Letter: Apple Valley’s impending mistake (June 5, 2017)

As a homeowner in Apple Valley and having previously retired from a municipality in Southern California after 31 years of service, it is my humble opinion that the Town of Apple is potentially in a position to make a huge mistake in its attempt to take over the water sales and distribution now being conducting by Liberty Utilities.

There are two primary reasons I say this. First, I believe it is morally corrupt to use the powers of Eminent Domain to overtake private enterprise regardless of the reason; and second, with all due respect to the Town Council and the brain trusts who dreamed this lame idea up, there is potentially a bank-breaking cost to citizens and the coffers of the town, as millions of unseen dollars could easily be spent in years to come fighting the issue in a court of law. Think of it, if this was such a good idea, why haven’t a large number of towns, cities or even states across the U.S., jumped into this business before?

And I find the front page of the Daily Press’s primary story this morning (Report critical of analysis), both humorous and typical of someone trying to justify their actions by paying someone to write something that counters the opposing side’s analysis or recommendations. It’s not that I have some fond or hugely favorable opinion of Liberty Utilities or its parent company, but a town has no business in providing services to its resident and also trying to run its own idea of a for-profit business enterprise. There are obviously exceptions to this line of thinking, yet the manner of this acquisition of the water company is flat wrong.

In short, do not open the doors to politicians (using your tax money) who are trying to bite off more than they can chew. The unseen and unknown costs could be even more devastating to Apple Valley than even the Yes people can imagine. I say, vote No on Measure Y!

Alex Varga
Apple Valley

Source: Daily Press