Geez, up all night again... Hope I got this finished in time for you Aubrey!
Here's my proposed edit for the Prop. A (PUC revenue bonds) rebuttal, at 254 words (hope it comes out under 250 – if not, delete "replaced the muffler"!)
Please note that I left the year blank on the first bullet point because I didn't have that info – hopefully you can fill that in. If it was a several year period, just put e.g. "2004-2008"
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
You’d think recent rate increases would cover the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC’s) needs for a while – but that would be underestimating government greed.
Before shrugging and saying, “Oh well, water’s important, they must know what they’re doing,” voters should consider some of those doings:
• In ____, the agency paid its bondholders an interest rate of 4.5%, yet managed to simultaneously earn less than 1% interest on $1.7 billion in ratepayer money from bonds issued but not yet spent. Nice for bondholders – ratepayers not so much.
• In 2002, the PUC estimated their Capital Improvement and Water Services Improvement programs would cost $3.6 billion. First, cost overruns increased the estimate to $4.6 billion. Then $3 billion for “unexpected” water supply improvements and $7 billion for a sewer overhaul brought the actual cost closer to $15 billion:
https://archives.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/are-surplus-funds-used-or-misused/Content?oid=2684204
“Dad, can I use your credit card to buy a car? I’m looking at one that’s about $10,000.”
“Well, okay.”…
“Hey, what’s this bill for nearly $40,000!?!”
“Oh, the car ended up costing a little more than I thought – but I replaced the muffler and got the engine tuned!”
• The SFPUC routinely pays outside consultants to conduct “rates education outreach” to “help ratepayers understand… the need for rate increases”:
http://www.katzandassociates.com/case_studies/hetch-hetchy-peninsula-region-partnership-event/
Maybe if they weren’t wasting money propagandizing us, they wouldn’t need so many rate increases?
Don’t be like the useless Bond Revenue Oversight Committee and just rubber-stamp whatever the PUC’s political insider appointees request! Vote NO on A.
Libertarian Party of San Francisco
www.LPSF.org