By Pat Orr
For The Apple Valley Review
The election a week from today will set the course for our town for years to come. The current council has been a part of a valleywide cooperative effort to jointly market and attract new business.
The “love fest” with the leaders in Hesperia and Victorville is a far cry from the old days when we tried to outmaneuver each other and subtly promote ourselves while dismissing our neighbors as sub-par.
Clearly with the state torpedoing any chance to get redevelopment funds to entice manufacturing or light industrial businesses has hurt every city in the Victor Valley. Working together is a logical solution, but you have to have peace at home before you can reach out to others.
The Apple Valley Town Council has been unusually professional, competent and friendly with each other in the last few years. Inter-council fights and personal attacks have stopped. With some past and future changes in Hesperia and Victorville, those councils seemed to have “settled down” too. Council members “jockeying” for political headlines because they have their sights set on higher office often can undermine the effort to bring a council together.
It will be fascinating to see if Apple Valley voters, who for the most part have seen the disastrous results of “change” as a political goal at the national level, will buy the argument that change now is best for our town.
Scare a kid this week
Forget all this Harvest Festival nonsense, it’s Halloween time! Why do you think these Zombie TV shows and horror movies are so popular? We love to be scared. I’m not suggesting you join a Coven of Witches somewhere off in the boonies, just enjoy the experience and share it with the wee ones.
There is no greater joy than watching the Little Princess run screaming from the porch when the headless dummy comes to life you have carefully arranged to greet her.
Yes, it could be construed as cruel but have you ever seen a Princess that didn’t have to face the evil King or Queen eventually?
Look at it as a “teachable moment,” not child abuse.
Soon Halloween and candy will be banned by the politically correct and dietary police. I believe there is a Democratic Assemblyman in the Bay Area crafting some “Pumpkin Rights” legislation, even now. Enjoy it while you still can.
Declining reappointment a positive sign?
You may have missed the news that California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Peevey announced last week that he wouldn’t accept a third six-year term as the Commission President.
Peevey, you see, has been caught repeatedly being too cozy with the utility companies he is supposed to regulate, most lately Pacific Gas and Electric. Many of us who have sat through CPUC hearings locally have felt that the wolf has been guarding the sheep for too long.
Many CPUC employees are coming from or on their way to a job at one of the utilities they are supposed to regulate. A total house cleaning and redesign of the entire regulatory framework would be a welcome sign of a willingness to actually help California residents. But don’t hold your breath.
It is in the best interest of the utility companies — and the politicians to whom they donate — to keep the entire process as complex and murky as possible, lest we simple rate payers get a glimpse of what really goes on.
Pat Orr is a local business owner, communityvolunteer and political junkie.