[Gaffer]

Whereas federal programs have been developed to help people pay for the rising cost of fuel and electricity, no such program exists for water, Beecher said.

And, this is the crux of the problem. The truth is these people are likely on entitlement existence anyway. Their "condos" and "apartments" are likely all Section 8 where they pay a pitiful pittance, if any. They are on EBT, and collect SNAP, WICs, TANF or any number of the 85 other programs that crisscross this nation like a cancer. Rent assistance, heat and electricity assistance, church pantries, ObamaPhones - the whole nine yards.

SSDI, SSI and EITC also. THOUSANDS OF dollars per year, and they still cannot be counted on to pay a frigging water bill. It is foreign to them because it is virtually the ONLY thing for which they have to pay. Screw them.

[grania]

Those with fragile economic circumstances have a point. They're given freebies...food stamps, phone, subsidies etc but not a lot of cash. Meanwhile (if Detroit is like the metro area I'm in) water and sewer bills have gone crazy-high because of EPA and other mandates to upgrade systems. These are increases that were not eased in.

A sane answer would be to have a minimum use cost that's low and is just enough water to survive. Above that, increase the rates. Instead, around here, it's just the opposite. The "minimum use" is pricey and is paying for more than an adequate amount of water for people who conserve.

The only answer is inner city jobs...bring manufacturing back. Then people will have paychecks instead of freebies.