I don’t mean to dwell on our po’ folks problems here in Ohio, because it seems it’s universal to this country. Ironic, in one of the most privileged countries in the world, to have whole populations of destitute people with no access to the most basic necessities like clean water, safe plumbing and sewage systems, etc.  Our neighborhoods just fall in a crack somewhere under the radar, since no one wants to deal with it, regulate it, or fund it.  There’s a lot of corruption here.  Hmm, who could I be referring to?

Regularly once a week now, we have sewage backing up into our basement (I’ll spare you the details) because the city infrastructure is ancient and inadequate, and no one wants to address the real issues, just do a temporary enema  until next weekend.  E bravely goes down there and mops up, and the realtor’s sympathetic plumbing contractors (aging, disabled poor folks themselves) come out yet again and try to help as best they can.  We all stood there in the street, staring down at the sewer under the manhole cover, scratching our heads and rolling our eyes in disbelief.  It’s downright medieval.

We all tried bringing this issue to the city, where it belongs, and make them do their job, because this is absurd and a health hazard.  They eventually show up and lecture E about how she’s just a dumb woman who doesn’t understand plumbing.  Duh, it’s simple physics and gravity (non-existent, in this case).  Somehow it’s the residents’ fault, and we’re supposed to just keep mopping up after a city mess that they are too lazy to address.  It even backs up into the vacant houses, of which there are many here.   It’s literally like a third-world country.  And this is good compared to, say, Flint, Michigan.  You can see why I have culture shock.  Where I’m from, nobody would put up with or allow this BS.

Though I must qualify that statement.  It turns out everywhere you go in this country, there are poor communities who apparently don’t rate high enough to get basic rights and infrastructure, coincidentally in republican-run areas.  These citizens are disposable and invisible.  I just didn’t have to face the reality of it until I moved to this feudal (but affordable) state.  Not surprising that there has been a mass exodus out of here, and property values are rock-bottom.

I even have evidence photos — for official purposes only, don’t panic!  I do have some class.  Instead, here is a picture of how water is meant to flow, unhampered, downhill, with enthusiasm.