Addressing Increase in Water Bills
Doubling water bills in one of America’s poorest regions? Shame!
Shame on the Fresno City Council if they should dare to double home water bills after years of squandering the public money on projects that have nothing to do with providing essential municipal services!
Water is a human being’s primal necessity. Our state’s policy says that every Californian has a human right to safe, clean, affordable and accessible drinking water.
Does doubling the cost of water sound affordable in our poor community?
The Fresno City Council has been told that the doubling of rates is needed to fund $410 million worth of new facilities and infrastructure that has been neglected.
Neglected? Who neglected it?
You know what a city government’s main function is? To provide essential services such as police, fire, parks, roads and libraries.
Yet, according to CalWatchdog, most of Fresno’s budget deficits involve nonessential municipal services involved with redevelopment such as its convention center fund, expansion, the zoo and the parking fund.
And let’s not forget Fresno’s downtown stadium. Who was left holding debt? Yep, you guessed it. The City of Fresno.
Once again, we are the victims of city officials putting the burden of their horrible financial judgments on the backs of those who can least afford it.
Don’t shrug your shoulders and say there is nothing you can do! You can!
If you are the owner of record for a parcel or parcels subject to the proposed rate changes, you can write a written protest to the City Clerk.
According to the city, a written protest must contain a description of the parcel, including the assessor’s parcel number, and the signature of the property owner or tenant.
Your letter has to be received before the public hearing on Aug. 15.
You can personally deliver the letter to the City Clerk or mail it to City of Fresno, City Clerk, 2600 Fresno St., Fresno, CA 93721.
Write a letter and encourage family, friends and others to do the same. Don’t let the city’s bad judgment hurt our city’s most vulnerable.
Elaine Wohl
Fresno
Fresno Nonprofits Should Think Now About Applying for LPFM
This Oct. 15, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will open a five-day application window for nonprofits across the country to apply for a free low-power FM (LPFM) radio license. This is only the second time that the FCC has opened the opportunity for nonprofits to use the public airwaves for hyper-local content and programming. Fresno nonprofits should begin to evaluate this opportunity today, as the application can take up to a few months to complete, and that is the time frame that is remaining.
Some potential uses for LPFM are recruiting volunteer and financial support, organizing, telling stories that don’t make it to commercial media, publicizing meetings and events, serving as a community resource for youth education, community news and exposure for local artists and musicians.
Brown Paper Tickets has been reaching out to nonprofits in Fresno to make them aware of this opportunity, as a part of its Doer Program for community engagement. The ticketing and event registration company is also offering nonprofits free counsel at whatever stage of the application process they are in. Nonprofits can view Brown Paper Tickets’ LPFM resources online at http://community.brownpapertickets.com/Doers/radio.html.
Sabrina Roach
Doer specializing in public interest media at Brown Paper Tickets
