Harvey, those two extreme positions leave a large middle ground of other options. I don't think Dale and I are that far off. I think Dale is trying to find a balance but it comes across to me as being overly defensive of LADWP.
I don't read anyone asking LADWP to give the land or the water back. They won the battle. LA would not be the LA we know today if they didn't get this water supply 100 yrs ago. The conveyance system they built is amazing.
However, when any large entity buys out an entire area to extract the resources, be it water, or minerals, or whatever, that entity has an obligation to address the impacts they are causing to the people of that area and the environment. Most every company in that position is sensitive to their image and they make an effort to be seen as a good steward. In the case of LADWP, they have created a perception of a feudal land baron lording over the residents with a team of aggressive lawyers - fighting about Mono Lake, the worst dust bowl in the country, and every last drop of water. They lose most of the cases, but they know they can bury any small town in legal fees, especially Mammoth who's already reeling from a development scheme-gone-bad lawsuit.
When you're in a deep hole, the first rule is to stop digging. LADWP could do that and start reinventing themselves at any point. What's more "LA" than that? It will take time and it has to be sincere, but its entirely possible. One major problem is the revolving door of management turnover that's been happening in the last decade. The bigger question is, do they even care what people think of them?
