Years ago there was a movie called “Chinatown” which featured Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. On the surface, it was a murder mystery; but underneath it was about power and who exerts it. Water and its uses formed the basis for the story.
Today I find myself involved in a true-to-life Chinatown situation.
Where I live, all the residents are on wells and septic systems. It’s been this way since the area was developed. But now, the local township board wants to introduce city water. It sounds like a good thing, except that many of the residents on my road are happy with the status quo and unhappy with the approximately eight thousand dollars per household it would take to bring city water into our faucets. To quote Shakespeare, “therein lies the rub.” The township board, which we elected to represent our interests, has publicly claimed it can decide what to do regardless of a vote it held on the issue.
The long-story-short is that there are pros and cons to bringing city water to our neighborhood. And no matter which way the decision goes there are bound to be dissatisfied residents. But, for me, the crux of the matter is that the board claims the power to make the decision to impose what amounts to an eight thousand-dollar levy per property without considering the true wishes of the residents.
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