No on Measure F (April 24, 2017)
Again, I am indebted to John Pedigo, a supporter of the hostile takeover of Liberty Utilities, for his admissions against interest that support my opposition to the takeover (“Hesperia water hook-up rates,” Daily Press, April 24, 2017). Mr. Pedigo wrote that the “homebuilder or homeowner pays his $6,700 fee himself.” That’s my point exactly. If you have to pay a hook-up fee up front, that becomes part of your total cost of water delivery. With Liberty Utilities, there is essentially no up-front hook-up fee, so what you see on your water bill is what you are paying for water delivery. There are no hidden charges as with municipal water systems.
Another writer, Cecil Volsch, claims that opponents of the Town’s hostile takeover are trying to fool the public (“Shame on us,” Daily Press, April 24, 2017). Exactly the opposite is true. For starters, the Town has lied about water rates being higher, it has lied about lowering water rates, it has lied about wanting local control, it has lied about its ability to manage a water system, it has lied about its opponents, and it has lied about the cost of purchasing the water system. Anyone who supports the Town — and specifically Measure F — has fallen victim to at least one of these lies.
The extreme cost figures about which Mr. Volsch complains come not from those who oppose the Town, but from the text of Measure F itself. If Measure F passes, the Town will be authorized to spend up to the maximum in dollars and interest; there will be no stopping them. And yes, a court will set the acquisition price, but in addition there will be tens of millions of dollars in ancillary expenses.
Thomas Paine one said, “Beware the greedy hand of government, thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry.” Vote no on Measure F.
— Greg Raven is Co-Chair of Apple Valley Citizens for Government Accountability, and is concerned about quality of life issues.