Since May of 2017 I have been fighting this criminal enterprise that the St. John Utilities Department has endeavored to push forward by this administration.

Myself and many citizens in St. John have been robbed by a billing system for water that is mostly bogus. I currently have a water bill that is $1,400+ based on estimates pulled out of thin air.

This has gone on for at least three years.

I demanded that they read my meter, which I had not seen since 2008. They dug up my meter, and I demanded that my meter be read every 28 to 30 days.

After my demand, my bills continued to be read by wi-fi, at random and continued to be estimated.

Ms. Robottom and the Council should be ashamed to demand that we the true Government of St. John pay these bogus bills.

What myself and others — we number in the thousands, residential and commercial service accounts — have endured is criminal. To have knowledge of a broken billing system and not endeavor to fix it is willful theft of our hard earned money.

My household consists of myself and my wife. Two people do not use the number of gallons of water alluded to in these bills.

We are not in the business of manufacturing anything at our home, yet they insist that our water bill is accurate.

One commercial entity has filed suit against this bogus billing practice.

I call your attention to: 40th District Court for the parish of St. John the Baptist Case #72013 Cape Horn investment, Inc. & Motel Management Associates, LLC filed March 29, 2018.

I would file a lawsuit myself but will continue with the dispute process.

The utilities director has left so I suspect this process must start all over again. In the mean time I will continue to pay what I have agreed to with the previous director until we settle this.

If it is not settled, then I will take this matter to court.

Ms. Robottom should be thankful she is in her final year, and I understand that the entire council is up for reelection this year. Neither one is fit to represent the true Government — the people — of St. John. I for one will be very vocal in replacing every one of them come election time.

The true Government of St. John is the “People.” Administrations come and go, because they are functionaries.

— Joseph H. Caro, LaPlace