Enjoying the Apple Valley No Show (October 11, 2015)
Did you enjoy the big Apple Valley No Show this weekend? I know I didn’t.
You probably did not see a special website, hear radio ads, read newspaper ads, see cable TV ads, or read any Facebook posts about the No Show, but it came off without a hitch, as no one was there.
The Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce had invited representatives of the Town of Apple Valley and of Apple Valley Ranchos Water Company to engage in a public meeting so each could present its side of the Town’s proposed hostile takeover of Ranchos. Ranchos agreed. The Town said no, because it had yet to make a decision about whether or not to proceed. While it’s deciding, though, the Town’s special website, radio ads, newspaper ads, cable TV ads, and Facebook posts continue relentlessly to put residents of Apple Valley on a wartime footing for its ginned-up battle against Ranchos.
One of the main events at this weekend’s No Show was the monthly Transparency Report
residents were promised repeatedly. The last one — such as it was — came out on August 11th. It’s unclear about when the next one will come out, as the Town has extended the No Show to suit itself.
That didn’t stop the Town from running an ad in the Sunday paper saying that both the truth and transparency matter, and telling everyone to make certain to verify that the Town is telling the truth by checking the transparency report — failing to mention that for them, transparency was a one-and-done deal.
Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy about local control,
doesn’t it? There’s nothing like taking on $200,000,000 in debt to buy something we already have, in order to enable buffoons and demagogues with more power.
— Greg Raven is Co-Chair of Apple Valley Citizens for Government Accountability, and is concerned about quality of life issues.