Most of you have read the Record-Bee editorial criticizing me for being late in doing anything about the Lucerne water situation (“Board”s action may be too little, too late,” Our Opinion, Aug. 12). How very wrong they are!
First you must understand that the Record-Bee is supporting my opponent in the upcoming election. If I bring something to the board for action, i.e., the Lucerne water issue or off-road vehicles, they are going to call it an election ploy. If I don”t do anything they will say I am ineffective. The Record-Bee has not even extended the courtesy of asking me directly about the issues. It is frustrating when the paper has control and won”t allow me equal time to rebut their misrepresentations.
After working diligently for you for the last two terms, I am not about to hold back from making this county a better place to live. I attended the water meetings at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center Sept. 2 and Nov. 5, 2005. I testified before the Administrative Law Judge at the 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. meetings on Nov. 21, 2005, and sent a letter to the PUC regarding the horrendous rate increase being requested. I did ask our county counsel if the county could intervene and was told “No.”
When the Administrative Law Judge made his recommendations to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), I once again brought it before the Board of Supervisors to see if we could do anything. When the question was asked, “Could the county intervene?” and counsel said yes, I was stunned. We are now dealing with different counsel. Then our board took the only avenue available to us and filed a protest letter with the PUC during the appeal period.
I and all other members of the board have been scathingly critical of the requested water rate increase. The letter requested that the PUC consider an even lower rate than the Administrative Law Judge put before them.
Please call if you have questions on any issue. My office phone is 263-2368.
Gary Lewis
District 3 Supervisor
Upper Lake
