GUEST COMMENTARY
Beware of the guy in the trench coat
Published: Thursday, Sep 11, 2008
By DAVID RABBITT
Every large city has the guy hanging out at the corner with the downcast eyes and the oversized trench coat trying to catch your attention. Here in Petaluma, that character mutters in a slow drawl, “Pssstt, want to lower your water and sewer bills?”
And hey, it sounds good. After all, who’s not willing to jump at the opportunity to save some money? And so what if the arguments don’t really make sense — it’s all about saving a buck, right?
The only problem, of course, is the dollars you “save” will cost you double in the end, and like many “bargains,” some are simply too good to be true.
Measure K, the ill-advised water and sewer rate “rollback” on this November’s ballot, if passed, would have a devastating effect on city services, including police, fire, ambulance, parks and street repair. It’s not just about water and sewer rates.
The truth of the matter is our new sewage plant at Ellis Creek is 91 percent complete. Ninety-one percent complete — is now the time to throw in the towel? The plant itself is a much-needed replacement of the antiquated 70-year-old Hopper Street plant, and like all of our infrastructure issues here in our 150-year-old city of Petaluma, we cannot afford to postpone improvements. We can only look at Marin County and its near-weekly raw sewage spills into the bay and the resulting exposure to massive fines levied by the Bay Area Water Quality District and imagine Petaluma in the same situation. Is that responsible? Is that the legacy we want to leave our children?
The oft-quoted idea that the plant could be built for $35 million is false. That figure was floated by an over-anxious contractor in order to hook the city into a “deal.” The truth of the matter is that the “bargain” plant was never designed or put to bid.
At the end of the day, those shady characters in the trench coats could really care less about water and sewer rates. This initiative is about payback and about putting the city on its knees gasping for air. The only problem is, “the city” is you and I. It’s about our ability to call “911” and know that the police or fire or ambulance will be at your home when disaster strikes. It’s about your kids being able to play soccer or baseball or lacrosse at a city park. It’s about you not suffering internal injuries trying to drive on our dilapidated streets. Look to Vallejo and ask yourself, “Will bankruptcy provide me a better place to live?”
That is what is at stake with this initiative. It’s not scare tactics; it’s about having the integrity and responsibility to pay back the low-interest loan from the state — a loan that is saving us $60 million in interest! We borrowed the money, not the water department, and we are responsible for repaying the loan. Foreclosure is not an option. Believing the general fund, which supports police, fire, ambulance, streets and parks, is somehow not responsible for repayment is again, simply false. How many fewer police officers is it worth to you? How many fewer firefighters? Which parks shall we close and fence off? How worse can our streets get? One thing is for sure: you won’t save a dime with this measure.
The idea that the City Council didn’t have the wherewithal to sign the ballot arguments is laughable. The council didn’t have to sign because rarely have so many and such a broad a coalition of neighborhood and city groups banded together to oppose a measure. We struggled to shorten the list of those who oppose the measure. Even the Sonoma County Taxpayers Association recommends a “no” vote on Measure K.
Measure K is about forcing the city to its knees. Just remember, you and I and our kids ... we are the city and we cannot afford to listen to the shady characters in those trench coats. Vote “no” on Measure K — don’t risk bankrupting Petaluma.
(David Rabbitt is a local architect who currently serves as vice mayor on the Petaluma City Council.)
