Open protest of rate hikes to Ceres officials
This letter was sent to Ceres city officials regarding a proposal to increase rates for city services.
I am writing to object to the increase you are proposing in your water rates and sewer rates. I have been paying your water, garbage and sewer bill for 29 years and I believe your need to increase rates is at least partially based on poor, in-house management. I say this because you have just finished doubling -- or nearly doubling -- the water rates over the last five or six years. What I know for sure is the water and sewer rates have gone up substantially and now you want to raise the sewer rates another 30 percent and increase the water rates by nearly 200 percent.
I'm told you have to raise revenues to pay for the restructuring and repairs of your facilities and equipment. These repairs should not have become a surprise to anyone and the city should have planned on them needing to be done over time. Planning your costs in the future to successfully run a business is nothing new under the sun. Somebody in your organization is paid to do this and there is no excuse for it not being done. It is not the public's fault you did not do your job well by planning to make repairs. Now you want to put the burden of your mistakes on the backs of the citizens of Ceres.
We are at the end of a recession, unemployment in the area is about 18 percent and most people's income hasn't kept up with inflation for about the last 15 years. These are hard times for many but it doesn't seem to matter to the people who are in charge. You see what you need and you appear to be willing to hurt one and all to get what you want. Yet you are funded as a non-profit organization and were established to serve the public. Now you intend to damage those who are in need with the mind-blowing burdens of your increased costs.
What you need to do, as public servants, is look at the problems from the perspective of a business corporation. As a business, if you were to simply double and triple the costs of the products you were selling, you would go bankrupt. Your competitors would eat you alive. So you would have to come up with another plan, which is what I'm asking you to do.
Another plan will not be easy but that is what you need to do. It is not fair and it is not right that you want to put the entire burden on the shoulders of the public. We didn't do anything wrong and we don't deserve to be hurt. And if you can't come up with an alternative plan then you should be willing to hire someone who can.
Jerry Davis,
Ceres
* * * * * *
We learned so much about California from Mr. Howser
Editor, Ceres Courier,
I would like to take the opportunity to tell you that your comments published in this week issue are a deserving tribute to Mr. Howser and his team.
I remember watching my first "California Gold" TV show a few years ago, and since then the only TV show to watch in my schedule was Huell Howser. I learn more about California in these last years than reading a guide tourist book. I also contact him about to do a program from the Modesto-Ceres area. However, he was very busy to fulfill all invitations from the public.
Finally, I'm still in shock for his death. We are orphans of California Gold.
Marco Moreno,
Ceres
* * * * * *
LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the editor will be considered for publication but must be signed with the author's name, address and telephone number. Letters should contain 250 words or less and be void of libelous statements. Letters may be sent to The Ceres Courier, 138 S. Center Street, Turlock CA 95380 or emailed to jeffb@cerescourier.com
This letter was sent to Ceres city officials regarding a proposal to increase rates for city services.
I am writing to object to the increase you are proposing in your water rates and sewer rates. I have been paying your water, garbage and sewer bill for 29 years and I believe your need to increase rates is at least partially based on poor, in-house management. I say this because you have just finished doubling -- or nearly doubling -- the water rates over the last five or six years. What I know for sure is the water and sewer rates have gone up substantially and now you want to raise the sewer rates another 30 percent and increase the water rates by nearly 200 percent.
I'm told you have to raise revenues to pay for the restructuring and repairs of your facilities and equipment. These repairs should not have become a surprise to anyone and the city should have planned on them needing to be done over time. Planning your costs in the future to successfully run a business is nothing new under the sun. Somebody in your organization is paid to do this and there is no excuse for it not being done. It is not the public's fault you did not do your job well by planning to make repairs. Now you want to put the burden of your mistakes on the backs of the citizens of Ceres.
We are at the end of a recession, unemployment in the area is about 18 percent and most people's income hasn't kept up with inflation for about the last 15 years. These are hard times for many but it doesn't seem to matter to the people who are in charge. You see what you need and you appear to be willing to hurt one and all to get what you want. Yet you are funded as a non-profit organization and were established to serve the public. Now you intend to damage those who are in need with the mind-blowing burdens of your increased costs.
What you need to do, as public servants, is look at the problems from the perspective of a business corporation. As a business, if you were to simply double and triple the costs of the products you were selling, you would go bankrupt. Your competitors would eat you alive. So you would have to come up with another plan, which is what I'm asking you to do.
Another plan will not be easy but that is what you need to do. It is not fair and it is not right that you want to put the entire burden on the shoulders of the public. We didn't do anything wrong and we don't deserve to be hurt. And if you can't come up with an alternative plan then you should be willing to hire someone who can.
Jerry Davis,
Ceres
* * * * * *
We learned so much about California from Mr. Howser
Editor, Ceres Courier,
I would like to take the opportunity to tell you that your comments published in this week issue are a deserving tribute to Mr. Howser and his team.
I remember watching my first "California Gold" TV show a few years ago, and since then the only TV show to watch in my schedule was Huell Howser. I learn more about California in these last years than reading a guide tourist book. I also contact him about to do a program from the Modesto-Ceres area. However, he was very busy to fulfill all invitations from the public.
Finally, I'm still in shock for his death. We are orphans of California Gold.
Marco Moreno,
Ceres
* * * * * *
LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the editor will be considered for publication but must be signed with the author's name, address and telephone number. Letters should contain 250 words or less and be void of libelous statements. Letters may be sent to The Ceres Courier, 138 S. Center Street, Turlock CA 95380 or emailed to jeffb@cerescourier.com
