Robert LeFevre: Without The Bee, we won’t have a watchdog

Re “Think MID’s rates are low? You’d better think again” (Front page, June 5): Thanks to The Bee and reporter Garth Stapley for the thorough and detailed expose of the MID electric rates. For years I assumed rates were competitive because of access to hydroelectric power. Numbers and data can be manipulated, but the article gave both sides. Sweet deals for industry might make sense based on employment brought into the county. But let’s not make these deals too sweet.

MID does promote groundwater health and recharge. Good idea, and I am willing to chip in. Let’s recharge, but not overcharge. My initial reaction to the discrepancy in rates was a degree of anger, but then, wow this is complicated. This special report detailed numerous sides of the issue. These are not black-or-white, wet-or-dry, night-or-day issues.

MID has policies to subsidize lower income individuals, but it also appears some very wealth folks are being subsidized. Bottom line, reporting of this high caliber does not come cheap. In addition to the comics and the Jumble, I subscribe to The Bee to support an important watchdog in our community. It is ironic the company (MID) that is supposed to keep the lights on tries to keep the rest of us in the dark. I hope others will see the light and keep The Bee on the forefront of issues important to our citizens.

This story was originally published June 7, 2016 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Robert LeFevre: Without The Bee, we won’t have a watchdog."