McFarland mayor offers comments on water report
Reader: As mayor of the city of McFarland, I feel compelled to address and correct several inaccuracies and oversights presented in The Bakersfield Californian’s article (“As summertime looms, McFarland residents may have to choose dirty water — or no water at all,” March 17) on our city’s water crisis and management issues. It’s essential for our community to understand the comprehensive efforts and progress we’ve made.
Upon my election as a council member in 2020, before becoming mayor, I encountered challenges, including incomplete audits since 2016 and high departmental turnover. Contrary to the portrayal of these issues persisting unaddressed, significant organizational changes were initiated to realign McFarland’s trajectory. A key move was hiring Diego Viramontes, a certified public accountant with deep municipal finance experience, as finance director. Diego’s leadership modernized our budget process, actively involving council members, city staff and the community, and updated all pending audits. Furthermore, the retirement of our city manager, Kenny Williams, was part of a planned transition. I appointed Viramontes as city manager to ensure continuity. Mr. Williams continues to advise on special projects, showcasing our strategic planning and seamless transition.
The article also criticized our expenditure of $6,000 monthly on outside consultants for well operations oversight. This decision, driven by fiscal prudence, covers both water and wastewater operations to maintain regulatory compliance.
It’s a cost-effective strategy compared to employing a full-time staff member with similar expertise, underlining our commitment to responsible public fund management.
Maria Jacinto’s critique regarding the city’s transparency and community engagement over the water crisis warrants clarification. McFarland has proactively communicated with residents about the nitrate issue, outlining immediate and long-term solutions. We’ve pursued state and federal funding, including applications for the Urgent Drinking Water Grant program and a permanent treatment facility at Browning Road Well. These efforts, alongside regular council meeting discussions, reflect our dedication to transparent governance and community involvement.
Addressing the turnover within the water department, it’s important to highlight our commitment to enhancing operational capabilities through strategic hiring. Yerlys Hernandez, our new public works director, and other certified professionals in key positions reflect our drive toward excellence and reliability in city services.
Lastly, the reliance on Maria Jacinto as the sole community perspective in the article is concerning. Her critiques, influenced by personal grievances and a history of discontent with city policies, question the objectivity of her claims. It’s disappointing that the article does not reflect the broader community sentiment, which is more understanding and supportive of the city’s efforts to resolve its challenges.
In conclusion, McFarland is actively working toward sustainable solutions for our water crisis, demonstrating fiscal responsibility, and engaging with our community every step of the way. Despite the challenges, our city’s collective efforts are aimed at ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents, guided by transparent, informed decision-making and strategic planning.
— Saul Ayon, mayor of McFarland
Peterson: Thank you for your letter. I have reviewed your letter and the news report. You state there were “several inaccuracies.” What I see is you have provided additional information.
I disagree with your contention that the report presents a “portrayal of these issues persisting unaddressed.” In fact, the story goes into extensive detail about what the city has done and is trying to do to address water issues, and the city’s efforts to secure state funds to help.
You state: “The article also criticized our expenditure of $6,000 monthly on outside consultants for well operations oversight.”
This is the exact sentence from the story: “The city currently pays $6,000 monthly for outside consultants to oversee some well operations.” That does not read like criticism to me; it is a fact you’re not disputing.
Finally, Maria Jacinto shares her opinion on the water situation, just as you have shared your stance here. It seems you’re both entitled to your opinion.
If McFarland resolves its water challenges, we’ll be happy to report that.
Reader: Concerning the article on the Wendy Wayne awards (“Institute names Wendy Wayne Ethics Award winners for 2024”) of Monday, I am quite a bit confused.
An adult honorable mention was given to Dani Muñoz, who apparently is a person who uses they/them pronouns. But, in each case where Muñoz is quoted, she/he says “I am,” “I have,” and so on. “What really motivates me” is a partial quote, and it illustrates that standard English is being used by Muñoz.
Only in the journalist’s description of the interview are the pronouns they and them used. This is consistently true throughout the article.
So the interviewee, who is said to be nonbinary, and the reporter, who is of the journalistic gender, are speaking two different languages.
That’s not surprising, since the use of nontraditional pronouns forces our language into some surprising corners.
I would have thought that the journalist would use standard English, in a dispassionate way, to describe and explain the subject matter. And the person interviewed would speak in their usual manner.
Instead, the journalist is using a perplexing, virtually incomprehensible language, and the interviewee is speaking good ol’ United States!
Surely someone is misunderstanding the role of the journalist, or overestimating the degree of empathy required to report a complex condition.
— Larry Dunn, Bakersfield
Peterson: Reporter Melanie Nguyen, who wrote this story, responds:
For this story, Dani Muñoz chooses to identify using they/them pronouns. However, when Muñoz describes themself in the quotes that I used, they talked to me using first-person pronouns.
So for example, if I was talking about an award that I was proud of, I would not say “She was proud of the award that she won,” or “what motivates her” when I am referring to myself. I would say “I am proud of the award that I won,” when referencing myself, but other people who reference me would use she/her pronouns to identify me.
So it is a difference of first-person and third-person pronouns more so than it is a difference between gender-neutral pronouns. Muñoz refers to themself using first-person pronouns, but when I as the reporter write about Muñoz, I would then use they/them pronouns to paraphrase what Muñoz described to me.
My take: Language is evolving. And we try to respect how people describe themselves while being clear for readers. Yes, it can be complicated.
The Associated Press, whose stylebook we follow, offers this guidance:
“Growing numbers of people, including some transgender, nonbinary, agender or gender-fluid people, use they/them/ their as a gender-neutral singular personal pronoun.
“As much as possible, AP also uses they/ them/their as a way of accurately describing and representing a person who uses those pronouns for themself.
“Here are some guidelines and perspectives.
“They as a singular pronoun may be confusing to some readers and amount to a roadblock that stops them from reading further. At the same time, though, efforts to write without pronouns to avoid confusion may make people feel censored or invisible.
“How to balance those priorities? Try to honor both your readers and your story subjects. As in all news writing, clarity is paramount.
“Often a sentence can be sensitively and smoothly written with no pronoun. For example: Hendricks said the new job is a thrill (instead of Hendricks said Hendricks is thrilled about the new job or Hendricks said they are thrilled about the new job).”
Executive Editor Christine L. Peterson answers your questions and takes your complaints about The Californian’s news coverage in this feedback forum. Questions may be edited for space and clarity. To offer your input, email us at soundoff@bakersfield.com. Please include your name and phone number; your phone number won’t be published.