Water Crisis in Newburgh
Blog Written By Joe Bock:
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070217/NEWS01/70217004
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070220/NEWS/702200339/-1/NEWS
The city of Newburgh recently underwent a scare last Saturday morning, as a main water pipe to break, contaminating the water in the town. Many residents’ water was cut off, while others were advised to boil the water for five minutes before drinking it, in fear of a bacterial contamination caused by the pipe break. James Corbett, the Water Supply Superintendent of Newburgh, was convinced that the pipe broke due to the cold weather. He stated, “That's what it was, absolutely. Especially when there isn't a lot of snow cover to insulate the mains, the freeze gets in deeper."
The pipe was fixed sooner than expected, and residents were cleared to drink the water again by Tuesday around 1:00 P.M. While this situation did not have a devastating effect on the city of Newburgh, it leaves room for discussion on whether this city and other cities of the region should fix their often aging water systems. While the Newbugh area was not hit as strongly by snowstorms this winter as most of Central New York State was, situations like this make it evident that there are many things cities can do to prevent disasters from happening. But, in the meantime, Newbugh should just spend more money on suicide hotline phones, just incase anyone is considering jumping off the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.
Blog Written By Joe Bock
posted by Stephen_Shen @ 9:20 AM
5 Comments:
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It is extremely important to protect our water supplies, as clean water is vital to prevent disease. As you have said, water systems age over time and need to be replaced. Contamination can also occur because of pollution from power plants, like the St. Lawrence Cement Plant that releases mercury into the air (see http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=565050 for a complete story).
However, I take offense to your offhand remark that "Newburgh should just spend more money on suicide hotline phones, just incase (sic) anyone is considering jumping off the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge". This attitude toward those contemplating suicide is insensitive. In response to your previous blog, others have given factual evidence, rather than opinion, that suicide hotlines can in fact be helpful at suicide prevention. I would suggest that in the future you choose your words more carefully unless your aim is to offend others.
Again your blog astounds me. After reading your blog and the article you attached it is clear to me that this water situation was an inconvenience to many people but it was not a serious threat to any lives. There were many options people could resort to in order to get water including buying a filter, boiling water, or buying bottled water. Although it would be unfortunate to have to deal with this problem no one was injured.
The comment from jgk referenced an article saying that contamination can travel through the air and into the water. Further in the article it explains that the contamination affects fish and wildlife making them unsafe to eat for women who are of child bearing age and children. It does not mention the water system which provides drinking water.
At the end of your blog you claim that the city of Newburg should spend money on fixing the cities water system instead of installing suicide hotlines on the Newburg Beacon Bridge. I believe this argument is mute to being with. I have no evidence but I am fairly confident that updating the cities water system would be exponentially more expensive. I don’t think it is fair to compare the two issues which the cost varies so drastically.
That last paragraph aside, for the point of my argument I will assume that fixing the water system and putting in a suicide hotline phone cost approximately the same amount. Again in your blog you say that you would rather spend money on preemptive work on the water system than on a suicide hotline. I think it is important to compare what would result from these two city projects. First, a large group of people are inconvenienced for a short period of time, but there is no risk of fatalities. Or a suicide hotline phone is installed on a bridge which has the potential of saving a persons life. It is easy to denounce the importance of a suicide hotline if you do not believe that anyone you know would commit suicide. Please consider if someone you loved was contemplating suicide. Would you do anything within your power to help them? I think so. The possibility of saving a life is much more important in my opinion than fixing the water systems and I personally would happily suffer the inconvenience of dealing without water for 3 days rather than having a loved one die.
Before you try to counter my argument with a brash statement saying that you don’t believe that suicide hotlines prevent death you should find support for that opinion.
I’m going to try to come to Joe’s rescue here…well kind of. The last part of his blog did seem to be a sarcastic comment meant to spur controversy. However, I think there is a bigger issue at hand that gets to some of the problems that the Hudson River Valley is dealing with. New York State is in the top five states in the US in highest property and income taxes (www.retirementliving.com/RLtaxes.html). Furthermore, Oneida County has the highest sales tax in the state and counties in the Hudson Valley are not far behind. It’s evident to me that these outrageously high taxes along with government spending that does not benefit the majority of the constituency, has choked the economic vitality out of the Empire State. The Hudson Valley was once the economic center of the world. Today, most cities along the river are shells of their former selves, depressed and full of crime. While the suicide hotlines may not cost much relative to other projects, it is interesting that the government now believes it’s their job to protect people from themselves. Are people so irresponsible that they can’t take care of themselves? I say no, that choice over your personal life is yours and yours alone. Even if you think the answer to that question is yes, you must then ask yourself if you want the government making decisions for the individual. There are plenty of charity organizations that perform the same suicide counseling as the government does more efficiently through private donations. Americans are the most generous people in the world but big government does not give them a chance to show it. As the government approaches Leviathan, our notions of economic and personal freedom have deteriorated. How can a region be revived with crippling restrictions and incapable government? It cannot. I think that’s what Joe was trying to get at, in a different way.
I want to expand upon my own and other’s previous responses, not because I want to respond to or create controversial comments, but because I think that mental health awareness and suicide prevention are important topics. It distresses me to hear a dismissal of those who have taken or are considering taking their own lives and jokes about suicide. A social stigma surrounds suicide. I think that understanding and support for people who are contemplating suicide is crucial and I urge people to learn more about mental health and suicide prevention.
For the example that has been discussed on this blog, the hotline phones are connected to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which then connects the caller to a nearby, existing crisis center. Someone on one of these bridges, thinking of suicide, could pick up one of these easily accessible phones and simply have someone listen to them, perhaps then keeping them alive.
As the daughter of the accountant for a suicide prevention hotline, I can say that these centers do indeed help people when they need it the most. It is a constant and often difficult effort to raise enough money to pay the bills – including training the volunteers who answer the phones to talk to those who are alone or in crisis.
I think that having an understanding of suicide is a separate issue from using taxes to fund these phones. The role of a government is to help its citizens, and I think that the government has the responsibility and ability to do assist in varied capacities, including repairing roads, keeping law and order, providing education, clean water, and mental health support. I wish that all levels of government would give more attention and funding to mental health, but not at the expense of other crucial areas of the budget that aid in our well being.
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