Gettin’ the Shaff

Dr. Mr. Shaff,

You say that water is in abundance. In an economic recession, when both Federal and State programs are being cut, and when people are losing their jobs, is money itself so abundant that grandstanding politically motivated so-called “civil servants” can afford to flush $38,000 down a drain? I would expect that if we filter the water well enough to not concern ourselves with decaying birds, rodents and feces, that this amount of urine is of no concern to the health and stability of our drinking water. Maybe with a better grasp of science, someone on your staff might have alerted you that urine, relatively sterile in nature, is less of a threat than dead animals, which in the past have been known to carry malaria, the bird flu, and the plague. Maybe that really does go hand-in-hand with some of the educational budget cuts. By this logic, do we have an abundance of educators as well? Several of my friends are literally waiting, to find out their future in PPS. These are Federally mandated programs, in particular, Special Education, that are being cut. Apparently, to spend money from our state budget on draining a reservoir, rather than employing a few educators (the cost we lose is about 1.5 yearly salaries worth), is where our priorities lie. I hope that the city’s general outrage, will keep it from proceeding. However, as it seems frivolity trumps necessity, I won’t hold my breath.