UPDATE: THIS RALLY HAS BEEN POSTPONED – DATE AND TIME TO BE ANNOUNCED
Yesterday I got an e-mail from Connie over in Marysville to tell us about her group, Marysville For Affordable Water Rates. Her group is trying to network with like-minded people in other towns. They sound like a more “with it” group than ours, they’ve really been working hard against the water rate increase. They’re getting a rally together for September 21 in Marysville.
“We filed a Formal Complaint with CPUC. We have been in touch with many cities that are also fighting back. We are having a rally here in Marysville on Sept 21st @ 10AM. All of you are invited. We have speakers scheduled to talk from other cities. Adam Skow from Food and Water Watch will be here to speak. We are inviting the media from Chico all the way down Sacramento. Newspapers and TV. WE do have a very active facebook site.”
Their Facebook site is interesting, and I see Oroville has also come up with a Facebook site. I hate Facebook, I’m not doing a Facebook site. If somebody else wants to do one, I’d say, get ahold of Connie, here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marysville-For-Reasonable-Water-Rates/176321489194208
They have signs – e-mail at Marysvillewater@yahoo.com
What I haven’t seen on their website is a discussion of the pensions that are causing the rate hike. That’s what my notice said – $500,000 just for administrative pensions, another $300,000 for the “field workers” – a year! When Cal Water held their “rate increase hearing” in Chico, citizen Ray Schimmel stood up and explained their “defined” or guaranteed benefits plans. Schimmel, a retired financial analyst, described Cal Water’s pension plan as “The Cadillac of Pension Plans.” Cal Water is not going to use this money to improve service or give us better water – in fact, every time I turn around they are sending me a notice that my water if full of all kinds of shit, but that’s perfectly okay!
We need to get more people involved. I do want to attend the rally, and I’d like to get some of those ginchee signs they’ve printed to spread around town. Unfortunately, my automobile was recently burnt to a crisp in a parking lot fire in O-town:
There’s one of the floor mats I bought with my birthday money. New tires. We’re still waiting for AAA.
My husband and son are taking the rental car out of town. Yeah, another ballgame, those guys just never learn. Can’t resist free tickets right behind home plate. Thanks Dave!
Anyhoo, that leaves me figuring out how I am going to get to Marysville – I will have to hash that over with the CTA this Sunday, at our regular meeting. Maybe we can get up a posse.
At any rate, I will support this group in any way I can, and I’d like to start a similar group here in town, I’d even be willing to post a new word press page for it. I’d also be willing to set up meetings at the library, direct e-mail, etc.
Chico Taxpayers Association 