SCVWD needs to be transparent, accountable to the community
Dear Editor,
San Benito County Water District will be transferring 12,000 acre feet of excess imported water to the Santa Clara Valley Water District at a cost of just $50 an acre foot.
Currently, the SCVWD supplies South County, Zone W5, with a yearly average of about 16,000 to 17,000 acre feet of imported water. The Water District has not said how this additional 12,000 acre feet of water will be used.
If they decide to use half of the 12,000 acre feet for Zone W5, and charge us $295 an acre foot, then that would give the Water District a 490 percent profit. Is that fair to the ratepayer? I feel that they should let all the ratepayers in the county know just how this extra water will be used.
Countywide, the residents favorable view of the Water District has fallen from 75 percent in April 1988, to 58 percent in June of 2011.
It is well known that South County residents do not have a favorable view of the Water District. In fact, there was a survey taken by South County residents Feb 19, 2012, asking “Which local institution do you trust most?” There were five institutions listed, city of Morgan Hill, Morgan Hill Police Department, County Sheriff, Morgan Hill Unified School District and the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The institution that came out on top was MHPD, the one at the bottom was SCVWD with only 3 percent of the votes.
The Water District needs to find out why the residents of South County have given them such a low rating. The Water District also needs to be more transparent and accessible as an agency that is fully accountable to the community it serves.
Robert J. Cerruti, San Martin
City Hall wants you (but not for long)
Dear Editor,
The article in the Friday April 13 paper on “City Recruiting Commissioners” should have started with “city hall wants you (but not for long).” The only way the article makes sense is if it was written prior to the April 4 council meeting where the Mayor announced a future agenda item to discuss replacing the Library, Culture and Arts Commission (LCAC) and the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) with a Citizen Advisory Commission.
Members of the council first discussed this idea at their “mini-retreat” last October. These commissions exist by order of the Municipal Code; what the council brings to life, the council can put to death.
The council may prefer to have a pool of consultants for their special projects. In the 10 months I have been attending commission meetings, I have seen elected officials twice. Mayor (Steve) Tate came to make an official announcement. Councilmember (Marilyn) Librers came to take pictures for the family photo album.
When I attended a special LCAC meeting on April 10 (ironically, they were updating their work plan for the council), no commissioner had received a courtesy call from the Mayor before his council agenda announcement.
It is hard to keep the momentum going when these commissions meet only once every two months. The city provides no budget and no staff support.
We should want these commissions to serve as advocates for the interests of residents. This would fit with the council goal to “expand opportunities for the community to engage in public decision making and in community based problem solving.” And the Mayor’s State of the City speech did encourage us to “Engage.” So thank a commissioner today. They might be gone tomorrow.
Doug Muirhead, Morgan Hill
Live animal births at California State Fair are abuse
Dear Editor,
Remember the distraught pregnant cow and her unborn calf who were gunned down at the 2010 California State Fair? Sadly, the abusive “live birthing” exhibits will continue at the 2012 Fair, July 12 to 29.
State Fairs in Oregon, Colorado, Texas and elsewhere do not allow such exhibits, due to animal welfare concerns. Instead, they display mothers with their 8-to-10-week-old young. THAT’s what people want to see, not the actual birthing process itself, which can be traumatic for all concerned. At CalEXPO, pregnant sows will again be imprisoned for three weeks in farrowing crates, unable to move and forced to give birth on a metal grid, before gawking crowds, with nightly fireworks. Do this to a dog and go to jail.
Hungry? The 2012 State Fair will again offer “Raccoon and Beaver on a Stick” (meat from out-of-state fur farms – illegal in California). There’ll also be live goldfish given away as prizes, and hermit crabs sold as pets – most will die an early death. Only public outcry can stop these abuses.
The Fair Board meets at 1 p.m. Friday, April 27, in the Administration Building at CalEXPO, and the public is urged to attend. Meanwhile, letters of concern can be sent to CalEXPO CEO & General Manager Norbert Bartosik and the Fair Board at 2600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95815; email to
ca**********@ca*****.com
, call (916) 263-3010. All state legislators may be written c/o The State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814.
The animals (and we) deserve better.
Eric Mills, coordinator, Action for Animals, Oakland
