Wrong on all counts (May 2, 2017)
It’s amazing how supporters of the Town of Apple Valley’s hostile takeover of our water company twist the common meaning of words.
Karen Williams provides an excellent example of this (“Financial abuse is non-partisan,” Daily Press, May 2, 2017).
First, Ms. Williams claims that Liberty Utilities is a monopoly. Wrong. There is only one monopoly in town, and its headquarters are at Town Hall.
Second, after pointing out that “competition in the marketplace has literally been the definition of America,” Ms. Williams goes on to conclude that the friction between Town Hall and Liberty Utilities can be solved by removing competition, i.e., getting rid of the free market — AKA Liberty Utilities — and adopting the communist model of government ownership and government control.
Third, Ms. Williams crows about Measure F giving voters the opportunity to control our water future. Hello? The only reason we have that opportunity is because of Measure V! The Town fought giving the population any input. Thanks to Liberty Utilities, at least now they are forced to go through the motions.
Fourth, Ms. Williams claims that Measure F does not “lock in” $150 million in spending. Actually, it does exactly that. If Measure F passes, there is nothing to stop Town Hall from spending every penny of that amount, at up to 12 percent interest.
Fifth, while Ms. Williams says that Measure F does not guarantee water rate increases, she omits the fact that the Town’s EIR has already pre-announced them in the form of additional bonds.
Sixth, Ms. Williams derides Liberty Utilities for defending themselves against the Town’s onslaught, but says nothing about the hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent illegally by the Town in support of its jihad.
Seventh, Ms. Williams states that Liberty Utilities has engaged in callous and abusive actions toward its customers. Clearly, she has transposed the denizens of Town Hall with the professional water experts at Liberty Utilities. Where Liberty Utilities clearly has our best interest at heart, the Town Council seems bent on self-aggrandizement at any cost to the community.
Eighth, Ms. Williams claims that the town has been brought together over the water issue. Wrong again. I have never seen our town so deeply divided as it is now, thanks to the greedy nincompoops at Town Hall declaring war on our water provider, and threatening to spend hundreds of millions to buy something we already have.
To save our town, we must each 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.