Kscopeforum

I recently received an e-mail from a concerned citizen asking my opinion about the current sewage and waste debacle and what I would do about it if I had the opportunity. It’s a fair question, though one without a simple answer. To start off, I want to sum up the situation as I understand it. The Commission has been unable to meet the payment requirements for the bonds they took out to fund the construction of the sewage and water system that is currently employed by the Birmingham metropolitan area. The situation has become so horrific that the bond status for Jefferson County is now in default, which is a level below junk bond. What this means is that the County has no options for getting loans to pay for the system they have purchased, and it is incredibly unlikely that they will be able to get any new loans for capital improvements. It’s a stinky situation. (Pun intended)

Now, as far as addressing the resolution of this problem goes, there is simply not a feel good solution that is going to make anyone look electable. The only option other than going into bankruptcy would be to increase revenue either through raising water and sewage utility bills or increasing taxes. Neither of these options is particularly feasible, as voters will not respond well to increased taxes and consumers are already feeling strained by the utility costs. This leaves bankruptcy, which would ruin the already disastrous credit rating for the county. Unfortunately, this is the choice I would advocate for. I don’t like it any more than the next person, but I think its the only option on the table that has any potential of functioning. Beyond that, I do have a simple way that the voting populace can voice their opinion of the way this matter has been handled. Vote the bums out! There is no good evidence to suggest that the Commission to continue to function under its current leadership. I don’t have anything personal against any of our current commissioners, but there is only one appropriate response to cases where a governing body has led its public into a situation such as the one we face. You cannot continue to lead people when you have failed them in a way that will have lasting effects on the ability of the County to improve the lives of its citizenry.

That’s about all I have to offer in terms of the currenty situation our county finds itself in. Like I said, it isn’t pretty by any means, but we face ugly times and are going to have to endure some unfortunate decisions that have to be made if we are ever going to recover. Putting off the inevitable in this situation is only going to bury us deeper in debt.

Philip Gibson
Staff Writer
philagan@gmail.com