Have you had a problem like this with the Soquel Water District?
I had an underground pipe leak for days, undetected. Once I found it, I reported it to the Water District, which turned the water off until I could get it repaired. Then, they sent me a $500 bill for the leak.
On its website, the company allows you to ask for a rebate for a leak, which I did, and it cut my bill in half, but it was still considerably more than the $100 or so bill I have monthly.
When I called to protest and ask for help, I was told that the company policy was to pay for half the water lost in a leak because the broken pipe was my responsibility.
Most customers, the person on the phone said, think that’s fair and are happy the company is doing anything at all for customers.
Is that what you think? Am I crazy to think the company should do more, like pick up the whole tab?
One thing they do right is keep accurate records of water use and my bill clearly showed the leak. My bills also show my consistency monthly use over years and years. I suggested that they knock the bill down to what it is every month, but no dice.
This is government on a small, local level and it shows me that it really isn’t serving the people. The company is a monopoly. We have no other way to get water (and don’t get me started on PG&E) and you might think it would understand that I had no control over the leak of a broken underground pipe and cut what I thought should be a fair deal.
Am I wrong here? Please let me know at [email protected]
Looking a step further, I see the current federal government has dropped a law passed by the previous administration requiring airlines to pay customers when flights are unreasonably delayed. That seemed fair for anyone missing weddings, stuck in airports ruining vacations… but the current president dropped that consumer protection, not wanting to cut into the airlines’ profits or offend companies that donated to his inauguration (Delta, United and Boeing each gave $1 million). There’s a pattern here, on a consumer, local level. The people aren’t valued by companies or the government supposedly monitoring them.
Sorry to start the year off on a negative tone, but maybe it’s time we all stood up more for what’s right and fair?
On another topic, I’m relieved the Regional Transportation Commission finally, finally, finally realized a 32-mile train from Watsonville to Davenport was too costly for the county at $4.2-$6.4 billion dollars to build and some $40 million a year to maintain every year.
The local government spent more than $15 million of our tax dollars to out-of-area companies, researching this pipe dream. They had an election that focused on whether people wanted a train and the measure won, but the real figures were never given to the public. I imagine it would have changed things if people knew how deeply into their pockets they would have to reach.
Personally, I think the politicians who spent the money on a senseless dream should have to reach into their pockets to cover our costs. Maybe we’ll charge them only half the fee, like the water district does.
On the up side of all this: the RTC now is considering covering the tracks and making those 32 miles kid, wheelchair and bike friendly, something they should have done from the start. Hats off to that. Our kids will finally have someplace safe to bike because our streets are definitely not safe for riders. We have one of the highest per capita injury and death rate for cyclists in the state and that train wasn’t going to help. A path away from cars certainly will. It will also be a tourist attraction, like the path in Monterey on which tracks were covered and tourists come to ride.
The RTC kept the door open for a train in 20 years and, sure, if we become a big city like Miami, that could be a good idea. But until then… nope.
One of my goals for this year is to feature more community input into this mag, although everything in it now is written by locals. That’s something I’m proud of. I’d like to encourage you to submit ideas, letters, comments and keep this mag, which has been around for more than a quarter of a century, local, local, local.
Local content examples I’m happy with this month are two articles written by school kids about their trip to Asia. Their father, Steve Kettmann, is writing a book about how he took his kids out of school and gave them an education abroad. Check those two out and let me know what you think.
Thanks for reading and have a great 2026.
