Issue Position: Lowering Our Water Rates

Issue Position

Everyone from seniors to working and middle class families are being victimized by out of control water rates. In the state assembly, I will be a champion for reducing our water rates and cleaning up unethical practices that has led to the mess."

We pay way too much for water, the politicians are to blame

Residents in Southeast communities are facing astronomical water rate increases with Golden State Water Company pointing the finger to a shady water district known as the Central Basin Municipal Water District. The truth is that Golden State and Central Basin are both responsible for water rate increases that bring no benefits to our local water systems and residents. If elected to the State Assembly I will introduce legislation that will increase the accountability of these water providers and work to increase local control so that county and city officials can take steps to force water providers to improve service and stop wasting money.

Residents shouldn't have to pay for lobbyist, public relations and phony websites
Golden State, for example is tacking on to water bills of residents in Bell, Claremont, Beaumont and many other cities, costs related to speculation on a company that has a far-flung decade-old plan to pump water out of the Mojave Desert -- water we will never see in Bell. Central Basin is famous for wasting millions of dollars on lawyers that know nothing about water to file lawsuits against other water agencies, as well as an almost endless stream of public relations firms to shore-up floundering recycled water projects, outdated water conservation programs and phony news websites.

In the meantime, the money that is being wasted on speculation, lawyers and public relations should have been invested to improve crumbling pipelines that are delivering stinky and murky water to our residents.

I will not stop fighting until our water rates are lowered

My legislation will make it possible for counties and local cities to take over private water companies that neglect maintenance of their systems. Currently, a city or county would have to pay "present value" for a crumbling water system as though it were in working order. Under my legislation, cities and counties will be allowed to use "as is" value to purchase a crumbling system and to work with other water agencies or private investors to finance the purchase and plan the operations.

I will also seek immediate "rate relief" by requiring a hold on water rate increases passed by water districts and water companies that are being investigated for budget irregularities and malfeasance by the legislative auditor, state attorney general, county district attorneys, or by the California Public Utilities Commission. While private citizens are entitled to the presumption of innocence, water companies and agencies that are supposed to be overseen by a board of directors to ensure proper operations do not deserve such protections when it falls upon the legislature or law enforcement authorities to do what their own officers have failed to do.

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