned it off on AFTER she messed it up AND missed the deadline. At least the FEMA contact knows who she dealt with to begin with and she sticks to her word.

 

 

If city hall is stupid enough to give daphne gathers a grant to write, then they deserve this crap. Nobody in their right mind would give that woman a grant to write. Have any of you spoken to this woman? The only other person dumber than Daphne gahters is Matt ryan. You know what, he is just the kind of stupid arse idiot to give that woman a grant to write because he is too dumb to do it himself. so I take back my initial statment. There is a person stupid enough (meaning: not in their right mind. frankly he wasn't born with a "mind.") to give daphne gahter a grant to write.

[Guest Guest]

OHHH OK I See he is a taxer then I guess because thats what they say about democrate's correct?????

 

yea - dems tax and spend. pubs borrow and spend even more (and then put a two trillion dollar war "off budget"

[Guest Guest]

Why don't you people take the time to do some research. Water is going up everywhere. In many cites the infrastructure is so old it would take another 20 years and a billion dollars to bring it up to snuff.

Many of you are not even comparing apples to apples. Vestal, Johnson City, Endicott and Vestal get their water from wells. It's a heck of alot cheaper to get water from a well and put it out there for all to drink. Binghamton takes it's water from the Susqueswamp. That filthy mess has to be hit with chemicals that remove the crud and then it's filtered. That's one whole process that the neighboring municipalities don't have to do or charge for. Drive over the Tompkins St bridge. If you're heading south look over to the left and you'll see a brick building on the river bank. That's where they suck the water in. It's hit with chemicals and sent up to the concrete structures on Broome St. They settle out mud and stuff before it goes in for filtering in the Filtration Plant. Get it??? From the river to Webster St. nobody else next to us has to do this or maintain it.

 

If you really want to compare rates look at cities that get their water from lakes or rivers and have to have filter plants.

Here's a start...

 

http://www.elmirawaterboard.org/rates.html

 

Grab a calculator while you do your research. Take a look at Middletowns water while your at it.

 

Now here's one for the blowhard Tony Russell. Hey Tony.... How many packs of butts do you smoke a day??? Quit smoking and the rate for water wont even matter.

Oh, here's another one.... All of you that have Time Warner Cable. You pay a monthly fee, right? How much is it??? How much time do you watch TV?

When you go out of time for a few weeks do they adjust the bill for you??? I doubt it.

 

Water is going to be the new liquid gold in many of our lifetimes. The cost will continue to go up as more regulations and testing procedures are mandated. Consider the fact that we actually have some good

water sources to draw from. I had friends down south that were hurting big time for water as they were hit with a considerable drought.

 

Complain all you want but I've looked at a couple surrounding municipalites and the water isn't all that cheap especially considering some hidden charges on the yearly tax bill.

 

The rates are going up but when I broke my use down with the new rates, I wasn't even paying a buck fifty a day... And guess what.... I know people that pay more than that for one 16 oz bottle of water.

My final warning.... To all of you bottled water drinkers.... You better take a hard look at what you are really getting in that bottled stuff.Recent testing has shown that chemicals have been leaching out of the plastic into the water especially if it's stored in warm conditions. One chemical actually mimics a human hormone. And where does plastic come from??? Petroleum !!

 

How much do you pay a month for your cell phone? Do you complain about it?

How much do you pay for internet access? Do you complain about it???

How about shutting your water off and lets see how long you last.

 

I don't care who or what you are or what arguement you pose. Water is still a bargain.

 

[Ed Arzouian]

Why don't you people take the time to do some research. Water is going up everywhere. In many cites the infrastructure is so old it would take another 20 years and a billion dollars to bring it up to snuff.

 

Many of you are not even comparing apples to apples. Vestal, Johnson City, Endicott and Vestal get their water from wells. It's a heck of alot cheaper to get water from a well and put it out there for all to drink.

If you really want to compare rates look at cities that get their water from lakes or rivers and have to have filter plants.

 

I don't care who or what you are or what arguement you pose. Water is still a bargain.

 

"If you really want to compare rates look at cities that get their water from lakes or rivers and have to have filter plants."

 

OK, Liar, let's do that. Do Utica and Rochester count????

 

 

To: viewpoints@pressconnects.com

CC: sbodner@pressconnets.com; cstovall@pressconnects.com; froessne@binghamt.gannett.com; catlin@wbngtv.com; moss@wbngtv.com; newstips@news10now.com; jimehmke@clearchannel.com; info@news10now.com; comments@news10now.com; fox40@wicz.com; newsdirector@wicz.com; ed@not allowed.com; lizahaines@clearchannel.com; actionnews@wbngtv.com

Subject: Water comparisons, why didn't you do them?

Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 12:28:02 +0000

 

Matthew T. Ryan and Tarik Adbelazim will try to tell you Binghamton's increased water rates are in line with other similar sized and aged towns and cities in NY State.

 

That is not true.

 

Like we do for firefighters, Binghamton is paying far above the state average, even for smaller cities with a shrinking population and poor economy.

 

Below you will see a comparison. Most places have a tiered rate structure so for some places you will see three rates. Why hasn't our local news media done some investigating like this?

 

LOCATION WATER RATE 1 WATER RATE 2 WATER RATE 3

(per100cu.ft.)

 

Binghamton $1.80* 1.95** $2.10*** three increases in 2007

 

Binghamton (proposed) $2.99

 

Rochester $0.97 $0.83 discount for greater consumption

 

Endicott $35 $1.21 $0.88 discount for greater consumption

 

Watertown $1.52

 

Utica (Mohawk Valley Water Authority) $2.21~ $2.24~ $1.41~*

discount for greater consumption

"Readiness-to-Serve" charge applies to all accounts it raises the actual price very slightly

 

Cortland $2.00 $1.30 $1.50

 

Johnson City $20.00 $1.68 $1.55 discount for greater consumption

 

Syracuse $2.02

 

Vestal $20 $1.48 $2.17

 

Conklin $2.55

 

Bottom line, Binghamton is getting screwed due primarily to mismanagement.

 

 

@

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Liar???

 

Interesting, Ed, how you attack when someone points out something other than your view.

You pointed out Vestal, Johnson City, Endicott and a few others that are WELL communities.

You may have forgotten to add the hidden fees that are included in tax bills for some of the

communities you mentioned. Sure they post the water rates but once a year in the tax bill

there are capital charges and various fees. Many other communitees also charge various

service fees. Many charge homeowners the full cost of the meter during installlation.

 

You highlight what you want and figure everyone will blindly agree.

 

I know you have interests in a local business and figure that weighs heavily in your actions but

compare apples to apples. Show all the Rochester and Utica figures. Take into consideration the

industry and population base also.

 

Look at Middletown, NY. By the numbers they are about half the size of Binghamton.

 

I would like to point out the aging infrastructure that many on this

board have pointed out in various posts. Do you think it's going to get better? No.

AND it didn't start with Ryan either. It's been going on for some time.

 

So before you start calling someone a liar, get over yourself.

My post is factual and I gave you a site to do some comparison.

I also own property in a couple Broome County locations.

 

 

[Guest Guest]

"If you really want to compare rates look at cities that get their water from lakes or rivers and have to have filter plants."

 

OK, Liar, let's do that. Do Utica and Rochester count????

 

I don't know what year those rates are from, but they are wrong. Rochester gets their water from the Monroe County Authority. Check it out.

Water Service Rates

 

 

 

All billing of charges for water and water services is in arrears.

 

 

 

RETAIL SERVICE METERED RATES 2007

 

A. Residential Class

 

The Residential Class includes all residential, small commercial and community service establishments in Monroe County.

(1) Base Charge determined by meter size

(2) Commodity Charge per 1000 gallons $2.50

 

 

 

B. Non-Residential Class

 

The Non-Residential Class includes large commercial, industrial, municipal and all other direct retail customers in Monroe County.

(1) Base Charge determined by meter size

(2) Commodity Charge per 1000 gallons

 

First 125,000 gallons each month

$2.50

 

Each additional 1000 gallons

$1.67

 

 

 

C. Muti-Family Transitional

 

Includes all multi-family residential customers not currently included in residential class

(1) Base Charge determined by meter size

(2) Commodity Charge per 1000 gallons $2.50

 

 

 

D. Out-of-County Landfill Class

 

Includes all customers within the Town of Bergen or the Village of Bergen, Genesee County.

 

(1) Base Charge determined by meter size

(2) Commodity Charge per 1000 gallons $2.50

 

 

 

E.Out-of-County Class

 

Includes all customers located outside of Monroe County except any area covered under existing agreements, or where water is purchased by MCWA from a third party.

(1) Base Charge determined by meter size

(2) Commodity Charge per 1000 gallons

(A(2) x 110%) $2.75

 

 

 

F. Western Genesee County Class

 

The Western Genesee County Class includes all customers in the Towns of Pembroke and Darien, and the Village of Corfu.

(1) Base Charge determined by meter size

(2) Commodity Charge per 1000 gallons $3.76

 

 

 

Base Charge

 

The charge for each connection is dependent upon meter size

 

Meter Size

 

Charges per Day

up to 3/4"

 

$0.12

1"

 

0.14

1 1/2"

 

0.16

2"

 

0.36

3"

 

1.50

4"

 

1.50

6"

 

3.00

8"

 

3.00

10"

 

4.44

 

 

 

 

 

Bringing you our most precious resource!

 

 

Monroe County Water Authority

475 Norris Drive

Rochester, New York

 

Water rates for 2008 Onondaga County

 

OCWA has many rates to suit general municipal water supply and specialized services such as fire fighting or agriculture.

General service

 

No. 1, General service monthly

No. 1A, General service monthly (alternate capacity charge)

No. 2 General residential service quarterly (gal)

No. 2 General residental service quarterly (cubic ft)

No. 2A, General residential service quarterly

No. 2B, General residential service quarterly

No. 2C, General residential service quarterly, Madison County

No. 2D, Gallons, general residential service quarterly, Village of Chittenango and Village of Canastota

Large-scale water uses

 

No. 1B, Agricultural seasonal service (alternate capacity charge)

No. 1C, Hydrant meter rentals monthly (seasonal)

No. 3, Private fire protection service

No. 4, Public fire protection service

No. 4A, Public fire protection service for special water districts

No. 7, General municipal wholesale service monthly

No. 7A, General municipal service monthly (alternate capacity charge)

No. 7B, General municipal pumped wholesale service—monthly

Commercial water use

 

No. 8, General commercial service quarterly (gal)

No. 8, General commercial service quarterly (cubic ft)

No. 8A, General commercial service quarterly

No. 8B, General commercial service quarterly

No. 8C, General commercial service quarterly, Madison County

No. 8D, General commercial service quarterly, Village of Chittenango and Village of Canastota

Fees applicable to all customers

 

No. 5, Fees

No. 5A, Fees

 

Rate schedule, No. 1, General service monthly

 

Effective Jan 1, 2008

 

Availability. Service under this rate schedule is available to any customer within the Authority's service area in Onondaga County regularly using over 500,000 gallons per month and similar customers when supplied pursuant to special contract providing for use of this rate schedule.

 

Applicability. Any regular metered purpose.

 

Volume charge

First 13,000 gal/month $31.15

Next 187,000 gal/month $1.53102 per 1000 gal

Next 2,500,000 gal/month $1.35800 per 1000 gal

Over 2,700,000 gal/month $1.20170 per 1000 gal

 

Minimum charges

Size of meter Minimum consumption (gal) Minimum bill

1½´´ 21,000 $ 43.39

2´´ 34,000 63.30

3´´ 75,000 126.07

4´´ 143,000 230.18

6´´ 340,000 507.57

8´´ 750,000 1,064.35

10´´ 1,430,000 1,987.79

 

Billing: The minimum bill hereunder shall be billed to the customer in arrears.

 

Payment: Bills are rendered net and are payable within fifteen (15) days after presentation, in accordance with Article VIII of the Customer Rules of the Authority.

 

Terms and conditions: Service hereunder is subject to the Customer Rules of the Authority.

 

 

 

 

More information: or 315-455-7061

After hours & weekend emergency answering service 315-475-7601

 

 

[Ed Arzouian]

You do know for rate by the 1000 gallons to compare them to rates by the 100 cubic foot unit, like Binghamton, you have to multiply by .748? 100 cubic feet equals 748 gallons or about 75% of a 1000 gallons.

 

Get it...????

 

Go back and do you math.

[Guest Guest]

It doesnt matter who is the next Mayor boochy and ryan hev destroyed this city!

 

i really feel bad for the seniors on fixed incomes and the retirees, I guess the goverment doesnt care if they eat or can afford to live. Ryan has no clue, I hope somone can find the skeleton in his closet so we can get rid of him just like we did spitzer.

[Guest Guest]

It doesnt matter who is the next Mayor boochy and ryan hev destroyed this city!

 

i really feel bad for the seniors on fixed incomes and the retirees, I guess the goverment doesnt care if they eat or can afford to live. Ryan has no clue, I hope somone can find the skeleton in his closet so we can get rid of him just like we did spitzer.

 

My next door neighbor is a nice lady who has to be at least 80 years old. She lives alone in house that her son helps her maintain. No doubt she's on a rigidly fixed income.

 

I can imagine what she's had to do to pay her water bill. Mine went up more than 250% in the last 3 years BEFORE this latest increase.