Why vote Yes on Measure W

85% of all U.S. residents own their own water systems. Only a few communities -- including ours -- get their water from for-profit companies. And very, very few get their water from a foreign-owned conglomerate like Cal-Am/RWE.

We already pay among the highest water rates in California, and are being told that we must double what we currently pay for our water. In fact, if Cal-Am has its way, our rates will triple in five years.

A publicly owned system has many advantages.
• It is local and accountable to you.
• It doesn't charge you extra so that it can earn a profit.
• It can issue debt for system improvements at low rates
• It has access to state and federal grants
• It is tax exempt

For a one-time charge of an average of $14 per water connection, we can fund an independent analysis of Cal-Am's value and the process required to acquire its water distribution system.

For more that 50 years we have entrusted our water to for-profit companies, most lately, the California-American Water Company monopoly.

Cal-Am's incompetent stewardship has resulted in:
• Illegally taking massive amounts of water from the Carmel River.
• Over pumping the Seaside basin.

Its poor management and maintenance has led to:
• Many water-wasting system leaks
• Loss of storage capacity.
• Poor customer service.

As a for-profit business Cal-Am is allowed to charge us almost 10% above its actual costs, as a profit – regardless of its poor care of our water system and its failure to serve our needs. We cannot leave our water in Cal-Am’s hands.

The need to repair leaking pipes, replace antiquated pumps, and fix the silted-up and seismically dangerous dam, plus possible penalties for 10 years of overpumping the Carmel River, lowers the value of Cal-Am’s system.

We believe remedying these problems will cost less under public ownership. Plus, a public owner is more accountable for system maintenance.

Measure W designates no specific agency as the owner of the system following public acquisition. Rather, Measure W’s investigation will make clear the various public ownership options for our consideration.

We urge you to vote "YES" on Measure W to investigate a publicly owned alternative to Cal-Am.