Bruce R. Frohman: MID is well run, don’t elect someone who will muck it up
Criticisms currently being leveled against the Modesto Irrigation District seem unfounded and unfair.
MID employees are paid the true value of their services. Most are highly skilled. Their pay scale should not be compared with the wages of unskilled workers. MID linemen do high-quality work.
We have a reliable supply of water and dependable electricity service. During the drought, we always had water. When a big storm hits, the power stays on. Outages are rare and resolved more quickly than utilities serving other parts of California. Reliable service is worth paying for.
MID does not experience frequent electrical vault fires or have power lines start fires like other California companies do. What happened in Santa Rosa? Do you remember the electrical fires in downtown San Francisco?
MID keeps up on maintenance. “For profit” utilities cut corners and underpay employees, resulting in service degradation.
Do farmers pay too little for water? Farmers grow our food. Their irrigation practices recharge the ground water supply. Should farmers pay urban rates when they provide major social benefits critical to our survival?
MID is well run. Please don’t elect someone who will muck it up.
Bruce R. Frohman, Modesto
This story was originally published October 24, 2017 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Bruce R. Frohman: MID is well run, don’t elect someone who will muck it up."