Its official, France is better than US

[RiverLover]

Last edited Thu Jun 11, 2015, 07:40 AM - Edit history (1)

French Court Rules It Unconstitutional to Cut Anybody Off from Water!
6/10/15

France is on a roll. First it passed legislation banning stores from wasting food, then news surfaced of the instigator behind that movement aspiring to take it global, and now the county’s court has just ruled that it is unconstitutional to cut anybody off from water even if they are unable to pay for it.

What this ruling means is that companies will have no choice but to continue serving water to households even if they cannot afford to pay their bill.

As InvestmentWatchBlog.com reports:

....Brottes the law of 15 April 2013, of which the implementing decree of 27 February 2014 prohibits any distributor to cut the water supply in a principal residence even if unpaid, and that throughout the year . The same law also established the principle of winter break for electricity and gas for the benefit of all consumers irrespective of income.

http://www.nationofchange.org/2015/06/10/french-court-rules-it-unconstitutional-to-cut-anybody-off-from-water/

Meanwhile in the US~

Nestle is closing in on privatized water in Oregon
5/13/15
http://americablog.com/2015/05/nestle-privatize-water-oregon.html

Detroit water shutoffs to begin Tuesday
5/24/2015
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/05/24/detroit-water-shutoffs-poverty-unpaid-bills/27852135/

Pittsburgh screwed its residents by hiring a private water manager
6/10/15
http://grist.org/cities/pittsburgh-screwed-its-residents-by-hiring-a-private-water-manager/

Baltimore, Detroit ‘Criminalizing’ Low-Income People, Shutting Off Their Water
5/21/15
http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/05/21/baltimore-detroit-criminalizing-low-income-people-shutting-water/

[MADem]

1. Sooooooo...Will people stop paying their water bills in France, I wonder?

If there are no consequences for nonpayment, what is the incentive to pay?

I didn't find an answer at the link, so this question is rhetorical...!

[treestar]

2. My first thought is someone will end up paying

Do they have a bankruptcy law there? I think the person may not get their water shut off, but would still owe the bill. Kind of like in the US pre ACA where you got treated in the ER even if you could not pay right then and there. But were still saddled with the bill.

I don't see that France is "better" than the US in that they have not created a social program for poorer people to always have water, either.

[MADem]

9. I agree. A subsidized program with aerators like they install in CA,

maybe incentives for water savers, but there should be some kind of structure behind this. Maybe there is, the article doesn't really say.

[CBGLuthier]

3. I would imagine you can still be sued for the debt

But at least it becomes a legal matter instead of cutting off your ability to live. If someone just decides not to pay and has the resources to pay they will be made to pay. France isn't stupid.

[MADem]

6. That's entirely possible. The links were short on any

implementation details...which are helpful if someone is contemplating importing the protocol to a city like Detroit.

[RiverLover]

4. Your post sounds familiar....from a facebook page on the subject

Susan Serry: I'm going to post this story on my FB page and see how long it takes for some republican FB friend to say "people will take advantage of this and not pay their bills on purpose, etc." Vive la France!
https://www.facebook.com/UPRISER/posts/825643814198410

[MADem]

5. Are you accusing me of being some

" Republican Facebook friend?" Really?

Because if you are, that some viciously UNCIVIL shit you're tossing.

Nasty, much? Accusatory?

It isn't a partisan question, it is a LOGICAL one --it's not a "party affiliation" thing to not pay bills If you know there are no consequences...and for you to quote some asshole on Facebook as authority is pretty effing lame of you.

Gee, someone else in the news used Facebook to wrongly accuse someone, quite recently, too.

That didn't work out too well...either.


SMH.

[RiverLover]

7. No never. You don't act republican at all.

Not wanting people to suffer from dehydration & unsanitary conditions due to lack of water because they are poor is an individual preference apparently. Bipartisan.

[MADem]

8. Where do you even get that crap?

Now you're insinuating that I want people to suffer?

Really? You really are liberal ... with you NASTY accusations.

Look, here's the bottom line. SOMEONE is going to pay. There's no such thing as a free lunch. I am interested in how France balances their books. Will they subsidize? Will they sue and evict? You're treating this story like it's a big old Don't Pay Your Water Bill party, and it ain't that at all.

You'd be better off coming up with details to back up your Wonderful France claims, rather than accusing people of being Republicans because they refuse to take some shit off Facebook that you fling up here as gospel...the irony, given recent events, is especially rich.

[BlueJazz]

10. It's obvious from your posts that you want French people (which you seem to hate)..

...to die of thirst and live in unsanitary filth. Tsk..Tsk...
How could you ??

[MADem]

11. Heh heh, better cancel my next trip to Paris!!

I'll be greeted with torches and pitchforks!

[GeorgeGist]

12. America: Family Raided by SWAT and Dog Shot for Not Paying Utility Bill

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/family-raided-swat-and-dog-shot-not-paying-utility-bill