It is not in the individual interests of South San Joaquin Irrigation District board members for the district to enter the retail power business.

By doing so, they open themselves up to an entire repertoire of potential political currents that could ultimately cost them their seats. Right now, they are on the radar primarily of farmers who take delivery of irrigation water. Although everyone in the district votes - rural and urban as well as irrigator and non-irrigator - the only folks who have a day-to-day interest are farmers that irrigate.

While SSJID provides treated water indirectly to Manteca and plays a key role in the storm runoff system, it is a role that hardly anyone gives much thought. Putting them farther out of the limelight is the fact hey haven’t had a need to increase taxes of any kind on property for well over three decades and counting.

They do campaign throughout the specific area they represent when they do run but the constituency that is always the most vocal - and virtually assured to vote - are the farmers that irrigate.

That will likely change if SSJID replaces PG&E as the retail power provider in Manteca, Ripon, and Escalon. The five elected directors will be placing themselves in the line of fire even more so.

As it is right now, if a farmer is having problems with SSJID and calls a director, the elected leader immediately starts pushing for results. If they didn’t they’d be ran out of office.

That is why the move to retail power has the potential of putting an even bigger target on the back of SSJID directors and making them more vulnerable to the public’s frustration.

Taking the attitude of what’s best for the community is nothing new for the elected folks who serve on the SSJID board. They are simply following a 103-year tradition. There was no hesitation when it became clear that the Tri Dam Project “profits” would bring in truckloads of money once the bonds were paid off. The board unanimously decided the money had to go to the maximum benefit of all in the SSJID. And the best way to do that under the authority granted to irrigation districts by the California constitution was to move into retail power to lower rates and improve reliability.

Not only will you be able to directly complain to an SSJID director if you have a power issue but you can vote them out of office. You can’t do that with a PG&E director.

Elected SSJID board members are paid $1,000 a month regardless of the number of board meetings and committee meetings they attend.

PG&E directors, on the other hand, are paid $30,000 a year according to the PG&E Corp proxy statement.  In addition, they receive a $1,000 fee for each board meeting or board committee meeting they attend. They also receive stock options.

It goes without saying SSJID would give Manteca, Ripon, and Escalon consumers greater accountability when it comes to retail power issues and costs.

And it would be with people they can stop at the grocery store and unload on who are not CEOs pulling down multi-million dollar salaries from other companies of which many do business with PG&E.



This column is the opinion of managing editor, Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Bulletin or Morris Newspaper Corp. of CA.  He can be contacted at dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com or 209-249-3519.