Patricia Bowers: Electricity users don’t pay all the costs involved in providing power

I just finished reading “Farm water prices hiked 20% by board” (Page 1A, April 20) and I am astounded at the ignorance of people. The electric services provided through Modesto Irrigation Distrcit are generated through the water MID controls, the water farmers use to grow the food everyone eats – including electricity users.

MID is not an electricity company but an irrigation district! To everyone wanting farmers to bear all of the cost of the water being used to grow foods that everyone eats, are you aware that MID does not charge its electricity users for the land used to erect the electricity poles on the canal banks? For the maintenance of these areas? For the maintenance of the electricity poles themselves? Nor for the manpower it takes to provide the electricity?

A thought: Since MID is charging farmers who grow everyone’s food for all of the water used, MID needs to begin charging those who are only electricity users, and not farmers, for the land use for the poles, maintenance costs, as well as any other charges the electricity users are not charged! Land is expensive, and so is farming.

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 11:27 AM with the headline "Patricia Bowers: Electricity users don’t pay all the costs involved in providing power."