Let’s Stop the C.R.A.P.

Most people don’t like algebra and dreaded it in high school. It was difficult solving those equations and most students said we would never use algebra in real life. Well once again we have an equation that seems difficult to solve. The FKAA board was asked by the BOCC at the Dec. meeting to give it a number on  grinder pump vs. gravity system installation cost differencial, (x) so the BOCC would know how much less (x) to allocate for sewer spending (m)  resulting in lower costs (c). m-x=c. Yes, doing the algebra the answer is x=m-c, butt FKAA was unable at that time to come up with some numbers then. Meanwhile, it seems like a push is on to get as many homes as possible hooked up to those awful pumps, rather than have crews work on gravity systems where they are already approved.

X is an extreme variable. The county would initially save some money by installing a cheaper, inefficient, inferior system, butt it would be at the expense of the poor people required to have them. It is a higher financial burden to them with installation, maintenance, and probable replacement costs as these systems fail. Long term results would also be depreciation of house values of properties having these pumps because of those problems. Once word gets out among home-buyers about these problems, they will avoid buying them, resulting in lower prices for sellers having to have to sell their homes. While X is a savings to the County, it is a factor to be feared by all those required to have them installed.

FKAA members (who say publicly that they prefer gravity systems over grinder pumps) said they could not solve for X. Let’s stop trying to solve for X and forget the algebra that no one likes anyway. Let’s stop the awful grinder pumps that most people don’t like anyway. Let’s stop the C.R.A.P (Commissioners Requiring Awful Pumps) and get gravity for all. Let’s stop the Commissioners Requiring Awful Pumps before we have to Dump the C.R.A.P. in the next election.

Joe McKasty

Big Pine Key