EDITOR
I wish to tell you who I am. I am a 70 year old veteran who believes in
the American way. I am one of the ladies who worked very hard to stop
the last rate hike of the water district. I met a lot of people who
felt the same way as I did. I thought we could make a difference.
(WRONG!) I am also one of the ladies who worked hard to get new members
on the water board, so my voice could be heard. Now that you know who I
am, I would like a few answers. In the article in the Rio Linda News on
Dec. 11th., Mr. O'Brien stated that pay raises, and the insurance
increases were decided on at an earlier date. Is he not the same Jay
O'Brien who was the president of the water board when these decisions
were made? He also stated that he reported on things that were
interesting to him. Here is what I'm interested in: I would like to see
reporting in the paper with all views, who did what, when they did it
and why they did it.I would like to know what will happen to the nice
little lady who lives on 20th street who worked hard to retire on a
couple of acres and
have a few animals and had a $600 water bill. I want to know why the
power bill, the water bill, and my insurance premium goes up every year
and my income seems smaller.
I would like to know how to get rid of the lawn and flowers in my front
yard and still have it look nice, so I can afford the water bill. Dear
EDITOR, My daddy used to say, Don't let the fox guard the hen house. To
me it looks like the fox is already in the hen house (The water board
and the local News.)
Thank you,
Edie Rand
636 Q st
Rio Linda Ca.
Ms. Rand,
Thank you for your letter, published above. I will attempt to respond
to the many subjects in your letter, one at a time. The questions from
your letter follow, interspersed with my responses. My responses are in
italics.
I would like a few answers. In the article in the Rio Linda News on
Dec. 11th., Mr. O'Brien stated that pay raises, and the insurance
increases were decided on at an earlier date.
What you are referring to is my
response to a letter written by Ms. Faye Wilder that was published a
week earlier in The NEWS. There was no reference at all to pay raises
or insurance in my response to Ms. Wilder. I did refer to the November
19, 2001, meeting where the employee retirement contribution was
reduced from 3% to 0%. That action was taken at that time instead of a
pay raise.
Is he not the same Jay O'Brien who was the president of the water board
when these decisions were made?
As you know from my "Setting the
record Straight" article on the first page of the December 4 edition of
The NEWS, I made the motion, as a Board member (yes, I was President)
in 2001 to enact those changes to improve the employee benefits.
He also stated that he reported on things that were interesting to him.
Here is what I'm interested in: I would like to see reporting in the
paper with all views, who did what, when they did it and why they did
it.
When I report on a Water Board
meeting I report on items that are of interest to me that I believe
will be of interest to readers of The NEWS. If readers wish to see or
hear "it all" they certainly can attend the meetings or view the video
tapes.
I would like to know what will happen to the nice little lady who lives
on 20th street who worked hard to retire on a couple of acres and have
a few animals and had a $600 water bill.
So would I, so I asked. The Water
District General Manager reviewed the records for 2002 and 2003 at the
request of The NEWS. He told me that no customers with 20th Street
addresses have received a water bill for $600 or more in that period of
time.
I want to know why the power bill, the water bill, and my insurance
premium goes up every year and my income seems smaller.
RLECWD is also suffering with higher
power and insurance bills, that's part of the reason the water rates
have increased.
I would like to know how to get rid of the lawn and flowers in my front
yard and still have it look nice, so I can afford the water bill.
The Water District has offered its
services for years to do landscape audits for customers. RLECWD is one
of the few water purveyors in our area to offer landscape audits.
Unfortunately few take advantage of this service.
Dear EDITOR, My daddy used to say, Don't let the fox guard the hen
house. To me it looks like the fox is already in the hen house (The
water board and the local News.)
Ms. Rand, thank you for expressing
your opinion. Please write again.
Jay O'Brien