Choose the town (May 5, 2017)
Normally I would agree that a private enterprise is operated more efficiently because, it has to compete in the open market for customers, must deliver a product customers want and prices are tempered by competition. However, that is not the case with the bloated Liberty Utilities, which is a government sanctioned monopoly.
Most of you remember the Frontier fiasco. Luckily we had a choice, and many went to Charter for better service and price. Having a choice is always better, water shouldn’t be any different.
Our water rates have doubled in the last 10 years. That has not been the case for the surrounding communities. For the last 30 years we have been told repeatedly that the cost increases were to fix the system, yet most of the pipes are over 60 years old and Liberty has one of the highest water loss rates in the nation (leaky pipes). Now it is off in Yermo fixing it water system pretending to be a good citizen, when it should be fixing our dilapidated pipes.
During the drought the other local municipalities stood between the California State Water Resource Board with its draconian measures and water users. Usage, water rates and tier rates were held in check, because of the elected local water boards who answer to ratepayers and protection afforded by Prop 218. Liberty Utilities just salivated! Those hurt the most by these outrageous water and abusive tier rates are the working class, poor and those on fixed incomes like the elderly. Does Liberty Utilities care? No!
Liberty Utilities doesn’t have to control it costs; it doesn’t need to. It just submits all surcharges and yearly double-digit rate increases to the California Public Utilities Commission, and gets them without question. Do you really believe that Liberty Utilities would agree to competition in its water market? I don’t think so. That leaves us with a Sophie’s choice, stay the course, or go with the Town of Apple Valley? I choose the Town of Apple Valley!
Tony Tyler, Apple Valley California
Source: Daily Press