- Cal-Am has not done a good job of managing water resources,
- The ratepayers have had to pay for failed Cal-Am projects, such as prior desalination project proposals and the San Clemente dam problems,
- The desalt plant currently planned by Cal-Am might not be built for years, or possibly not at all, because of various lawsuits and permitting issues,
- Customer service call centers are not local, and therefore staff are not familiar with local issues,
- Reports of excessively high water bill spikes were not responded to in a timely manner, and in some cases, might be the result of manipulation of the billing periods, which threw some users into higher tiers.
Many of their points are well-founded, and there's no disputing that we, as ratepayers, have repeatedly been billed for expenses that should have Cal-Am's responsibility. However, the League's position doesn't really address how Measure O will help any of this.
I wish that the LWVMC had a little more information on its website. I like they way they have created two separate sections on their site--one to advocate for the League's position supporting Measure O, and the other, labeled as "voter education", which is supposed to provide non-partisan information about the issue. Hurray, I thought, what a great way to do it. Unfortunately, there's nothing on the "voter education" page except for a link to a video debate and a list of upcoming yes/no debates. Oh well. I'm sure somebody had great intentions, but, as often happens, it's hard to find the time to follow through.
To read the League's position, click here.
