North Cape property owners need to pay their share
To the editor:
So, so tired of the “I’m not going to pay city utilities” coming from residents north of Pine Island Road in Cape Coral. In response to letter by James Aft, you started your letter out incorrectly by stating “residents should not have to pay for poor city planning.” Why didn’t you note the truth, residents north of Pine Island Road shouldn’t have to pay for poor city planning? The rest of us have and are paying for it and is that fair? Heck no!
When my family of five moved to Cape Coral in 2002, we heard about the water expansion so whenever I hear anyone whining in the north of Pine Island Road section state they didn’t know, they are either lying or ignorant.
I am a young mother with three children and, since 2004 when we purchased our home, our water usage has basically stayed the same but I am paying more than 100 percent higher bill. Everyone moving to a city with partial utilities and partial wells know eventually all homes will have city water. Do I want to pay higher? Heck, no, but that is what is being forced on us.
I have lost good neighbors to the cost of our water expansion and family members have lost homes. Did the city care when all these people tried to fight it? No, the city turned a deaf ear because it is for the overall benefit of all residents. Do you think it is fair I pay so much for a water plant I don’t even use? My neighbors south of Pine Island Road have now paid three times over for everything to do with the city water and that is totally unfair. I have lived in other states when city utilities came through and never did we pay more than $35 month. I pay well over $100 a month to get the water I have here and, as stated previously, I use the same as I did in 2004!
Do you residents in that part of the Cape not realize we also have lost jobs, had hours cut, have rising utility bills and are in financial strain? Please stop trying to make the rest of us feel guilty by crying your financial hardships. Hope the north residents are happy that I am bearing their burden and do we get appreciation for it? No, we get disdain thrown at us by the residents north of Pine Island Road.
I am taking care of my responsibilities as best I can and pay my share (plus some) for what is required of my property. Now maybe everybody can do the same and stop tearing the city in two.
And most importantly, do my fellow neighbors and ratepayers south of Pine Island Road know that all these homes without city water and sewer received a break over a year ago with home insurance? They get the benefit of paying the same rates we do even though their homes are not on city water. Do you hear any of them bringing that issue up? Why should they benefit of lower home insurance when they do not have hydrants? I work in insurance and was appalled that the ISO decided to grant them a lower rating because the city promised the industry all of the Cape would have city water and hydrants. Should not these guidelines be revisited since the expansion project was stopped? I, for one, would love to invite the ISO here to see exactly if this area really does qualify for this lower rating they have been receiving since the city lied and stopped putting in water and hydrants!
Mary Jo Noftsker
Cape Coral