Comparing analyses (May 1, 2017)
Martin Diaz writes that we cannot lend credence to the excellent report by economist John Husing because he was paid by Liberty Utilities (“Liberty bought Husing’s ‘analysis’,” Daily Press, May 1, 2017).
But as Peter Allan has pointed out, “Dr. John Husing is unquestionably the preeminent economist in San Bernardino County. When he weighs in on an economic issue, elected officials, municipal managers, business leaders and academics take the time to study his learned conclusions. Multiple municipalities throughout the Inland Empire and the Victor Valley — including the Town of Apple Valley — have engaged Dr. Husing to study and pass judgement on projects and programs over the past three decades, and made multi-million dollar decisions based largely on his assessments” (“Husing’s analysis is clear — Vote no on Measure F,” Daily Press, April 27, 2017).
What Mr. Diaz and others like him should be asking is, “Who is providing analyses for the Town Council?”
Although the Town now coyly attributes its own analyses to “the finance department,” that’s only to hide the fact that the head of the Finance Department is Marc Puckett. If Mr. Puckett’s suspect work at previous positions in Flint and Costa Mesa weren’t enough to frighten you, then a glance at his shoddy work product for the Town of Apple Valley should. Errors of all types, lies, exaggerations, erroneous assumptions, libels, enemies lists, and more abound in Mr. Puckett’s reports. And who pays? We do.
To put it another way, when serious persons want the facts before making big decisions, they go to the Dr. Husings and Dr. Sosas of the world. No one in his right mind would go to Mr. Puckett, and yet, that is on whom the Town Council has placed its confidence.
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.