[GPSCC-chat] Water District Conflict of Interest

[Gerry Gras]

Wes Rolley wrote:
> How many readers live withing the boundaries of District 6 of the Santa
> Clara Valley Water District?  That District is mostly in the E and Cent.
> portions of San Jose. A link to the map of the district can be found
> online here
> <http://valleywater.org/About/Board_of_Directors/District_Boundaries.aspx>
> but takes a long time to download at 14 B.

It took me about 30 minutes to download the map.
But you do not need to download the map.  You
can enter your address and it will tell you what
district you are in.


>
> With important issues regarding the Governor's plan for a pair of hugely
> costly tunnels as the ":California Water Fix", the makeup of the Water
> District's Board is especially important.  They are being asked to
> guarantee funding for the tunnels.
>
> It would appear that District 6 Director, Tony Estremera, has a conflict
> of interest in that he is also listed as CoChair of the California
> Latino Water Caucus, reported by the media as being a greenwashed front
> organization for the Westlands Water District.  I would urge all of you
> to read a recent story from the NY Times
> <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/31/us/farmers-try-political-force-to-twist-open-californias-taps.html?_r=0>
> and the editorial from the Mercury News
> <http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_29446629/mercury-news-editorial-stop-delta-tunnel-water-madness>
> last week.

After reading the Mercury story, I wonder how the CEO of the board
was chosen, considering his bias.

Gerry

>
> I am suggesting that all of us living within the district boundaries
> contact our own district directors (mine is John Varela, once a mayor of
> Morgan Hill.   Express the point of view that Estremera should recuse
> himself from any votes involving the tunnels and how to pay for them
> while still connected to Westlands PR operations.
>
> Those who do live in his district should make sure that their neighbors
> understand that he is not necessarily acting on their behalf, but has
> direct ties to very wealthy power players in the CA Water Wars.
>
>
> --
> "Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't,
> then you are wasting your time on this Earth" - /Roberto Clemente/
>
>
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