CPUC vs. Flint (February 7, 2016)

Re: ‘Flint water crisis offers warning for Apple Valley,’ Daily Press, Jan. 31 … This Valley Voices opinion article tries to convince us that if Apple Valley takes over our water we would end up like Flint because it would be another example of failed government and what can happen when politicians and bureaucrats are in charge of water infrastructure.

This article, like all anti-takeover articles, tries to convince us that this is a private company vs. big government issue (remember Apple Valley Ranchos’ Gubment vs. non-Gubment comics?).

It would be great if this was a free enterprise issue with multiple companies competing for our business, but it is not. Our private water company, now called Liberty Utilities, is regulated by politicians and bureaucrats on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown and approved by the California Senate.

This is the same CPUC that a federal grand jury is probing (for) potentially illegal ties between CPUC regulators and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. executives.

It is also the same CPUC that was responsible for the Porter Ranch gas leak, the San Bruno deadly gas explosion and the Hinkley chromium water poisoning.

Maybe the Valley Voices headline should have been CPUC corruption and oversight failures in Porter Ranch, San Bruno, and Hinkley are enough reasons for Apple Valley to take control of our water.

— Joe Stockman, Apple Valley

Source: Daily Press