Last week’s Idyllwild Water District story and editorial about the board deciding to postpone a meeting illicited a rant from one IWD director.

He took it so personally that he said unless we publish an apology to him in the paper, he will never answer a question JP or I ask him again. I asked if he wanted to run it as a letter to the editor and he wrote, “No.”

If we’re tough on public officials, it’s because we hold them to a higher standard. If a water board fails to manage its own conduct properly, how can it manage the water safely? If we can’t trust how it determines a simple thing such as a quorum for a meeting, how can we trust that our water is being managed safely?

We should, as a public watchdog, be tough on our local public agencies.

If the city of Flint, Michigan — which is under more scrutiny than the little ole water districts here on the Hill — could get away with lead contamination for that long, why couldn’t something like that happen here?

You know what, I’m tough on Idyllwild Water, I’m tough on Idyllwild Fire and right now, I’m tough on the propane companies because I think something is fishy in all three places.

I know a lot of you don’t agree with me on Idyllwild Fire but beware, your wallet may get hit with IFPD’s irresponsible spending in the next year or so. It says it needs more revenue.

Those who disagree on that are probaby the same people who elected new IWD board members because you didn’t like your water rates jumping up so high. You’re emailing, calling and coming in to the office to complain about the unfairness of your propane rates, too.

If we can’t afford higher rates, then we can certainly afford to be tough on  our public representatives.

Becky Clark, Editor