Letters to editor: Proposed water rates, religious hypocrisy
Let’s show water board we can do it
The Ramona Municipal Water District Board of Directors is proposing a rate increase that is in excess of 16 percent for all water users effective Sept. 1, 2015.
This increase is based on three factors:
- Reduction in district funds caused by reductions in water usage mandated by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB);
- Increase in water rates being charged by the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA);
- Increase in pumping charges imposed by SDG&E.
The combination of these fabricated reasons should not add to more than 7 percent or 8 percent increase in water rates.
The board of directors fails to realize that increases of 16 percent with only two months notice cause great hardship on the consuming public.
Ramona is not a wealthy community. More than 50 percent of the residential families subsist at or slightly above the published poverty level of $23,850 (family of four).
But is there anything we, the rate paying base, can do to prevent this ludicrous increase in water rates? Probably not.
In a recent letter sent to consumers, the water board boldly stated that they are “authorized” to adopt the proposed rate and fee increases IF less than 50 percent of the property owners or customers of the district fail to submit written protests against the proposed rates and fees by 2 p.m. on Aug. 11, 2015.
They know that will never happen. Getting 50 percent of any community to participate in events like voting is increasingly difficult.
What are the chances of getting 50 percent of our community to sit down and write a letter to the Board of Directors to show dissatisfaction for the rate increase? It would be great if it happened.
Let’s show them we can do it.
Please take the time to draft a short letter to the board voicing your objections. It is an important part of being a resident of our community.
Scott Milner
Ramona
Angry over religious hypocrisy
I am angry over everyone’s religious hypocrisy! The New York Times published a picture on Friday, May 29, by “artist” Chris Ofili of the Holy Virgin Mary covered in elephant feces against a pornographic background, but yet did not publish Charlie Hebdo’s controversial depiction of the Prophet Muhammad.
The image was published in the Arts section.
The newspaper had previously declined to publish the Charlie Hebdo magazine cover, contending the newspaper “normally” does not “publish images or other material deliberately intended to offend religious sensibilities.”
So why the newspaper’s willingness to publish one image, but not the other? It is an example of religious hypocrisy. Why does Ofili’s dung-clotted Virgin Mary get a pass and anything done against Muslims does not. I guess it is OK to offend Christians but not Muslims. Christians are just as offended by this picture as Muslims are about those drawings, but do you see Christians going around killing people over it?
It’s time for people to wake up and stand up for our Christian principles. We must not be silent anymore. More and more Christians are being harassed for our beliefs and it’s getting worse. Our country is a Christian nation and we must fight to keep it that way.
God Bless America.
Mary Kafka
Ramona