Letters to the editor: Issue of Aug. 20, 2015
Free documentary presentation of ‘Being Mortal’ at library
The San Diego County Coalition for Improving End of Life Care is presenting a documentary titled “Being Mortal” at the Ramona Library on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 4:30 p.m. This is based on the book by Dr. Atul Gawande.
The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion. I will serve on the panel along with other coalition members. Refreshments will be served.
The program is open to the public and is free of charge. You may register by calling 800-827-4277 or you may sign up at the door.
Michael J. Barker, M.D.
Ramona
Rate hikes necessary, but why so high?
I am sorry to say that the Ramona Municipal Water District Board of
Directors voted to raise our water rates by around 16 percent and our meter rates have a hefty increase also.
After listening to growing costs associated with running the Ramona water department, it was obvious that to stay solvent, an increase was necessary. But why the costs were so high is another issue.
I thought that after getting my information from the chief financial officer, Mr. Hannasch, we had a chance to stop the rate increase. You see, the people of Ramona own the water district. When asked how many ratepayers there are, I was told around 5,200. (I questioned him about that, as it seemed low.) I was also told that we needed one more than half, of the ratepayers’ votes, to be effective in stopping the increase.
So, for many weeks, I and others set out to encourage people to vote with letters. If I had known that the figures given me were erroneous, I wouldn’t have attempted such a large task. You see, it came out at the Aug. 11 meeting that the number of ratepayers is really 9,000-plus meters.
Even though our efforts were in vain, I would sincerely like to thank Jan Brown at Mountain View Community Church, Greg Basta and Coldwell Realty for helping to provide copies of “vote no” letters. A heartfelt thank you to Ace Hardware in the Country Estates and to Kimi’s Fashions. Between them more than 300 letters were collected. Other stores collecting letters were Ramona Irrigation, Diamond D Feed, The Livery Feed, Elston Hay and Grain, and Catt Farm and Ranch Supply. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
Gaye Miller
Ramona
Thanks, Jewelry World, for giving back
I’d like to express my thanks to Chris Waddell from Jewelry World for taking the time to educate us at Ramona Food and Clothes Closet about evaluating the great jewelry we get donated here.
Jewelry World believes in giving back to the community and is a great supporter of what Ramona Food and Clothes Closet does for the Ramona community.
Vesna Curry
Service manager
Ramona Food and Clothes Closet
Elected officials are accountable to voters
After attending the last Ramona Municipal Water District board meeting, I realized even more how the general manager controls the board. Mr. Hannasch set up his slide show and proceeded to show line charts, previous water usage from 2011 till present and common sense statements such as “if you use less water, you will not pay as much.” Raftelis Financial Consultants were paid an estimate of $12,000 for its report to the district. Had the board members put forth the effort, that they stated, about ways to absorb crisis, they could have very easily gathered this information from the Flo Data Spread Sheets that are maintained and stored at the water district.
Two persons went to the podium to state how they thought the rate hikes would affect those with lower income and they also wanted to ask questions. They were told that all questions would be answered at the end of the discussion. Since when does the board tell us that we cannot ask questions? They are accountable to the ratepayers.
Of course after the slide show and talk amongst the GM and board, a vote was taken. Any questions about the rate hikes, too late, onto other business. Kudos to Mr. Hickle, who not only did ask questions of the other board members and Hannasch, but voted “NO” on the rate hikes.
Mr. Beck stated that it takes hundreds of miles of water lines to have water reach Ramona. Our water is pumped up one hill from the Poway Pump Station. Also the infamous idea, by Mr. Barnum, to put in a natural gas powered pump instead of a generator, has only run an estimate of 19 hours since April of 2014. At a cost of $2 million for that pump, that is equivalent to $105,263.15 an hour. Now there’s a cost saver! Way to go, Mr. Barnum. You are not an engineer, you are a CFO with no field background.
Don’t forget that these are elected officials who should answer to us, not dictate how the meeting will be conducted and take direction from the GM. Voting in new board members as their four-year terms are up will allow new members with new ideas to represent us and not be influenced by the general manager.
N.M. Dohrer, Retired RMWD employee
Ramona
Questions for writer of guest commentary
Referencing the Guest Commentary: Public education resists significant innovation, technological change, submitted by John Rajcic, and printed in the Aug. 13, 2015, Ramona Sentinel.
To John Rajcic,
I have read, and reread, your most recent Guest Commentary in the Ramona Sentinel. I would like to ask you a few questions and hope that you will respond in the spirit of “open and honest communication with the local community,” as written in District Priorities for 2013-14 and Approved on July 1, 2013, by the Governing Board, Ramona Unified School District.
When writing about the supplemental funds received by RUSD (paragraph 4) you wrote, in part, “The supplemental funds received by the Ramona Unified School District were spread across all salary schedules.” Please explain what this sentence means. It sounds like you are saying that money that was to be used to support a target group of students was instead simply distributed, but, to whom? Please address your words “across all salary schedules” in your response.
You also wrote, in paragraph 20, and in bold type, “Further, individual schools, teachers and administrators who are successful in achieving important objectives must be rewarded and not treated similar to those who are less successful.” To what objectives are you referring? Who would write the objectives and who would evaluate them and using what methodologies? What sorts of rewards would you like to see distributed? How do you envision the “less successful” schools, teachers, and administrators being treated? Do you also advocate Stull Bill type objectives for school board members?
“The end result (of the above evaluation/reward strategy you posit) will be higher quality debate and choices over better known alternatives.” I admit I have no idea what you are saying, nor do I understand how it follows from the preceding statement. Again, please provide insight.
If you would indulge me please, I have one more quick question. You quote Piaget in paragraph 13, as having written, “Children are little scientists.” I cannot locate the source of the quote. Please tell me where you found it. I do appreciate your making an effort to give credit to a person you are quoting in your writing.
Don Birkett
Ramona