I read the Alpena News Article in Saturday’s paper dated Sept. 21, 2019 regarding scams.

The local scams are conceived and perpetrated by those who live in our communities, go to our churches, and whose children go to school with our children.

For pure greed the City of Alpena undertook to scam the Township of Alpena out of millions, soaking them with exorbitant rates. Millions have gone to lawyers alone. For all the money we have not received anything of value. The service is the same as before.

Next example is the water meter replacement in the City of Alpena. The cost to us was over $4.5 million. Using flim-flam, the water contractor along with the city hosed us down, and laughed all the way to the bank.

The new Dial-a-Ride office cost $15 million-plus, but added no benefit to the Dial-a-Ride users.

The existing jail was neglected in a scam to get us to pay for a new one. After being deceived through falsehoods the $12 million millage was passed, our money was taken.

The jail is another scam; people are locked up because they owe money. Debtors Prison was outlawed in the mid 1800’s: it became unlawful to imprison for debt. Jails are used to extort money from people, friends and family. If the jail was used for lawful purposes only, there would be no need for a new jail.

The list goes on, our local scammers will stop at nothing. You have no choice; they will seize your bank accounts, your property, garnish your wages, and yes put you in jail if you don’t cough up your money.

THOMAS VanDUINEN,

Alpena