On Wednesday, there was a meeting of the Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) to discuss the restructuring of the sewer use tax. Presently, the tax is a flat rate of $290 per year. Now the fee is scheduled to go up $15 to $305.

If there is one person in your household, like our friend Ellen, she pays the same rate as a family of four, eight ten or 20. I don’t know what the business rate is.

It is interesting to note that the state Department of Correction pays a contracted rate for so many gallons of usage which they have exceeded time and time again, and have not really made up the difference.

At my home in New Hampshire we have a flat rate of $250 per year for water usage. We have septic in Cheshire and in New Hampshire so the sewer usage tax does not apply to us but I know how unfair this is based on our water bill. This flat rate, be it water or sewage, is not fair to our family because we are not there all of the time. We do not water anything because we are hooked to an artesian well so water is always restricted. So I know how it is.

I believe last year the state gave the town some extra money because of the inequities of the over use, but the did divvy up some of the state surplus money and the town got some extra because of this. But this was a one time deal.

In fact, my husband had juggled around some figures last summer when this topic came up, and it was very interesting to learn that when my spouse divided what the state pays by the number of inmates they house in Cheshire, the state sewer usage fee comes out to $179 per inmate. So I guess my girl Ellen has to front  for them.

Ms. Ellen said she told the WPCA she thought the sewer usage flat tax was unfair. She told the WPCA that they needed to give one family households a reduction.

Ms. Ellen said the WPCA was working on a possible metering system through the Regional Water Authority. Ms. Ellen left before the WPCA discussed the options: like giving single households a reduction, but we will see.

Ms. Ellen said no one should pay more than the prisons. She is right!!! The town has got to stop patronizing this prison. Make them pay their fair share. They use up most of the water in this town anyway!! If they did not want people to live around the prison, the state should have bought up the land. They have the cash believe me.

Now, let us address a certain Commission that may be e-mailing each other to discuss a certain subject.

Would these e-mails be public domain. Let us see what the Freedom of Information Commission says.

Remember everyone, I filed an FOI complaint against the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities approximately 12 years ago and WON!!

 So I am very knowledgeable about FOI issues!!! In fact, my case should be in their docket. Here it is:

http://www.state.ct.us/FOI/1992FD/19920226/FIC1991-087.htm

Here is the FOI take on this issue:

Report of Counsel DR 94

Bust it MC.