Thank you to every resident who when given the opportunity to sign these petitions. To those of you who didn’t sign when given the opportunity is it because you agree with a thirty year contract where the company is GAURENTEED 30% a year profit among other things or was it because you don’t agree with the petition process or you don’t like the union backing the petition?
No matter what you think its ok your entitled to your opinion and pay my water bill……… Just kidding but if you like the plan…………… ok, I don’t. If it was because you don’t agree with the petition process I don’t really either but this issue was to big for me to let my issues get in the way of reversing a bad deal. If it’s the issue with the union I too have issues with unions ask anyone that has met me for more than a minute, my layoff in 2010 destroyed me and hurt my family, then to make matters worse they hand off my job to a district favorite 3 months later, again this issue was way to big to let my personal crap get in the way.
The same thing can be said about the prop 218 vote yes the rates need to be increased slowly with the right company and under a contract Rialto can afford to back out of if its turns out horribly wrong. The prop 218 vote is important because we must show the city council and mayor that when they refuse to listen to the residents we do what is necessary to fix their bad decisions. The people must continue to put pressure on our council and absent mayor and remind them who they work for and that ignoring us isnt healthy for political careers.
Below is the article from the San Bernardino County Sun Newspaper on the certification process:
County elections staff verifying signatures on Rialto petition for a vote on water outsourcing decision
The process should be completed in about two weeks, said Michael J. Scarpello, the county’s registrar of voters.
Over the objections of many residents who attended a City Council meeting on March 27, the council voted 4 to 1 to outsource the operations of Rialto’s water and wastewater department to Voorhees, N.J.-based American Water Works Co. Inc. for 30 years.
The council also approved significant hikes in water and wastewater rates – action previous councils have avoided for years.
To meet a deadline, the City Clerk’s Office opened for two hours late Saturday afternoon to accept petitions seeking to let Rialto residents have the final say on that outsourcing decision.
The petition drive was organized by the Utility Workers Union of America, which represents employees who work for American Water.
More than 6,400 signatures were turned in, although only about 3,800 valid signatures were required to place the matter before voters, said Mark Brooks, a union spokesman.
“We are confident we have far more than enough to qualify for the ballot and we look forward to certifying this whole question for the people of Rialto to decide,” Brooks said Thursday.
City Administrator Mike Story said Saturday that the administration would not comment on the petition until the signatures had been validated.
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