Set aside money now for water infrastructure repairs
New York state is facing a looming water infrastructure crisis as stated very clearly in Sara Foss’ Aug. 24 Gazette column. Water and sewage treatment plants are old and failing. A catastrophic failure would require large expenditures by towns, villages, counties and cities. A recent inquiry by the Schenectady League of Woman Voters found that many local municipalities, including Rotterdam, Glenville and Niskayuna, have no rainy day or sinking fund large enough to cover these likely failures. Funds would have to be gotten on the credit market. This would not be easy today. Municipalities could be forced to sell our entire water treatment and supply system to for-profit companies to meet these costs. Note well that Gov. Paterson has recently discussed privatization as a method of addressing economic problems. In this election season, candidates seeking local and state office must be asked to present their awareness of this major problem and their proposed solutions.
JOHN MIDDELKOOP Rotterdam The writer is retired assistant director of the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Divi sion of Water.
Rotterdam will never sell it's water infrastructure, and sewer facilities to a for profit supplier as it would cost the residents more than if the town bonded the repairs, we'll have to pay off the debt anyway.
You would think that someone would have a modicum of common sense and instead of wasting millions and millions on a stupid roundabout to nowhere, they would try to find a way to get those funds to repair and update water and sewer infrastructure, then streets and roads. But nooooooooo, they need to selfagrandize themselves and build taj mahal type projects so they can have a "legacy." Fools.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
this is very danger ous that the repubs want to harm the water over here when the demos will protect it since they do care about the babies and that and the health of you and me here
this is very danger ous that the repubs want to harm the water over here when the demos will protect it since they do care about the babies and that and the health of you and me here
Sal has been officially diagnosed with down syndrome
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
I actually agreed with this when I read it, but I also remembered the water main break that was recently over on Altamont Ave in front of the Price Chopper. It seems to me that the water districts have plenty of money saved up to do the fixes that are needed for now. Maybe some of that money should be used to update so we don't get to the point of needing to make major repairs.
I don't believe that there is any money saved for improvements or repairs, for big projects the town floats a bond and for smaller jobs they pass the cost on to the sewer/water district. A couple of years ago we suggested a small fee be charged to each tax payer {$5} to be set aside for repairs for sewer/water/drainage problems and the town said that they couldn't legally do that.
Sal has been officially diagnosed with down syndrome
Nah...down syndrome people are sweet and kind! Sal is just plain old NUTS!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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