Valley Voices: Manipulating the facts is Liberty’s only hope (May 7, 2017)
Last year Liberty Utilities spent over $560,000 to pass Measure V requiring voter approval for financing the acquisition of their private water company. Even though the financing will not raise taxes, voter approval is needed. With Measure F coming up on the June 6th ballot, Apple Valley voters will now have that opportunity.
Measure F approves financing through revenue bonds funded through the current rate structure by eliminating profit, corporate taxes and corporate overhead without raising taxes.
Even though no taxes will be raised or needed, it only makes sense to move forward if voters authorize the town to finance of the water company once acquisition is final.
Knowing the fight will be over without the ability to finance the acquisition, Liberty Utilities is pulling out all the stops and once again spending hundreds of thousands dollars to defeat Measure F and keep millions of dollars they take out of Apple Valley every year. Keep in mind this is money generated by profits from the very ratepayers Liberty is trying to convince to keep them in control Apple
Valley’s water and economic future. The Town being a municipality and governed by an elected body cannot make a profit.
One-hundred percent of the rate base goes to water system operations and maintenance, not investor profit!
Liberty Utilities has no problem proving “Alternative Facts” by manipulating the truth to scare voters, even going so far as commissioning “experts” and an “economist,” none of whom contacted the Town of Apple Valley for their finance plan and only using information provided by Liberty Utilities.
Was there ever any doubt to their conclusion? A quick glance at one of their daily mailers will confirm funding supported by Liberty Utilities. Better yet, take a look at your water bill and you will understand where the money for their campaign is coming from.
If this sounds confusing, it is and plays in to hands of Liberty Utilities trying to stop Apple Valley ratepayers’ ability to own and manage their own water system.
All this said, if Measure F fails in June, we the town and residents of Apple Valley cannot move forward with the acquisition and Goliath will have beaten David.
If you think the Apple Valley Water System should be under community ownership like more then 80 percent of all water systems nationally and you want to control your own water rates and investment, we need to vote yes on Measure F.
Scott Nassif is mayor of the Town of Apple Valley.
Source: Daily Press