Your Tithe is Man-dated At The Altar of The Almighty Bureaucrat

The upkeep just kept getting more expensive...

Everybody who goes to church is familiar with the concept of tithing – literally giving one tenth of your income to support the church and its good works. Of course the act is voluntary.

The people who pay for water from the Fullerton Water Works have been paying a tithe, too. You see, since 1970 the Citycrats have decreed that ten percent of the cost of a monopoly supplying you with water will be added to your bill, and then be immediately re-directed to the City’s General Fund.

In the early days, when water was dirt cheap it was a way to help pay for certain indirect costs of employees who were considered overhead support for the water works. It was called an “in-lieu franchise fee” like the ones the City charges other utilities to operate in Fullerton. Still, there was an immediate problem that nobody addressed: it was bad management, and bad accounting, and opened the door for all sorts of abuse. Decades later, in 1997, Proposition 218 was passed that specifically addressed the scam of governments charging “fees” that were nothing more than hidden taxes – just like Fullerton’s 10% in-lieu fee. It was now required that fee amounts be established through objective supportable analysis that was conducted transparently, in the light of public scrutiny. No longer could governments legally charge for more than any service was worth.

But Fullerton did. For 15 years the City continued to charge, then rake off a ten percent tribute from the Water Fund that went to pay for things like pensions and pay raises for all Fullerton city employees, stuff that had nothing to do with providing water to you. Not only did the city councils know about the scam, they heartily approved the slight-of-hand, year after year.

Meantime, the cost of water skyrocketed, increasing nearly 350% between 1997 and now, jacking up the illegal tax from $700,000 a year in 1997 to over $2.5 million a year now. That’s a rate of about 23% a year, just in case you’re inclined to keep track. A staggering total of almost $27 million has been surreptitiously extorted from you since Proposition 218 went into effect.

Those who support this cheapjack end run think it’s right and proper for you to pay this tithe without your knowing it, and without your consent. After all they’ve had plenty of opportunity to insist, at least, that notification of the 10% diversion be made on each water bill. But they never have. And that’s because their first priority is continue funding six-figure pensions, automatic raises for employees, and all the other things that constitute business as usual in their Church of The Almighty Bureaucrat. It’s their church, and as far as the High Priests and pharisees are concerned, you taxpayers can just sit in the back pew, way, way back there in the dark, and keep your mouths shut.

20 Replies to “Your Tithe is Man-dated At The Altar of The Almighty Bureaucrat”

  1. The $27,000,000 was more than enought to put a reverse osmosis system in every home, apartment and on every drinking fountain in the entire city of Fullerton. How about it gang? Cough it up. Let’s start with the elementary schools in the first phase. Oh wait a minute maybe lead, aresenic, bromine, sodium fluoride, and a myriad of other loving disenfectant chemicals is good for the children. UMMMMMM. The water that comes from Fullertons tap kills fish-dont believe me? Try it-go spend a buck at the pet store and see for yourself. Funny how the price of the water keeps going up and the quality keeps going down even with the record snowpack and our 4000 foot deep aquifer that nobody realizes exists underneath The OC. Sham scam yeah whatever you want to call it.

  2. 10% “fee” on water bills = scam exposed. Could this be on the next cover of the OC Weekly? Fat chance of it ever being discussed fairly by the Fullerton Observer.

    1. The Goodrich Observer only covers the hard hitting issues such is people resisting arrest or… people calling police officer’s names or…how the community appreciates the police and police, police, police.

  3. Now you’uns kno ahm a Gawd ferin’ man, a qwotin’ Skripter ‘n whatnot. A liddle tithin’s is good fer y’all an’ ah kno whuz bes.’

  4. “It’s their church, and as far as the High Priests and pharisees are concerned, you taxpayers can just sit in the back pew, way, way back there in the dark, and keep your mouths shut.”

    That’s just beautiful, man. I wish I’d written that.

  5. “This is the Crystal Cathedral without the Bibles.”
    “Bankrupt and bought by Catholic Dioces”
    “40 million WOW?”

    1. I’ll say it once again…

      Gennaco is running a scam. For a 6 figure fee all he does is write an a nicely worded report that makes the public feel warm and gushy and the department say “gee that wasnt so bad”.

      What he doesnt tell the public though is that the department that he’s investigating has no duty or legal requirement to cooperate or even provide him with factual information.

      If you want real results you have to rely on the city, county, state and federal review or investigation. They are agencies that have teeth and in the Kelly Thomas case. I’m really not sure what the FPD conclusion was but the county filed charges, the state declined to get involved and the feds are still investigating.

      The office of independent review is nothing more than a private business with an official sounding name like State Bank for California or California State Auction Services.

      1. Thanks. You’re right. Gennaco & Co was bound to get limited information and write up a white wash. You do what your boss tells you and your boss is the guy who writes the check!

  6. Ayn Rand’s “Anthem” reveals in parable form the misery inflicted on the individual when the individual is subjected to the will of those who have the power to take what they desire from the individual

  7. Could we possibly see the public information request you sent to the city to get these figures? Right now we’re only assuming what you asked, and you know what they say about assuming…

    1. No, it’s not obvious. Right now, assumptions are being made. What exactly was asked of the city to get these figures?

      1. It’s very obvious. We asked them for the annual in-lieu fee amount. That’s not very complicated. What’s the problem?

        1. Why didn’t you just say it then in the first place? Don’t beat around the bush by saying we got these magical figures to share with you.

  8. I think the general idea pushing these unfair water taxes are .. ” What you don’t know can’t hurt you.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *