The Now Unhidden Costs of Desal in Marin

Posting these words of a friend:
Hello all,

One of the reasons, not the only of course, big money flows into campaigns the last minute is timing. Newspapers just don't have the staff available anymore to do the kind of investigative reporting we were accustomed to seeing. They don't have enough reporters to be able to send someone to the Civic Center daily to get copies of the 497s.

I have always been about full transparency because information is power, and in this day and age of communications, information can go viral in a matter of hours with YouTube and Facebook. Voters need to see where campaign contributions for candidates and measures are coming from so they can make up their own minds, informed decisions. That is the reason the California Fair Political Practices Commission exists and requires this kind of in depth public disclosure.

The MMWD is running Measure S, the bait and switch measure, competing with Measure T which was qualified by Marin's residents.

It's called the Committee to Support Marin County Measure S and Oppose Marin County Measure T. MMWD wants a shovel ready project with all plans, specs and state and federal permits in hand before having to go before voters for construction approval.

Campaign contribution information is available on-line at the Marin Registrar of Voters website and once late filings with the late contributions are added, it creates quite a mosaic of just who will benefit from the first of the desal plants proposed for our severely compromised Bay. MMWD's project is the stalking horse for desal projects proposed by four public agencies including East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).

First, lets connect the dots then look at where the money is coming from. You know the old saying, follow the money.

Doug Linney, President of the EBMUD Board of Directors, is pushing desalination on his side of the Bay. He is also running the campaigns for Mr. Behar, President of the MMWD Board and Desal's major proponent, other MMWD incumbents and the Yes on Measure S, No on Measure T.

The SF PUC is Mr. Behar's employer.

Mr. Heliker, formerly the California Director for the Department of Pesticide Regulation, is the General Manager for MMWD.
Mr. Heliker is also the Assistant Treasurer for the Yes on S, No on T Campaign and actually the point person for the MMWD's campaign.

According to earlier FPPC filings, Yes on S, No on T:

Mr. Heliker loaned the Yes on S, No on T campaign $4,000 and contributed $1,000.

Friends of Hal Brown, $1,000. (that money originally comes from Hal Brown's contributors)

Friends of Steve Kinsey, $1,000. (that money originally comes from Steve Kinsey's contributors)

Conservation Strategies Group, $2,500 (MMWD's Desal Sacramento Lobbying and Consultant Group)

Gary Oates, Environmental Science Associates, $2,500 (MMWD Desal Consultants)

Northern California Carpenters Political Action Committee, $10,000

Late Filings, 497s:

Paul Heliker, Mgr. MMWD, $1,000. (cumulative, $6,000)

Kennedy/Jenks, MMWD's South San Francisco Desal Consultant, $5,000.

Jonathan Frieman, entrepreneur, $1,000.

Hanson Bridget, LLP, $1,000. (former Supervisor Gary Giacomini's law firm)

Marin Builders Association PAC, $1,000 (former Supervisor Peter Arrigoni is PAC Chair)

Remy, Thomas, Moose and Manley, Sacramento CA, $1,500. (MMWD's Sacramento Legal Consultants contracted with to advise and defend the Board on Desal)

CH2M Hill, $1,500. (MMWD Desal consultant)

The Dutra Group, San Rafael, CA. $2,500 (Pt. San Pedro Rock Quarry)

Simeon Realty Partners, San Francisco, CA $2,000. (reportedly owns the office building across from the Larkspur Ferry Terminal that sits on land that MMWD leases to them).

Northern California Carpenters PAC, $5,000 (total to date, $15,000)

The MMWD's Desal EIR states the small 5 million gallon per day Plant will allow for 13,800 new residential units and that equates to 28,000 new residents. Their optional 15 MGD Plant will supply enough water for 80,000 additional residents. This info is all readily available in the EIR and Legal Complaint.

Any Facebook or YouTube Techies out there?