Detroit starts shutting off water again

This is so ridiculous.

To repeat, the very first law of economics, no matter what school of that social science you adhere to, is that the money has to come from somewhere.

It seems that in six short months the city of Detroit has once again lost sight of this basic truth.

The City of Detroit began shutting off water access to residents behind on payments Tuesday, with thousands at risk of losing access.

According to the Detroit Free Press, 64,769 delinquent residential customers owe the city’s water department a combined $48.9 million.

That figure tops the estimated 41,000 individuals who Food and Water Watch (FWW), an advocacy group, says lacked any water as of January (there is likely overlap between the groups).

The city started sending out shut-off warnings May 11. According to theFree Press, Mayor Mike Duggan is proceeding with the shutoff orders over the wishes of city council members, who voted on May 12 to freeze the shutoff until an assistance plan to help affected residents was enacted.

FWW’s Lynna Kaucheck says Duggan tried implementing one last year that gave discounts to qualified residents, but that program proved too expensive for most residents.

Well, then, they don't get any water.

Oh, you right-wingers, will come the rejoinder, always making it seem like everyone in always in charge of his or her destiny, and that forces beyond an individual's control never enter into the picture. 

That's right, and we stand by our case.  Look, does anybody want to place a bet on how many of those having water-bill problems have voted Democrat whenever they've bothered to vote?  How many come from broken families?  What is the highest educational level in any of these households? How closely has violent crime impacted the person ostensibly responsible for paying the water bill?  In how many of these households will one find dope present?

The city council is looking at a plan that would "tier pricing to people's ability to pay."  Ain't that nice?

Here's the problem:

 . . . it would cause water prices for other users to increase.

Bingo.  You're back to that basic tool for imposing tyranny that the Freedom-Hater party relies on everywhere and always: redistribution.

The money has to come from somewhere.

And this deepens the richness of the whole scenario exquisitely. Guess which other hellhole of murder and economic stagnation is up against a similar problem?

Detroit residents are not the only ones facing water shut-offs: In March, Baltimore residents began receiving turn-off notices; according to the Baltimore Sun, 25,000 water customers are delinquent.

This is what we get when an insufficient number of citizens have lost all clarity about what is and is not a right.  Water is not a human right.  The opportunity to obtain water is a right.

At least this is true for human beings.  It seems it works a bit differently for creatures with all the physical attributes of human beings, but whose minds have been degraded by the statist overlords to the level of functioning like cattle.

The line for the pen forms over here.  Look for the bucket of water.