Letter sent to Detroit News and Detroit Free Press on Jan 28, 2011

Dear Editor:

Once again, this Detroiter is embarrassed by the puerile ramblings of City Council members about "control" of the City's Water Department. Only this time, they are joined by by State Senator Johnson and State Rep. Jackson. Thankfully, Mayor Bing, along with Macomb County public works commissioner Anthony Marrocco, are the adults in the room. First-term Mayor Bing has appropriately requested time to work on correcting the historic (under federal oversight since 1977) mis-management and corruption in the Department. Commissioner Marrocco reversed course, and now publicly states that Mayor Bing deserves time to address the many issues. Refreshingly adult positions.

All parties seem to agree that the ownership of the Water Department should stay with the City of Detroit. Ownership by the City of Detroit isn't the issue. But, maintaining a monopolistic system, in which most of your customers have no representation, is not the way to deal with a $200 million deficit, nor the way to update an aging infrastructure.

Thomas E. Page