"Wealthy people who invest their money through these investment firms have decided that these small rural water companies offer a great opportunity to make some money," Frederick said. "They want to squeeze more profits out of the cash flow."Note: We know of at least one investor-owned water utility in the area that could use a good investigation . . . it is long overdue. If you agree, please let Senator Watson know your feelings. The first public hearing is scheduled July 28 at the state Capitol.
Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to Sen. Watson at kirk.watson@senate.state.tx.us, 512.463.0114, or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the story
Austin American-Statesman | By Asher Price June 30 2011 – A group of Texas senators, led by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, will investigate water and sewage rate increases by investor-owned utilities affecting thousands of people across Texas, including those in subdivisions in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties.
The decision to investigate rates comes after Monarch Utilities, a division of California-based SouthWest Water Co., filed an application in late May to raise rates beginning Aug. 1 for water and wastewater customers.
Once the rate increase goes into effect, a typical Monarch customer could pay rates that are more than twice as high as those for the average water utility customer in a Texas city, according to Watson's office.
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For a little more info, go to www.kirkwatson.com and click on "Watson, Nichols to lead investigation into water utility rates increases."
State Sens. Watson and Robert Nichols are the co-chairs of the group conducting the hearing in Austin on July 28.
How about sexual predator owned local water utilities?
Oh no, not more pinko commie liberal interference in the good old American tradition of predatory profiteering with our water.
Why, isn't water manufacturered, and not free from nature and God's love?
If you want to invest in predatory publicly-traded water companies, just invest in PHO, an electronically traded mutual fund (ETF) that specializes in these paragons of profitable consumer survival. In fact, for you local yocals, Aqua Texas is one of the companies held in the PHO etf.
Good luck profiteering from the unfortunate hostage water delivery of others.
So now you can see that those folks that seek to eliminate your right to have a residential well are just interested in holding you hostage to one of these systems.
Think about that when your county commissioners, legislators, or other local government officials seek legislation to hold you hostage to these systems. They don't represent YOU.
The 2009 subdivision rules are one such example. This ill-conceived trash was the work product of former county commissioners and a few well-known ne'er-do-well groups here. The members of these groups expect to have wells and grandfather themselves in while seeking "rules" to prevent others from doing the same.
Find out which commissioners supported those rules and vote them out. Find out which so-called "non-profit" group lobbied to deny property owners a right to access water and demand that the county not pay them another DIME of your tax dollars.
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