Experts you can trust (May 8, 2017)
Supporters of the Town of Apple Valley’s jihad against our water company are falling all over themselves to parrot the Town’s attacks on respected economist John Husing, author of an excellent analysis of the potential pitfalls of the proposed takeover (“Economist: ‘Risks of a (water system) takeover are extremely high’,” Daily Press, April 13, 2017. According to the Town’s talking points, not only is Husing’s reputation for sale to the highest bidder, but anyone who reports on this issue for money is not to be trusted.
This includes reporters for the Daily Press, and the Daily Press itself, which accepts advertising from Liberty Utilities for ads urging us to save water, or to tell us our water rates soon will be going down.
The trouble with parroting someone else’s talking points is that you haven’t thought things through for yourself. Those who do think critically about the water takeover note that the attacks on Dr. Husing take the form of character assassination, rather than substantive analyses of his take on the facts.
The parrots also haven’t realized the hypocrisy of their position. The Town Council receives reports all the time from paid sources, among them Frank Robinson, Marc Puckett, the Town attorneys, and others … including Dr. Husing. Many of these experts receive a lot money money that did Dr. Husing.
If we’re really discarding the input of everyone who receives compensation for weighing in on the water issue, that’s fine. Just visit avh2owe.com for the most complete collection of commentary on the water takeover, almost all of it from unpaid sources.
But most of all, never accept at face value anything you hear from the Town on this matter. Then, join me in voting no on Measure F.
— Greg Raven is Co-Chair of Apple Valley Citizens for Government Accountability, and is concerned about quality of life issues.