The Rape of the Ratepayer:  The BWD board at work

At the BWD board meeting on 21 January 2008, the board reluctantly revisited its decision on 17 December 2008 granting themselves and their dependents a platinum health insurance plan for free.

There were a number of people at the meeting most of whom opposed the board’s actions judging by the applause that greeted condemnation of them.  The audience was much smaller than it should have been, however, given the number of irate comments about the insurance scam after it came to light.  That is unfortunate because the only thing the board responds to is a show of force.  Reasoned arguments and attempts to appeal to their sense of fair play inevitably fall on deaf ears and are sometimes drowned out by there snoring.

Neither the board nor the General Manager, Rich Williamson, was anxious to talk about the matter and the lot of them tried to get past it as fast as they could.  The GM tried to filibuster to prevent those in attendance from asking questions and the board members where either silent and non-responsive or responded with meaningless utterances and non-sequiturs.  None of them could justify their actions and all of them displayed utter contempt for the ratepayers present, incredible arrogance, and an imperious sense of absolute entitlement.  As soon as she thought she could get away with it, the new chair, Kathy King, abruptly cutoff discussion and moved on to the next agenda item without resolution of the matter or so much as a by-your-leave.  It was, in all, a pathetic, frustrating, and disgusting, but not surprising, display of a small number of small people flexing power that is totally out of proportion to their extremely limited abilities and wholly inadequate principals, morals, and ethics.

Worse yet, there seems to be no way to rein in this out-of-control flock of turkeys.  It won't happen without a widespread show of public outrage, which, in Borrego, is not likely.  Most Borregans will, as usual, just bitch and moan and then roll-over.  Sad but true.