Spanish-speaking-only residents said they weren’t informed of
city sewage-rate hikes
”
It’s not good and I can’t afford it.
”
That was the basic battle cry coming from Spanish-speaking
residents when The Pinnacle did a man-on-the-street straw poll this
week regarding the new sewage rates approved by the Hollister City
Council this week.
Spanish-speaking-only residents said they weren’t informed of city sewage-rate hikes
“It’s not good and I can’t afford it.”
That was the basic battle cry coming from Spanish-speaking residents when The Pinnacle did a man-on-the-street straw poll this week regarding the new sewage rates approved by the Hollister City Council this week.
Pinnacle reporters speaking Spanish asked opinions from Hispanic residents in front of Hollister Super Market on Third and San Benito streets. All polled were extremely unhappy about the news: not only are they outraged about the sewage rate hikes, four out of six said they didn’t even know the council had voted on it.
City officials acknowledge one flyer they sent out to all city residents about the decisive meeting on the sewage bill hike had the wrong date on it: it read “Monday, Sept. 4” instead of “Tuesday, Sept. 5.” Sept. 4 was Labor Day and all government offices were closed.
The questions asked of folks going in and out of Hollister Super were:
Q: Did you know that within three years, the city will charge you $124 – up from the current $31.30 – for your monthly sewage bill? How do you feel about the rate increase?”
· “It’s not good. It’s not logical! And I didn’t know anything about it. It would be OK if they upped my pay per hour that much, but I’m getting minimum wage – because I’m doing work that white people don’t want to do.”
î ºPablo Gomez, Milgard employee, Hollister
· “There’s no way to pay it. It’s going to be very, very difficult.”
î ºCruz Gomez, Christopher Ranch employee, Hollister
· “It’s too much. And no, I didn’t know about it. They never told us. Water and electricity are also really high, so for us on a pension, it doesn’t leave any money for food. It’s just not good.”
î ºTeresa Silva, mom, Hollister
· “I paid it today! I don’t like it. With what one makes, you can’t pay that. They (the city council) should have asked the opinions of the people first.”
î ºMiguel Cortez, carpenter, Hollister
· “I heard about this. That’s really, really high! I don’t think it’s right. They (the council) could have done something else to solve the problem. I don’t think they looked at all their options.”
î ºMarcela Jimenez, Corbin employee, Hollister
· “I protested it! We all signed petitions down at the school district to protest the higher sewage rates. For some of us, like me and my friends, this is going to be as high as my (property) taxes! I’m a homeowner, but I can’t afford that because I’m on a fixed income. I’m ready to retire but I can’t, I still have to work. What I’m worried about is, what are the older people on fixed incomes going to do? It’s scary. Very scary. This government we have here in San Benito County – and I’m talking about the city council and the county supervisors – they just don’t listen. They’re just like (President) Bush. You tell them what the problem is but they just don’t care.”
î ºRuby Zamorez, migrant education recruiter, Hollister School District, Hollister
