How comforting it was, albeit so briefly, to allow that kind lady from the  Crescent City Council to take my hand and walk me down the yellow brick road  toward that  gleaming Emerald City on the horizon. I was just beginning to  see ,with her aid, how my acceptance of simplistic notions offered by  notion-makers has dulled my decision-making power for a long time. The   concept of basically rural California withdrawing from  the State of  California was the example she used to paint the picture of  me and  my  bleary eyed companions as we slogged  dull witted toward that  proffered simplistic answer to Northern California’s problem of tweaked  representation. But I was rudely awakened by her next statement  explaining  the workings of  the democracy we are a part of. I seemed to recall my  senior high school  year civics class teacher( of 60 years ago) firmly  implanting the distinction in my mind of the difference between a Republic  (which is what America is )and a democracy which is what we are not. It occurs  to me that an elected official ,in swearing an oath to uphold the Constitution  of the United States  preparatory to assuming the duties to which he, or she  was  elected  really should know which form of government they have  sworn allegiance  to. In reciting the Pledge of Allegiance I wonder if Ms.  Murray recites “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America  and to the   democracy for which it stands”…?

I do agree with Katherine Murray when she states  that some of the proponents of the withdrawal from California into a newly  consolidated state with representation that is more reflective of non-urban  areas  also oppose raising municipal water rates. That’s a given.  And yes,  I agree that a replacing of deteriorating pipes, valves and fittings will be a  necessity in the future. Of course, that would not be a vexing problem at this  stage if those clear thinking leaders of the past had not introduced hydrofluorosilicic acid/fluoride (HFSA) into the water supply and allowed it to continue for 44 years. It is known that the junk  additive is highly corrosive. We should all be grateful for the efforts of those clear thinking and dedicated voters that expended so much effort in nudging  Measure A (to remove  HFSA until our supplier supplied much needed information; which they have not done for the past 11 months so far) past the goal post.

I predict that those ratepayers that will most oppose  the increase are those who can least afford to have more money taken out of  their paychecks, i.e. those lucky enough to have jobs  in these hard  economic  times. I encourage all such ratepayers who are going to be hardest  hit  in the purse and pocketbook to  join hands with the  organized  efforts of those who are gathering  signatures of like  minded citizens.

How easy it is for financially better situated pols and affluent rate  payers to sermonize to the less fortunate among us about “simplistic   notions”  and imply that by disagreeing with the decision makers that  we are dull in our decision-making powers. We share in one thing and that  is paying their blinkin’ salaries.