The water fight between the government-run Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority and the privately owned New Mexico Utilities Inc. is getting ugly. As the Rio Grande Foundation has previously pointed out, a government takeover of a private utility is a foolish step that will only result in higher water rates.
Having listened to Senator Ortiz y Pino discuss water policy at a recent legislative forum and hearing him say that 90% of New Mexico’s water is used for agriculture while only 10% is used for residential purposes, I realize once and for all that the proposed takeover has nothing to do with water or conservation and it has everything to do with power. A sad commentary on the government agencies that are supposedly there to serve us.
Residents of Albuquerque would benefit
from an independent audit of ABCWUA
Billing practices, there exists an ongoing practice of erroneously applied penalty fees, and false claims of illegal connections against certain homeowners which serve to escalate the fees and/or accelerates disconnects and meter removals, which are furtively accomplished with no real notice to client.. the absence of a reasonable means of redress of this issues leave no remedy for the homeowner. NOTORIOUSLY OBTUSE NON EXISTENT PAYMENT PLAN
ADVERSARIAL REGARD TOWARD clients.
Along with the regular fees for use, which are most certainly padded, multiply that by the number of subscribers, this corruption is quite profitable. ABCWUA’S
power to file a lien on a property, uneven enforcement of their own
Irratic disconnection policy for arrearages,
Which are biased and prejudicial,
the power to manifest a family’s removal from thier home, condemn it in concert w/COA planning dept. Why does the ABCWUA HAVE A TITLE/ABSTRACT DEPT.
THEY ARE LOOKING TO TAKE YOUR HOME.
Water is a universal
Human right!!!