Washblog

Statements made by two of the East Wenatchee Water District commissioner candidates in a past edition of the Douglas County Empire Press should cause concern for ratepayers. Either the candidates are not well informed or they are intentionally trying to misinform the ratepayers. Either would be in my opinion very good reasons to NOT vote for them.

Howard   Laughery,
When asked about the 4,500 acre expansion past Pangborn he said, "It seems strange to me. It means people in the rural areas can't have water. They can't have fire safety."

Laughrey needs to read up on fire flow. Any lot or property one acre or over is not required to have fire flow.  Even with cluster developments there would be no lots UNDER an acre within the annexation. If the 4500 acres was annexed the only fire protection would be from available fire trucks.  Getting fire flow to existing EWWD ratepayers who live within the city limits of East Wenatchee that do not have it, should be a priority before he approves annexing in more that is not even required to have it.

Delvin Schorzman, believes that, "Growth pays for growth, the more customers you have, the more you can spread your overhead over those customers to keep costs at least consistent or even lower.

Growth does not pay for growth.  Growth cost ratepayers. I think we can all see that EWWD has definitely grown in the last few years, if growth is so profitable why hasn't the EWWD improved existing infrastructure and frozen rates? Growth means over extend services that will need to be replaced and it is ratepayers who will be required to do that.

Schorzman also stated "I think there were issues involved here that the judge did not consider: the fact that Calvin White can go ahead and put his own well in, and there is nothing that the city can do about it," said Schorzman. "Then who would be the parties that would lose? I believe the wa¬ter users would be the losers by the fact the district is not going to get new customers to spread the overhead."

Apparently White feels that putting the burden of furnishing water to his proposed development on the back of EWWD's water users, is cheaper and easier than if he has to do it or he wouldn't continue to goad and pay his way towards appealing the annexation. Yes, Schorzman is correct in saying that White can put in exempt domestic wells.  Every well user in the area should be contacting an out of the area water attorney and preparing lawsuits for the time when Mr. White's wells adversely affect their wells. Which will happen as the drought and "profitable" growth continues.

Schorzman's assertion that water users would lose by EWWD not getting new customers (the illogical "growth pays for growth" scheme) is unsubstantiated. Water users/ratepayers will not see rates drop or cost evenly spread through the district. What they will see is increased rates and the profits from any expansion going to improve areas planned for more developments, not for upgrading water lines within the existing district, lower rates or better service.

It will be up to the EWWD ratepayers, to decide how they want their hard earned money spent. It is election time and now is the time to either vote for those who will strive to be knowledgeable and accountable to the ratepayers or those just blowing their dollars to the wind.

Dixie