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</td> <td bgcolor="#ffffff" height="990"> <blockquote> <div align="left"> <div style="WIDTH: 687px; HEIGHT: 5139px"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p></o:p></span> <div class="story_item_info"> <div class="story_item_date"><strong></strong></div></div><span style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> <h2 id="print-link-container"><font face="Arial" size=2></font>&nbsp;</h2><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> <h2 class="story_item" align="left"><font face="Arial" size="2"><img style="WIDTH: 164px; HEIGHT: 167px" height=320 hspace=0 src="images/Baldeo_pic_1_15.jpg" width=400 border=0><span class=date><font id="ecxrole_document" size=2><strong><u></u></strong></font></span></font></h2><font face=Arial size=2><font id="ecxrole_document" size="2"> <div><strong><u></u></strong>&nbsp;</div></font></font> <div id="bg-post"><font face="Times New Roman" size="5"> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><u>"Water rates hike is a blatant tax increase," says Albert Baldeo</u></div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><u></u>&nbsp;</div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4> <p>The times we live in are challenging enough. That's why the proposed 12.9% hike in water rates in the city is unbearable, culminating after successive annual increases. The average annual bill for a one-family home under this increase is projected to be at $911, up from $779 at current rate. This is surely a disguised tax increase that will continue to unfairly burden us.</p> <p>These increases add up, and the burden grows heavier on the backs of working families. In fact, the DEP increased the salaries of some of its workers by 35%, a move that flies in the face of its customers. The city gets $200 million per year from water revenue to add to its general funds, and they should be thankful for that. Instead of counting its blessings, the DEP appears to be penalizing homeowners for conserving water, by imposing a surcharge on our payments. </p> <p>The double-digit annual increases are unsustainable and, very soon, homeowners will be unable to pay for the cumulative weight of essential services and supplies. </p> <p>When will we get a break? Why a 13% increase? DEP must show some its customers some consideration, rather than jumping on the bandwagon of greed. Soak your customers with some appreciation, not additional charges.</p> <p>To keep costs under control, DEP must curb waste, theft, and mismanagement wherever it occurs. It should go after water freeloaders. Some rogue plumbers roll water meters backward, thus moonlighting as water thieves. The DEP is to blame in some circumstances, because it doesn't audit the previous months' bills and demand that the water thief account for negative usage. Negative rollbacks and new constructions should trigger an audit and an investigation of the relevant meters.</p> <p>DEP should also check the many development sites in the city that steal water illegally by opening fire hydrants with hoses hooked up to them, surreptitiously leading behind the construction fences to the buildings. The result is theft for prolonged periods from multiple sites at the same time.</p> <p>Apart from the fact that it is easy to identify property owners who use water without paying, the DEP owes a duty to its 832,000 customers to go after these culprits and ease the projected 13 percent rate increases by inflicting additional fees and penalties on them.</p> <p>UNITED COMMUNITIES ALLIANCE<br>106-11 LIBERTY AVENUE, Suite 202<br>OZONE PARK, NY 11417<br>Telephone (718) 323-0791<br>Fax (718) 848-6203<br>Email: <a href="mailto:AlBaldeo@aol.com">AlBaldeo@aol.com</a></p></font></div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4></font>&nbsp;</div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4>Links:</font></div> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4><a href="http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2731&amp;dept_id=575597&amp;newsid=20429249">Queens Chronicle Newspaper</a></font></div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4></font>&nbsp;</div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4><a href="http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/05/21/jamaica/jamaica_times/news/letters/jt_letters_baldeo_20100520.txt">The Jamaica Times Newspaper</a></font></div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4></font>&nbsp;</div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4><a href="http://caribbeanlifenews.com/articles/2010/05/17/viewpoints/caribbeanlife-cl_viewpoints-2010_05_10_baldeo_water_rates.txt">Caribbean Life Newspaper</a></font></div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4></font>&nbsp;</div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4><a href="http://www.bookcost.net/education-blog/%E2%80%9Cwater-rates-hike-is-a-blatant-tax-increase%E2%80%9D-says-albert-baldeo/">Education Bookcost.net</a></font></div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4></font>&nbsp;</div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4><a href="http://www.camanabaytimes.com/%e2%80%9cwater-rates-hike-is-a-blatant-tax-increase%e2%80%9d-says-albert-baldeo/">Camanabaytimes.com</a></font></div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font size=4></font>&nbsp;</div> <div class="asset-header" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font color=#0066cc><font size="4"><a href="http://www.thewestindiannews.com/water-rates-hike-is-a-blatant-tax-increase-says-albert-baldeo/">Thewestindiannews.com</a></font></font></div></blockquote> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; COLOR: #000000; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"> <div class="asset-header"><font size="4"><a href="http://www.caribbeannewyorker.com/%e2%80%9cwater-rates-hike-is-a-blatant-tax-increase%e2%80%9d-says-albert-baldeo/">Caribbeannewyorker.com</a></font></div> <div class="asset-header"><font size="4"></font>&nbsp;</div> <div class="asset-header"><font size="4"><a href="http://www.caribbeananalysis.com/%e2%80%9cwater-rates-hike-is-a-blatant-tax-increase%e2%80%9d-says-albert-baldeo/">Caribbeananalysis.com</a></font></div> <div class="asset-header"><font color="#0068cf"><br><font size=4></font></font></div> <div class="asset-header"><font color="#0068cf"><br><font size=4></font></font></div> <div class=asset-header>&nbsp;</div></blockquote></font></div></span></span></span></div></div></blockquote></td> <td width="100%" bgcolor="#ffffff" height="990"> <div align="left"></div></td> <td width="238" height="990">&nbsp; 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