Anger over IID PLA leads to confrontation

EL CENTRO — The Imperial Irrigation District board’s decision two weeks ago to go with a project labor agreement some feel favors unions over nonunion workers, boiled over at a local restaurant last week.

Farmer and businessman Steve Scaroni and IID Director Bruce Kuhn both were having a meal at Burgers & Beer, when the two wound up in a loud dispute on the fairness of the PLA.

Kuhn said he told Scaroni that the farmer was ill informed and did know what he was talking about. This statement, Kuhn said, really upset Scaroni.

Scaroni saw his discussion with Kuhn a lot differently.

He said it was an argument and a loud discussion of how Kuhn and the board are nothing more than two-bit politicians who have no concept of how businesses operate.

He added the IID directors fail to realize the PLA will raise all IID projects by 25 percent to 30 percent in cost by sending dollars and employment to out-of-county union shops.

Kuhn said Scaroni did not let him say much, but knew any answer he offered was not going to be well received.

“There is no reason for me to argue with a pig, because if I did we both would get muddy, and the pig likes it,” Kuhn said.

Scaroni said Kuhn does not get it because the PLA will result in workers not living in Imperial County getting the work on IID projects.

“People like Kuhn do not understand that,” he said.

Kuhn said he understands business, as he has owned four of them, and added they did quite well.

He said when Scaroni approached him at the restaurant, the farmer called him and the rest of the IID board stupid and inept for their decisions on the PLA.

“He just unloaded on me,” he said. “It was just a diatribe because he did not care what I had to say.”

Scaroni said he questioned Kuhn on why the board does not want to hear from the public on this item.

“I also challenged him. If it’s such a great deal in having a PLA why don’t you have a workshop so the community can hear why it’s such a good deal,” he said. “Those of us who run businesses know it’s not a good deal.”

IID Director James Hanks, who voted against the PLA two weeks ago, made a motion to have a workshop, but the motion did not get a second, so it died.

Scaroni added there are a bunch of IID directors who have never done much more business than purchase a home and probably there is still someone on the board who has been or is still living at home with his or her parents.

Kuhn said Scaroni sent him an apology, which he called disingenuous, for his actions at the restaurant, though Scaroni said the apology had nothing to do with how he and others feel about the PLA and only dealt with the personal attacks.

While the PLA had already been approved, Kuhn said the negotiations to set the parameters still have to be completed.