Imperial Valley press., 1943-02-24
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Imperial, California
February %. 1943.

Editor, The PostPreSs:
Kindly allow me small space in your
paper to protest against our outrageous
city water rate. | would rather some one
else had this Job who is more able to eX-
plain our grievance.
The irrigation district brings water to
the cities and farmers at the cheapest
cost in the state but after it gets into the
hands of the water profiteers it goes
Sky-rocketing. They have boosted our
water rates to S400 per meter-one of
the highest rates in the state.
What is it all about? Do they think
the Colorado river Is running dry, or do
they want TO force us to drink beer? Don't
tell Us Imperial City water is no good.
1t is the highest priced water on the
Pacific coast.
This protest goes for the valley. as
every city this side of the Mexican line
uses its water department for profit
eering concern TO pay the expenses OF city
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of the rights of
the people.
1t has been demonstrated that the cost
of supplying water to the people of the
valley cities is one dollar for each resi-
dance. and everything over one dollar is
clear profit So every time one pays his
water bill. he is subject to a painless
city tax Of one. two, or three dollars.
We had better turn this water delivery
over TO a contractor. He would furnish
us with water for half the price we pay
for it now He would have no top-heavy
city government to support.
Gail A PLUMBER
The water consumers are not entitled
to support any part Of the city govern
ment outside of the water department,
and should get their water at cost They
don't need any police protection They
don't get arrested for being Waterlogged.
They don't send for the sheriff when
they get into trouble. They do worse
they call a plumber.
Let us compare our water rates with
the cost of water in the orange belt where
water is scarce and more expensive to
develop than it is here: Upland, S1.25
minimum; Ontario, S1.30 in Fullerton
where | visited relatives they told me
they got all the water they needed for
S125 per month. A county official told
me that most of the cities run about
81 90 per month minimum. The residents
Of MeXicali told me they were getting all
the water they needed for $500 per
month.
This is proof that water can be deliver
ed to all the cities in the valley for the
same price. We are paying three and
Tour dollars Tor the same DfanQ or water.
The MeXicans get it for one. We are pay
ing three or four times as much for water
as they pay in most Of southern Califor
MIA cities.
And what are we poor, simple-minded,
spineless worms Of the dust going to do
about it-permit this gigantic water
swindle to continue for 35 or 40 years
more?
With the canals running bankfull i'll
front of our homes, brought in by the
district and handed over TO the cities and
farmers at actual cost the cheapest water
supply on the Pacific coast, with an
abundant and almost unlimited and ever
lasting water supply to draw from, and
one half of the river running into the
valley on gravity flow, we should rise
in our might and DEMAND justice at
once. Our water delivery must be cut
down to an equal with all southern Cali
fornia cities where the rights of the peo-
pie is respected, and not one cent Of our
money should be spent to support city
governments, and put an end to Colorado
river water profiteering for all time.
Very truly yours,