Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting.

Letters to the Editor

Steve Payne: Farmers created MID; they’re not the bad guys

If someone invests in a start-up business that becomes successful, then that investor should be paid dividends on the original investment.

The landowners of this community did just that in past generations when landowners made a per-acre investment to start MID, secure water rights on the river and build a high-quality, successful water district. Without that investment, MID would not exist. We would be paying more for electricity from an outside company and that company would be paying dividends to its investors. Don’t make MID’s investors (farmers) the bad guys. As a whole, everyone in this community benefits from the investment of the landowners who created MID.

Steve Payne, Modesto

This story was originally published March 17, 2015 at 10:29 AM with the headline "Steve Payne: Farmers created MID; they’re not the bad guys."

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