The Star and its readers may think the 911 tax and the newly rescinded weed tax are unfair and new, but take a look at this one. In a Feb. 9 column, Ventura Public Works Director Ron Calkins states that water and sewer are charged at about $1.75 a day, computed to about $53 per month. I must be privileged as my bill is almost always more than $200 per month.

Just how does the city determine your sewer billing?

If you have lived in a condo or apartment for any length of time, you may have received water and sewer billing. Then, if you are fortunate, you moved to a single-family residence. Do you now take more showers, wash more dishes, more laundry? Or do you now have a yard, possibly a pool and wash your car? Your sewer bill just doubled or tripled or more. Why?

Do you know that your sewer bill is computed from your water usage from November to April? Of course, during that period of time, you don't water your lawn or yard, wash your car, add water or flush your pool, or have a soft-water regenerating system or many other uses for water other than household basics.

The city, again with its Gestapo attitude, is raping its citizens. If the sewer rate is to be determined from household usage, then perform a study based on condos and apartments on an average of two adults and 2.5 children or three-bedroom condos or apartments.

This may not be absolutely accurate in all cases, but certainly and clearly would follow its "standard for determination," based on its so-called standard of household usage.

Let's not forget the weed tax fee. If these areas are landscaped, with appropriate ground cover to prevent fires from getting close to your house, guess what, it needs to be watered. I do have a hillside that is not a fire situation, but flood situation. If it is not landscaped correctly, the slopes will fail, erode and flood my residence. Hey, another tax. Let's tax hillside owners for possible flooding if they do not plant slopes appropriately for the prevention of erosion and, bingo, more water usage, more sewer fees.

Simple solution for the city of Ventura budget problems: Consider running the city as those in the private sector do. A business cannot tolerate errors, unproductive employees, inaccurate professional judgment, insane "studies," ridiculous spending for artwork or other public-funded garbage. As soon as any private business violates any of the above, it's on the road to ruin.

So, grateful citizens of this beautiful city, think twice before you water your lawn or wash your car. It's more money for the sewer service that you are being billed for.

— Greg C. Wardle lives in Ventura.