Stories
Spinrise
By Don Bauder | Published Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The campaign to ballyhoo the proposed Sunrise Powerlink has one beneficial effect: it is shining light on how San Diego’s overlords try to use misinformation to manipulate public opinion.
San Diego Gas & Electric and its parent, Sempra Energy, want to build the 150-mile transmission line to bring, purportedly, solar power from Imperial Valley at a projected cost of $1.5 billion, which is probably grossly understated. Critics point out that the line would slash its way through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Grapevine Canyon, Santa Ysabel Canyon, and Rancho Peñasquitos, ending in Torrey Hills.
The state says that by the end of 2010, renewable energy must be 20 percent of major utilities’ deliveries. SDG&E is at a pitiful 6 percent and admits it probably won’t make the deadline. Southern California Edison is already at 16 percent and Pacific Gas & Electric at 12. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wants 33 percent renewable by 2020, and former vice president Al Gore wants the nation to hit 100 percent renewable in ten years. In theory, Sunrise Powerlink would help SDG&E meet its 2010 California bogey, although the company admits that there is no guarantee that Sunrise would bring in clean energy.
Sempra’s natural gas operation is the largest in the United States. Some say Sempra has a vested interest in sabotaging renewable energy. In this year’s report to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Sempra admits its business could be hurt by the push for clean, alternative energy. It wants to bring in questionable liquefied natural gas from Indonesia and burn it in its Rosarito plants, moving the power to Los Angeles, its major market. The Rosarito plant evades U.S. pollution requirements. “What they are doing is trying to build dependency on sources of power that they control,” says city attorney Mike Aguirre. “They are holding renewable energy hostage to Powerlink.” Aguirre is pushing for the building of solar and alternative energy facilities within the San Diego metropolitan area.
One of the groups battling Sunrise is Utility Consumers’ Action Network (UCAN), a 30,000-member organization that has fought every SDG&E rate-increase attempt since 1984, with many great successes. On Monday, July 14, the Union-Tribune wrote an editorial titled “Lucrative rip-off: SDG&E bills include interest-group costs.” The editorial was inaccurate and pathetically fatuous. The second sentence read, “But what few San Diego Gas & Electric customers know is that their monthly bills are higher because UCAN’s small staff has collected nearly $2 million from SDG&E ratepayers for intervening before the California Public Utilities Commission in opposition to SDG&E projects from 1989 to 2006.”
Think about that nonsense. SDG&E has 1.4 million customers, residential and business. The grand sum of $2 million spread over 17 years would make a tiny, tiny dent in bills received by more than a million customers annually. However, that claim of $2 million is inaccurate. The California Public Utilities Commission in 1981 set up a program by which intervenors in rate actions, such as UCAN, can get reimbursed for their work on a rate case. However, the commission’s intervenor compensation guide makes it clear that to be paid, an intervenor must make a “substantial contribution” to the rate-setting proceedings. In requesting compensation, an intervenor should weigh “the actual costs of your participation in the proceeding against the benefits achieved for ratepayers as a result of your participation.” Intervenors must show that their work did not duplicate that of others involved in the process.
Says Michael Shames, founder and head of UCAN, “The law says you can’t have intervenor compensation unless the benefits [to the ratepayer] exceed the cost [the intervenor] is seeking. There is not a scenario in which ratepayer bills could be higher because of what they pay to UCAN.”
The U-T’s editorial did not mention, of course, that on January 26, 2002, another editorial that appeared in the
U-T lauded Shames as a “consumers’ hero.” UCAN had challenged a deal cooked up in a back room by Sempra and former governor Gray Davis. UCAN won and saved the ratepayers $363 million, later reduced to $197 million. Said the editorial about UCAN, “Good work, guys.” If the U-T’s statement that UCAN has cost ratepayers $2 million over 17 years were accurate — and it is not accurate — even the U-T might understand that $197 million is a very good return on a $2 million investment. It’s even better on the actual investment: zero.
The July 14 editorial was written by Bob Kittle, the U-T’s editorial page editor. Kittle got information for his piece from SDG&E, says Shames, quoting a phone conversation he had with Kittle.
In an email, I asked Kittle about that. He shot back, “In fact, I received no information from SDG&E.” He explained that the information provided to him was given by Sempra, SDG&E’s parent. Hmmm. This isn’t even hairsplitting. It’s rank deception.
Then a spokeswoman for SDG&E told me, “We were contacted by the U-T and did provide information about UCAN intervenor fees.” But SDG&E or Sempra did not suggest or plant the editorial, she asserted. Remember, she is a spokeswoman for SDG&E, not Sempra. But I am not going to play that game. If she works for SDG&E, she works for Sempra.
Kittle’s editorial went on to claim that intervenor fees are a “multimillion-dollar rip-off for consumers” because the utilities commission already has a Division of Ratepayer Advocates, which supposedly represents the consumers. But those who follow these utility proceedings say that bureaucratic sclerosis and political pressure often render the ratepayer advocates ineffective and intervenor arguments frequently carry the day.
Getting even sillier, the editorial went on to criticize Shames for making $90,000 a year over a three-year period. This is peanuts. In big firms, first-year attorneys, right out of law school, can make $150,000. Shames has been practicing law for UCAN for 23 years. He says he charges $350 an hour and that this is half of what SDG&E’s outside lawyers charge. SDG&E would not reveal what it pays its outside attorneys. “Shames could make four times the money if he went to work for the industry,” says someone who has studied San Diego utilities for decades, noting that Sempra paid its chairman $9.5 million last year and its president $6.5 million.
Two days after the U-T’s fallacious editorial appeared, a group called Community Alliance for the Sunrise Powerlink, funded by SDG&E/Sempra, held a press conference to denounce project delays. Julie Meier Wright, cochair of the group, and also president of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, complained that the project won’t be finished until 2011 at the earliest. This is costing ratepayers $350,000 a day, she asserted, and it means the outdated South Bay Power Plant keeps belching pollution into the air. Shames says her statements were hogwash. Sempra’s economic assumptions for Sunrise have already been found unreliable by the utilities commission, he says. The $350,000 “is totally made up,” he says. And “it is a total fallacy that Sunrise is required in order for South Bay to be closed. Even if Sunrise is not operational until 2017, you don’t need South Bay to be operating.”
At the press conference, Wright plugged the U-T editorial. “Ratepayers pay for the intervenors,” she says she told the audience. Since there is already a Division of Ratepayer Advocates, “It’s an inherent conflict of interest. We pay for the delays, and we pay for the intervenors.” She claims she had not talked with Kittle before referring to the editorial. Shames thinks the editorial and press conference were orchestrated. I agree.
Meanwhile, Charles Langley of UCAN says the organization got “a tremendous surge of community support” as a result of the error-filled editorial. It brought in several new members. And some old members dropped their subscriptions to the U-T.
Regulated utilities in California are a worst case scenario since Michael R. Peevey was appointed President of the California Public Utilities Commission by Governor Gray Davis on December 31, 2002, after originally being appointed to the CPUC by Governor Davis in March 2002. The good news, we can only hope, is that his term expires December 31, 2008.
Governor Davis’s criminal stupidity was one of the root causes of the California and San Diego Energy Crisis of 2000, which he made even worse by appointing Mr. Peevey who had been President of Edison International and Southern California Edison Company, and a senior executive there beginning from 1984 to 1995. Governor Davis could not possibly have appointed anyone as President of the CPUC who was more corrupt than Peevey.
Gray Davis was most deservedly kicked out of the Governorship by the electorate, but Michael Peevey still remains as a root cause of all California and San Diego electric utility ratepayer problems today.
The fact is that until Michael Peevey is replaced by someone who is not just another worst case scenario corruption role model there is very little anyone can do to save the ratepayers from regulated public utilities in California.
Sadly, there has been no effective outrage from ratepayers and the electorate to make the right things happen, not even to remove Peevey after Davis was kicked out of office for his part in the Energy Crisis. So no changes can be expected even when his term expires because No One Really Cares, yet.
By Anon92107 12:40 p.m., Jul 30, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #1: I agree that Peevey is a problem for California ratepayers. The good news is that his term is up in December. But CPUC will probably get someone just as bad. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 1:14 p.m., Jul 30, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #2:
Two questions Don,
#1 – Why have California’s consumer advocates and the democratic legislature allowed Peevey to continue his policy of fleecing ratepayers with out of control utility rates for all these years since Davis was kicked out of office?
#2 – Why don’t our advocates and the legislature attack our rapidly escalating climate change and clean water problems by legislating and fast tracking the building of non-fossil fuel burning nuclear power plants combined with desalination plants along our coast instead of forcing the utilities to build unacceptably vulnerable and problematic transmission lines all over the countryside across the state so they can tie into global warming producing fossil fuel burning plants while we run out of clean water?
We really must get our priorities straight and force these issues through the legislature with a sense of urgency or face never-ending skyrocketing energy costs, power supply failures and climate change consequences like out of control firestorms along with failing clean water supplies that continue to destroy our agriculture industry and quality of life?
By Anon92107 3:39 p.m., Jul 30, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #3: There are several reasons for the legislature's recalcitrance: 1. The state is broke; 2. The legislature is dysfunctional; 3. There is still a lot of opposition to nuclear plants; 4. Desalination is expensive and consumers (voters) are hurting; 5. Much of the big money still pooh-poohs global warming; 6. Energy is extremely important, but it is not at the top of the public's priority list. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 4:38 p.m., Jul 30, 2008 > Report it
I don't understand all the opposition to the powerlink. The desert seems like the perfect place to generate solar power. Lots of open land getting cooked by the sun, just waiting to be utilized. It seems like environmentalists should be falling all over each other in their rush to endorse this. Instead I hear just the opposite. I don't get it. It seems like using the desert for a solar farm and running power lines through open land are about the most benign ways to utilize land I can think of. If it's the ugliness of your average high voltage tower, then make them nicer to look at. Take a lesson from the windmills in Palm Springs. We have to improve our power grid to improve our ability to distribute electricity, to make the best use of what different geographic regions have to offer. So what am I missing?
By rickeysays 10:14 p.m., Jul 30, 2008 > Report it
A Utah based company called IAUS (International Automated Systems Inc.) has developed a solar lens technology that transmits solar energy with an efficiency of 92%.
A California energy consortium has invested in the first stage of the project. Twenty specially designed solar towers are being erected close to the Great Basin in Delta, Utah. Each tower holds four solar lenses that follow the sun as it crosses the clear blue desert sky. Each lens will focus the sun's rays onto specially designed heat exchangers that will convert the solar energy to super-heated steam. The heat exchangers double as high-efficiency turbines that will drive electrical generators to produce alternating current output.
Later stages will involve placing 1000 towers over 700 acres of desert. With each tower having a capacity to produce 100 kW of power, the entire field stands to produce close to 100 MW of power when finished. That's enough energy to power 50,000 average Californian homes. Once generated, the power will travel around five miles to be integrated with the U.S. national power grid.
The key to the success of the project are the unique thin-film solar lenses. Lenses of this size are typically heavy and expensive to produce. IAUS have developed a technique of embedding magnifying material into cheap, light, rolled plastic. The plastic is composited into extremely large Fresnel lenses. The lenses are light, relatively cheap to manufacture and easy to maintain. This compares favourably with traditional solar collectors.
Although the sun does not always shine on the solar plant, the company believe that using a heat storage mechanism, they can deliver power around the clock at an estimated production cost of 5 to 10 cents per kilowatt hour. With such competitive production costs, IAUS say that their solar power plant will not only beat the price of coal, but be the first commercial solar power plant to compete favourably with gas powered stations.
By rickeysays 11:03 p.m., Jul 30, 2008 > Report it
Every hour, enough solar energy falls on the surface of the earth to satisfy the power needs of the whole planet for an entire year. Yet, at present only 1% of the worlds energy is derived from solar power.
By rickeysays 11:04 p.m., Jul 30, 2008 > Report it
Let's not forget that Michael Peevey was big in Democratic circles back when he was a henchman at Southern California Edison. I went up against him many times when I was Executive Director of the San Diego coalition that successfully fought the takeover of SDG&E by Edison (and no matter what you think of SDG&E, things would have been worse under Edison). Peevey is a well-connected pitbull and he plays the insider game so well I have no doubt the politicos in Sacramento think he's great guy and hope they can get someone just like him to replace him. That's why we need the Michael Shames of the world (and really in California he is pretty unique) who really do represent the ratepayers: the staff at the PUC can't do it, especially with the likes of Peevey at the helm.
Sadly a community that once stood up to Peevey, Edison and SDG&E now sees its "leaders" swallowing the SDG&E line without thinking. They now have their own version of the famed "What's good for General Motors is good for the country". Of course Chula Vista's Cheryl Cox has her own motives: spoil the desert with a new powerline system and the Chargers may let her city assume massive debt so the Chargers get free use of a new bayfront stadium: but the rest - well they're just doing what their lunch buddies from SDG&E want.
By Bob_Hudson 11:38 p.m., Jul 30, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #4: Don, looking at your list, the future for San Diego and California is screwed as far as preventing unacceptable climate change consequences, providing enough clean water, maintaining public health for a population that is already too large, providing enough agricultural products/food for our families and quality of life because even though we are the best educated people in history we still can’t think, plan and protect the future for our children.
Response to post #8: Well said Bob, your “General Motors” comparison is most appropriate considering basically every corporation in the auto industry wishes they made or produced more hybrid cars than they are today even though oil has been increasingly problematic for decades. Say goodbye to good old GM as we knew it making their trucks and SUVs to maximize profits for far too long while we also say goodbye to quality of life in San Diego, California, everywhere.
So Lee Iacocca’s “Where Have All the Leaders Gone?” documents reasons for our going from being merely a threatened species to becoming extinct much sooner than we thought:
http://www.bordersstores.com/features/fe...
By Anon92107 2:02 a.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #5: Opponents say that the solar power should be generated within the metro area -- say, on roofs on homes -- so that the transmission lines won't have to cut through Anza Borrego and other places. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:04 a.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #6: I do not know if Sempra has looked into this technology. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:06 a.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #7: There is not much opposition to solar power per se. The argument is over the method by which it is gathered and transmitted to San Diego. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:09 a.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #8: Bob, I remember well your effective and winning battle against Edison's attempted takeover of SDG&E. Yes, the San Diego community did itself proud then and is not doing so well now. Peevey was a pitbull, yes, but not a terribly effective one, in my judgment. I debated him several times and didn't consider him particularly tough competition. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:13 a.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #9: The domestic auto companies have done few things right in recent years. The Japanese, German, and Korean competitors have been much more intelligently managed. (Daimler overpaying for Chrysler and then giving it away is one major exception.) Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:17 a.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #5
The part you are missing is that an existing line can carry Green Power to San Diego. The Southwest Powerlink has brought 500kV to San Diego since 1984.
Substitute the non-Green Power, with Green Power, until the line is 100% Green.
Then, and only then, talk about a second line to San Diego.
By Bill91932 11:02 a.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #15: SDG&E is probably rushing to meet the state's requirements and figures that one existing line can't get it there. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 12:14 p.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #16: Don, regardless of what "probably" may involve, the one thing that is guaranteed by our politicized CPUC is that SDG&E will make a profit regardless of how screwed up everything gets.
Whether it is because of "state's requirements and figures" or whatever the ratepayers will continue to be fleeced, and fleeced, and screwed, that's not “probably,” guaranteed.
Guaranteed along with more unacceptable climate changes because of fossil fuel burning with no major reduction in sight before too many tipping points topple, less clean water, fewer food crops, and increasingly unacceptable quality of life.
In California, corrupt Cashocracy paid lawyers and judges will enforce those guarantees, guaranteed.
By Anon92107 1:06 p.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Response to #5: Ricky, the Sunrise Powerlink isn't really about bringing solar power to San Diego; it's about bringing fossil-fueled power into the country from Mexico. The "green" angle was dreamed up by "San Diego's overlords" (good term there, Don) in a meeting a few years ago (covered by Dean Calbreath in the Union-Tribune a few months ago). Go to www.sdsmartenergy.org to find out more about the "bait-and-switch" behind the Sunrise Powerlink.
There is a problem with desert solar power: it requires scraping thousands of acres of desert habitat. To get 900 megawatts, Stirling Energy Systems proposes to cover 7,000 acres of desert in Imperial Valley with solar collectors. The project you mention in your next comment would also have to cover 7,000 acres to get 1,000 megawatts. This may be appropriate on already disturbed land, or fallowed farmland in Imperial County.
I used to think that the solar collectors would merely create shade over undisturbed habitat, but if you look at photos of the existing solar facility at Kramer Junction in the Mojave, you'll see that this is not the case. The land is scraped bare. Not only does this destroy the habitat, but it creates a dust problem, which Imperial Valley already has enough of.
Why is desert habitat important? Beyond the fact that desert plants and animals are uniquely adapted for the harsh conditions in which they live, and beyond the fact that many of these habitats are already threatened by a variety of impacts, there's this: intact desert habitats store carbon, at a rate similar to temperate forests. I think you'll agree that we wouldn't cut down a forest to install a solar facility. Intact habitats, including those in the desert, are one of our best defenses against global warming.
Some sites in the desert may be appropriate for solar power, particularly those that are already disturbed and that are close to existing transmission (like the IAUS facility you mention). What we don't need is a willy-nilly rush to build vast solar farms in the desert, regardless of the habitats they would destroy.
To find out more about the value of desert habitats, go to www.dpcinc.org.
As Don points out, urban rooftops and parking lots are better places for solar power. And this photovoltaic solar power is catching up both in affordability and size to the thermal solar power generators proposed for the desert. A recent article put the price at around 9 to 12 cents per kilowatt-hour for newly developed "thin film" photovoltaics. This is the technology Southern California Edison will use in a 250-megawatt installation on commercial rooftops in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. (A well respected energy industry newsletter covered these developments, available here: http://tinyurl.com/5dqeyv).
The same article put the price of conventional solar trough generators at 14 cents per kilowatt-hour. If accurate, the price quoted by IAUS beats this considerably.
By Lhogue 1:22 p.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #17: SDG&E is, after all, a utility. You can expect it to make a profit. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 5:38 p.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #18: Yes, desert solar power creates problems, and not just in parks such as Anza Borrego. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 5:43 p.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Thanks LH for all the great resources. I just spent hours educating myself and I now understand the opposition to the powerline. It's not needed, not a smart investment, and not the best way to move forward in addressing our continuing energy needs. It's just a way for Sempra to get the electricity it generates from gas in Mexico to SD and LA. I now agree with the opposition. I encourage anyone else who, like I was, is wondering what the hubbub is about, to follow the links and read up.
By rickeysays 11:35 p.m., Jul 31, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #19:
Don, does it ever occur to you while you are enjoying your G&S CDs or DVDs in Colorado that we in California are enjoying drinking up your water and using power from fossil fuel plants polluting your environment?
We wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your sacrifices on our behalf, our gluttony is unlimited which you folks in Colorado help make possible to satisfy at your expense.
Until California uses up resources from other states there is nothing the state legislature, the CPUC and utilities like SDG&E really have to do to meet our power and water demands within our own state.
Besides, we make more profit by delaying decisions and doing nothing for our own long term future, so nuclear power and desalination plants along our own coast can be put off as long a you continue to enjoy G&S.
Have a nice day :)
By Anon92107 2:46 a.m., Aug 1, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #21: That's what this blog is all about. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:26 a.m., Aug 1, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #22: Oh yes, Coloradans discuss the diversion of water all the time. Also, the smoke from California fires pours in here, too, obscuring our views of the Rockies. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:30 a.m., Aug 1, 2008 > Report it
Re. #21
Ricky, you are a rare creature. You ask reasonable questions, and with the information you get, actually spend the time to read up and come to a conclusion based on the evidence.
I suspect you are not in professional politics.
You should be. We surely need more people in public office who can actually evaluate a position based on the merits, instead of making up their minds first and then looking for reasons to justify it.
You made my day, Ricky. Seriously.
On most blogs it's just preaching to the choir, and you've shown that sometimes here at Don Bauder's Scam Diego what we write about can make a difference.
Thank you Lhogue for posting the resources. Good job!
Fred
By Fred_Williams 8:20 a.m., Aug 1, 2008 > Report it
Don, I seem to remember there already is a diversion tunnel that takes Colorado River water east of the Front Range. It's called Big Thompson Project.
By MarkScha 8:49 a.m., Aug 1, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #26: Yes, Ricky is a rarity. But would a thinking person get elected to political office? Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 11:25 a.m., Aug 1, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #26: I'm not aware of that; I haven't studied Colorado water. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 11:36 a.m., Aug 1, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #24: Don, you have proven NORC, and admitted it even applies to Don Bauder to allow one to focus on G&S, Wagner, Dvorak et al.
It is most certainly much more profitable to expose corruption than to do something about it, especially with:
San Diego Political Motto: Democracy For Sale
San Diego Courts Motto: Corruption 'R' Us
Taxpayer Motto (whether we like it or not): UCAN Fleece Us
But it's well documented repeatedly in history books that
Avarice is the heart and soul of a capitalist democracy and
Corruption maximizes profits
There shall always be corrupt judges and politicians who continue to guarantee the perpetuation of Cashocracy (formerly Aristocracy).
It’s all in the history books, and Don Bauder's columns because NORC.
By Anon92107 12:48 p.m., Aug 1, 2008 > Report it
Anon,
Take a breather buddy. All of us are mightily pissed off at the situation.
Yet we can also mix in a little fun too. As you've seen, sometimes that mix ends up in surprising places...and that's totally normal for blogs.
Some places have moderators that delete anything that isn't germane. They'll label it "thread hijacking", which is a wonderful term.
But as long as Don doesn't mind things veering off course now and then, it's okay, my friend. If he changes his mind, he can call us to task and tell us to focus on the matter at hand.
Best,
Fred
By Fred_Williams 2:18 p.m., Aug 1, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #29: Yes, avarice is the heart and soul of a capitalist democracy, but it is also the heart and soul of socialist, communist, mercantilist, whatever systems. We will never get rid of greed, just as we will never purge ourselves of lust. But I agree that greed has gone berserk since the 1980s. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 3:17 p.m., Aug 1, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #30: I don't mind it when we veer off course. It's often fun. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 3:19 p.m., Aug 1, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #30 & 32:
Fred and Don, it appears that I may not have made my main point clear. I have not veered off course but am really addressing the root causes of problems Don addressed in this blog and so many others because these root causes are common denominators that far too many citizens fail to grasp and become outraged about in our docile NORC culture.
Specifically, all of the problems I stated in post #29 above apply directly to why SDG&E executives have been able to fleece the ratepayers, enabled by San Diego’s "Cashocracy," "Brash Cash," "big bucks cabal," "Bloodsuckers," etc. as characterized by Don, by controlling our politicians, our judges, the CPUC, etc.
I had hoped you would have understood that these root cause reasons are common denominators to the out of control San Diego based corruption exposed by Don in all of his columns and blogs, and I hope I have clarified that now.
Fred, I am sorry if I upset you by my response to your request "Anon, please do me a favor. Contact Leibham's campaign ---" but I am in the 53rd district and have more than enough problems with Susan Davis’s failures. Democrats like Davis and republicans like Bilbray are two of the reasons I am registered as a non-partisan, they are two of the many causes of our leaderless and useless congress, reasons why American Democracy is in grave jeopardy. Besides, Leibham is another democrat and a member of the court system so I am most skeptical about him, his campaign rhetoric is all too similar to that of Davis, Bilbray and all of the currently elected failures in American Democracy.
By Anon92107 2:39 a.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #33: About 75 years ago, Congressmen were aptly described as the best money could buy. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:36 a.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Don,
This is amazing. The PUC has actually found that SDG&E deliberately misstated facts about the Sunrise Powerlink to the commission, and has given them 15 days to explain, formally and under oath, why sanctions should not be imposed.
http://www.ucan.org/%5Bvocab-raw%5D/sdge...
I wonder if this is why they wanted Bob Kittle to write that nasty editorial in the UT about Michael Shames and UCAN two weeks ago. SDG&E must have known this was coming.
By paul 7:35 a.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #35: I wouldn't be surprised if that's how it happened. Shames may have discovered the lie. It's typical San Diego. Remember that John Moores sued Bruce Henderson for malicious prosecution (eventually settling for $1). I have always thought that was retaliation for Bruce learning about Moores cutting former Councilmember Valerie Stallings in on a hot stock that he controlled. The stock roared upward and he told her to sell it almost at the high. Then he got back at Henderson for a completely unrelated reason. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 12:13 p.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Anon, you should run for office. Your writing never upsets me. I agree, mostly, with what you write. My reaction, in agreement is to suggest you take action.
If you don't like any of the candidates, (and don't forget the Libertarians or Greens), then you have to recruit qualified people, or finding none run for office yourself.
None of my favored candidates this year are perfect, nor can I think of one that I'm in one hundred percent agreement with.
That's okay. I'll settle for a bit of respectful listening and thoughtful questioning when I state my case. For example, I like and respect Bob Filner even though about twenty years ago he was quite nasty to me face to face. Filner also sort of blew me off a month or so back when I tried to express my concern about the radar and rocket installations in central europe. He gave me a blithe "voters don't care, so I don't care" brush off. (At least he listened and responded to me, thank you kindly Congressman.)
Well, the new Russian Ambassador to the U.S. cares, and he's going to exact a price over this issue. He's the same badass who represented the Russians in the negotiations on this issue and it's not going away. Also, the Czech public is likely to force a referendum on this highly unpopular plan and vote it down. I know Filner's time is limited, but I predict it's going to matter for a long time.
So we differ. But I still prefer to have Filner in office because on other issues I agree strongly with him. He's certainly smarter than Duke, but I can certainly say that Bob sometimes comes off as a stuck up jerk, while Duke was always a guy you wanted to hang around with and listen to his stories.
I've sometimes thought of writing Cunningham a letter in prison, because I think he could have "lawyered up" and gotten much less time. Instead, he at least had the decency to plead guilty and step down.
Politics is sometimes a contact sport, where you hit, and other times you get hit, but you have to get into the arena as Teddy R. said, to have even a small effect.
I urge you to stop being anonymous and put yourself out there.
Best,
Fred
By Fred_Williams 12:23 p.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #34: "About 75 years ago, Congressmen were aptly described as the best money could buy." Actually elected representatives have been described this way since the beginning of democracy in 6th century B.C. Athens. That's why fighting back against "Bloodsuckers" has a long tradition of failing due to corrupt politicians and courts that overthrow the rule of law.
Most recently the U-T Bloodsucker constituency who re-elected Bush also re-elected Sanders, they are willing to sellout democracy without ever thinking about what they are doing as frequently recorded in the history books. This is why Kittle has been so effective with the U-T constituency who vote the way his "Ballot Recommendations" instruct them to vote and a consequence is that SDG&E continues to fleece customers even if they lie (as paul's post #35 reports).
By Anon92107 12:24 p.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Paul at #35, thank you for the link.
It's not surprising they lied.
It's surprising the PUC was willing to say so. Wow!
By Fred_Williams 12:25 p.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Not so surprising, actually. It was the CPUC staff that drove this action. I know that the CPUC staff has been very irritated by SDG&E’s pattern of dissembling during this case – even the Judge lost it a few times because of his impatience with SDG&E’s misrepresentations – and I think the PUC action is more a result of this pattern of deception that finally reached a boiling point. In May, SDG&E and PUC staff finally agreed to a southern route that avoided all tribal land. However, weeks later, in its ex parte meetings with Commissioners, SDG&E chose to conceal from the Commissioners the agreement that it had reached with CPUC staff about being able to route the line away from the tribal lands. This was probably the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back and compelled the CPUC staff to push for some sanctions. It was a long time coming, given the remarkable record of dissembling that in which SDG&E been engaging throughout this case.
By mshames 2:31 p.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #37: Any politician should be concerned about those rockets in Central Europe. Nuclear proliferation is one of the world's biggest problems. Nuclear or not, those rockets present a threat. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 3:17 p.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #38: Yes, politicians were called crooks long before Will Rogers and H.L. Mencken. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 3:19 p.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #38: Every once in awhile, the PUC represents the public and not the companies. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 3:21 p.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #40: Thank you for clearing this up, Michael. SDG&E/Sempra has displayed a pattern of lying in these powerlink hearings, apparently. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 3:23 p.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Re: #40. Thanks Michael, not only for clearing up the point at issue, but for your years of representing and protecting us all.
By Fred_Williams 7:28 p.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #45: Agreed. Bravo. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 7:43 p.m., Aug 2, 2008 > Report it
Is that the same Shames that recently (relatively) sued the City over wastewater rates? The settlement from which seemed like a paltry sum indicative of a lawyer making money off the City in the name of the people?
By LeftistTraitor 4:25 a.m., Aug 3, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #44:
Indeed Don, it's way past due time to take fighting back to protect the people of San Diego from the bloodsuckers to a whole new level.
For far too long We The People have been in the watch and do nothing subservient mode while people like Felsinger, Sanders, Moores, McMillan, Davies and the rest of our bloodsucker aristocracy get away with satisfying their personal avarice even at the expense of sacrificing the quality of life of every family in San Diego.
The Reader has proven to be the only news source in San Diego that is ready, willing and able to make the right things happen for your readers and the people of San Diego, so let the battle to fight back and eradicate the bloodsuckers begin with special editions of The Reader.
By Anon92107 4:39 a.m., Aug 3, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #47: Neither Shames personally nor his organization, UCAN, had a windfall from that settlememt. It might have seemed low to you, but remember: the City is broke. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:43 a.m., Aug 3, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #48: Yes, there is a massive shift of wealth and income from poor and middle class San Diegans to the superrich with corporate welfare as the vehicle. The Reader is doing all it can to point this out. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:47 a.m., Aug 3, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #50:
Don the problem we have is this, NOTHING HAS WORKED SO FAR, so we must try something new now.
Even San Diego’s Best Champions like Aguirre and Frye are negated by corrupt courts and continuous Goebbelesque editorials, opinions, political hate propaganda in the Union-Tribune.
The most hideous irony is that there is no one doing “Watchdog” investigations of the Union-Tribune itself. The fact is that the U-T owner, the U-T Bloodsucker Establishment and their puppet editorial board are more responsible for all the problems that San Diego has today than any other San Diego entity.
We must try something new now, so why not start with a special Bloodsucker Edition featuring reprints of your Best of the Best Investigative Reports on the Worst of the Worst San Diego Bloodsuckers?
The Reader must find a way to wake up the NORCs and get us outraged enough about all the corrupt bloodsucker attacks against our American Way of Life and American Democracy that we take overwhelming action at last, like recall Sanders, put Murphy in the same jail cell as Cunningham, expose "Brash Cash" Davies “big bucks cabal" judges who have overthrown the Rule of Law, etc.
By Anon92107 10:34 a.m., Aug 3, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #51: Both Matt Potter and I have done a lot on the Union-Tribune. There is more to be done, we realize. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 1:55 p.m., Aug 3, 2008 > Report it
I seem to recall the original claim was about 200 million...the settlement around 35 million, and Shames (or his organization) got about 5 million. But I guess the only way to know if it was a "windfall" would be to find out how much work they put into the lawsuit. Although I'm not sure how you know it WASN'T a "windfall" without the same information.
As for the City being broke...I believe the settlement just changed how fees were collected between rate payers...so I'm not sure how that applies.
BUT, this all is a bit off topic I guess. Thanks for the great article on the Sunrise Powerlink.
By LeftistTraitor 7:54 p.m., Aug 3, 2008 > Report it
UCAN asked for $5 million. I am not sure what they actually got.
$5 million out of 40 is 12.5%. If I remember correctly, the lawyers for the city in it's various audit related lawsuits got a full 1/3. I believe that 12.5% for legal work is relatively cheap as far as class action lawsuits go.
The settlement didn't "just change how fees were collected". It returned the $40 million to the ratepayers (35 after legal fees, as you noted) AND it changed the way fees were collected in the future so they would be legal.
By paul 11:11 p.m., Aug 3, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #52:
I always appreciate what you and Matt have tried Don, but since Sanders was re-elected it taught us the most important lesson again that we what we are doing is not working and we must try new ways to keep from continuously being screwed as citizens and taxpayers by the corrupt cabal that rules San Diego.
As you frequently indicate, the citizens and taxpayers are continuously screwed and there really is no hope for your Gen Y readers the way things keep going.
Thus the overwhelming fact of life in San Diego remains that the U-T editorial policy keeps winning and the families of San Diego keep losing to the bloodsuckers.
The only other group that wins besides the bloodsuckers is the scumbag court community as noted in posts 53 & 54, San Diego courts are permanently corrupt because their policy is to award $Millions to lawyers who overthrow the Rule of Law along with the court.
If The Reader can’t come up with a special edition with the power of the Declaration of Independence your readers, taxpayers, and families in San Diego shall be forever screwed by an aristocratic cashocracy that is as corrupt and destructive today as it was in 1776.
By Anon92107 3:16 a.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #53: I trust Shames will submit a post explaining how the settlement went down: what percentage the law firm got, what UCAN got (if anything), how the methods were changed. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:31 a.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #54: I would think the law firm got significantly more than 12.5 percent. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:33 a.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #55: We may shed light on corruption but almost all the money is lined up on its side. That explains election outcomes. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:36 a.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Response to posts #56 57 58:
Heck Don, let's face it, corruption has gotten so bad in San Diego that we need consumer protection from UCAN lawyers in addition to Sempra’s executive bloodsuckers, in addition to all the other bloodsuckers you write about.
Help! We’re drowning in a tsunami of bloodsucker lawyers, judges, businessmen and the U-T thrown in on top of that pile of you know what.
Please Send Help Soon! We can no longer tell the bloodsuckers from the champions, except for champions like Aguirre, Frye and Bauder (I think?).
Why is it the more bloodsuckers you expose, the more numerous they get and the more they keep winning and fleecing and destroying San Diego!?
Can it be that you are actually producing chapters almost everyday for a book:
“How To Fleece San Diegans To Death For Profit With Impunity For Dummies”
with chapters like:
--- How to get re-elected Mayor after causing out of control firestorm deaths and destruction while repeating the lessons of history by becoming San Diego's very own Nero v.21c
--- How to maximize corruption and overthrow the Rule of Law by overruling the City Attorney every time he tries to protect taxpayers and families in San Diego
That really ought to be a Best Seller primer for the bloodsucker culture.
By Anon92107 11:50 a.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #59: That's pollution for you. The more you try to eradicate it, the more noxious it becomes. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 12:10 p.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #60:
I hope you publish a book before the election Don, at least including your Best investigative reports on the Worst Bloodsuckers in San Diego.
If you could include a special chapter on judges who overrule Aguirre that would be useful in supporting Aguirre's campaign.
BTW, is sandiegoreader.com banned in China?
Being banned in China should be a most positive accolade for demonstrating highest level of journalistic integrity.
It would be a higher honor than the Pulitzer that has been degraded by the U-T's bogus prize for reporting on the most corrupt congressman that U-T ever championed.
The real truth was that the U-T watched and did nothing, looking the other way for years until it became obvious he was out of control even more than the GOP could stand.
Re a previous comment by you Don: it should have been no surprise to anyone that he was stupid, the navy never promoted him to Captain because they knew it all along.
By Anon92107 12:45 p.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #61: Some pretty dumb people get big promotions in the military. Still, it makes sense that if you aren't smart enough for the Navy, you are probably smart enough for Congress. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 3 p.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Thanks for that info paul...but I don't think that is entirely correct. No one got a lump sum payment (except perhaps Shames) so it isn't really accurate to say 40 million was returned to ratepayers (in this case ratepayers being single family residences). But any liability on the sewer system is probably spread across to all ratepayers. So as single family residential customers get a credit each month or so, the cost burden is being shifted to businesses (and probably multi family residences...and probably, a bit back to single family residences).
As far as the 12.5% being a modest sum...again I go back to wondering what they actually did besides file a lawsuit. The case could be made that they filed the lawsuit so they should get whatever % a lawyer usually gets...but don't you think a better measure of a "windfall" is $/hour worked?
By LeftistTraitor 4:18 p.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #63:
LT, yes, the facts are that single-family water and sewer customers were screwed by the San Diego City Council that forced us to subsidize bloodsucker business customers for a decade.
Shames' attorneys were "awarded" a totally larcenous $5 million of the totally unacceptable $40 million corrupt judicial settlement. The settlement was a mere fraction of the $120 million that Aguirre said in September 2005 should have been credited to residential ratepayers for overcharge corruption against residential customers.
There can be no justice when lawyers get $Millions for one case when the vast majority of San Diegans cannot even hope to earn enough to save $1Million in a lifetime of work. This corrupt settlement proved again that justice in San Diego favors the bloodsucker class and whoever has the best lawyers wins, thus San Diego ratepayers are screwed most frequently by the City or SDG&E because of UCAN failures and judicial attacks against Aguirre.
The Revolutionary War was fought to end this kind of corruption in America, but the corruption is accelerating out of control again due to corrupt courts throughout American today as former Supreme Justice O’Connor warned in her opinion which documented that cashocracy corruption and judicial overthrow of the Rule of Law throughout America is the greatest threat to American Democracy again today as it was in 1776.
By Anon92107 5:36 p.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #63: The outside lawyer on the case did a lot of work, I can attest. I can remember getting a bunch of documents that he faxed and mailed to me. I don't think UCAN made money on the suit, although I'm sure it recovered its costs. If I am wrong, I would appreciate being corrected. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 7:48 p.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #64: There is no question that several city councils, along with mayors and bureaucrats, screwed San Diegans for years by giving lower rates to business customers than residential customers. It took Donna Frye to smoke it out and force it out into the open. Then Mayor Dick Murphy told some fibs along the way to support his business friends. She finally won. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 7:51 p.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Oh well if you got a "bunch of documents" then obviously they did a lot of work....
By LeftistTraitor 11:34 p.m., Aug 4, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #66:
:) LT, as the new old saying goes, with friends like Shames, Sanders, San Diego judges, Sempra and the U-T Bloodsucker Establishment, who needs enemies?
They rob us, threaten our lives, destroy our property, screw up our water, crash and burn our future, and overthrow our Democracy just like history keeps telling us that bloodsuckers have always done since people started living in communities.
The fact is that we stopped evolving millennia ago when the first homo sapiens bloodsuckerus started raping and pillaging cities, and they have never stopped.
From Goths, Visigoths and Vandals to judges, politicians, CEOs and the U-T. All of our institutions have failed us and humanity, and there is no way anyone can fix them as long as our courts continue to overthrow the Rule of Law.
By Anon92107 3:55 a.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #67: I realize a "bunch of documents" is not enough. But I can attest that the lawyer, Eric Benink, did a lot of work on the case. I talked with him a number of times on it. Donna Frye gets credit for blowing the issue out of the water, despite the opposition of the establishment. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 9:01 a.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Response to post # 68: Visigots and Vandals, V&V. That sums up the San Diego judiciary, in your judgment. V&V should go down with LOL and BTW. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 9:03 a.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Sorry to insert a little historical accuracy, but The Vandals are from Orange County, not San Diego.
See: www.vandals.com
And who's this Gibbon fella who's monkeying around and declining and falling his way all over town. When I get declined, I just put my credit card back in my wallet and leave...I don't fall down.
Finally, Goths are not threatening. They are just misunderstood youngsters who over-do it on the mascara and empathy thing. Really, they're harmless.
I'm glad I could contribute my valuable knowledge to this serious and timely topic. Now I'm off to the ballpork for "Bread and Circus" Day. It's a cooperative promotion by the government and the sports team to cheer us all up and get us through these difficult times.
Oughta work...it's the traditional way to deal with civic issues, ain't it?
By Fred_Williams 11:34 a.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Fred,
More on historical accuracy; the true Vandals are from Idaho.
http://www.govandals.com/
I am pretty sure the Visigoths are a mid-major, probably in the Missouri Valley Conference, but you are at least partially correct, because nobody in the MVC really scares anybody. They do wear a lot of eye-black, though.
By paul 12:08 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #71: The Romans' notion that all you have to give the proletariat is bread and circuses was an argument used for pouring $300 million of public money into the ballpark. In San Diego, Moores got the bread and citizens are still paying for the circuses. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 1:58 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #72: Visigoths should wear eye makeup -- definitely. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 2 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Response to posts #70-74: Gad, I tried to bring a little historical perspective into the discussion, and I got what I deserved.
But at least the U-T rantitorial ran true to form this morning by savaging Aguirre again for daring to be the one lawyer in San Diego who serves the families and taxpayers of San Diego instead of the dark ages cashocracy.
So now we have deadly and destructive firestorms for the entertainment of "Nero" Sanders, hospitals that kill patients with problems they didn't go into the hospital with, American Bridges Falling Down is the new version of London Bridges Falling Down, we have a whole new breed of flippers for the suckers who are still born every minute that don't have mortgages yet, neither the republicans nor the democrats are helping We The People, while the President is in China kowtowing to his Chinese Communist masters because they own the mortgage to America, American Heroes and Patriots still die for Washington's never-ending failures in leadership, consumer advocate lawyers are like vampires guarding virgins while they protect the bloodsuckers (business ratepayers) instead of the virgins (residential ratepayers), the U-T "Watchdog" continues to look the other way while bloodsuckers fleece in front of its eyes, and no one accepts any responsibility or accountability for larceny of public funds because of an aristocratically corrupt judiciary that is creating a whole new dark age.
How much worse does it have to get before the NORCers wake up and fight back? By now this is most obviously a rhetorical question for sure, as Gilda used to say "Never Mind" and "It's Always Something."
By Anon92107 4:24 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Aguirre will be savaged in another UT editorial very soon for his challenge of mayor Sander's lobbying for the Poseidon desal plant in Carlsbad. It seems that Sanders is also foot dragging the San Diego GWR (toilet to tap) pilot project in an effort to help Poseidon. Poseidon has strong ties with Tom Shephard and his people, and the full backing of Sanders.
Orange County has a GWR plant that at full capacity will pump out 250 million gallons of clean water a day for around $600 per acre foot. The Poseidon desal plant would generate 50 million gallons a day at a claimed price of about $900 per acre foot (but which in reality could be as high as $1500 per acre foot) while increasing damage through reusing the obsolete and no longer allowed intake pipes from the old power plant. Destruction of the coastline aside, the Poseidon plant would be nonviable if we had GWR. Any surprise that it is being suppressed by the mayor and his people?
The web of corruption in San Diego is amazing. It just goes on and on. You couldn't make this stuff up.
By paul 4:35 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Well I can't wait for the day that sewage from all of those famous San Diego biotechs gets recycled into drinking water. I've been meaning to boost my intake of chlorinated solvents, nanoparticles, waste pharmaceuticals, and artificial hormones.
As far as Donna Frye goes...I seem to recall prior to the sewer charge restructure, when ISP trotted all their employees before the council...that her reason for voting for change was something to the effect that financially they didn't have a choice. I don't remember hearing any heroics on her part. But it seems that was years and years ago...and I certainly apologize if I am remembering this incorrectly.
And I don't know who Erik Benink is, the City's website lists Shames as the attorney I think...but I must admit I don't know a lot about how that all works. But you did mention Shames (or UCAN or Benink now maybe) may make a post explaining what went down...anyone want to take bets it won't have anything justifying their %?
By LeftistTraitor 5:54 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
LeftistTraitor,
They are already doing GWR in OC and claiming it is a great success. What are they doing about all of their biotech waste? Is it affecting the water they are putting back into their system?
Also, do you think there is no chemical discharge of any kind into the Colorado before it gets here? I am sure the mining in Colorado, Utah and Arizona has zero impact on the quality of Colorado river water, right? From what I have heard they only use the very friendliest of non-toxic chemicals to leach mine tailings. :(
This is not uncharted territory. There is no boogey man. PBS did a good News Hour special comparing San Diego and OC (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/j...). I particularly agree with this statement about the politically connected opponents of GWR in San Diego (Sanders, Tom Shephard, et al):
BRUCE REZNIK, San Diego Coastkeeper: "I think they foment the criticism and the fear that they claim to be responding to."
By paul 6:14 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #75: The U-T will never understand that one reason (a small reason) its circulation is plummeting is the waging of the interminable vendetta against Aguirre. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:16 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #76: Since the U-T editorial page does whatever the establishment tells it to do, you are no doubt right. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:19 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #77: Shames may have been listed as the attorney, but Benink was the outside attorney. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:21 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #78: Shepard may be lobbying his own client (Sanders) on this one. Sanders may wind up with -- well, you know -- on his face. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 6:27 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Well Paul, by that logic I would think smoking cigarettes is safe provided I just started smoking in January and had not yet gotten sick. Ingesting toxic chemicals in low doses can take a long time to manifest problems. All of those pollutants I mentioned are in the wastewater, and treatment will not remove them all. And I'm not sure how OC is structured, but there is a huge concentration of biotechs around the City's recycling plant...I wonder how concentrated they are in OC (I really have no idea).
As far as pollutants in our water already from upstream discharges...well I guess if they are already there, then there is no harm adding more right? Also, as far as I know, no one is proposing pumping treated sewage all the way out of State to take advantage of natural purification before it gets back to San Diego so the upstream argument is fairly misleading. And mine tailings I can take...most of those chemicals (heavy metals?) are probably settled out if they make it to the water treatment plant. But I suppose they could have started using experimental chemicals that mimic hormones in mines as they do in San Diego labs...but I doubt it. That link by the way was an interesting. Here is my favorite excerpt:
"They suggest future research should focus on determining the toxicological significance of trace occurrence of various contaminants to establish sensible analytical detection limits and treatment goals."
As a regular tap water consumer...I'd rather wait for research on toxicological significance to be finished first before I'll believe it is "highly unlikely" to be dangerous.
Finally...San Diego will have enough trouble making current recycled water usable as salt levels in water continue to rise...indirect potable reuse is getting a bit ahead of the game.
Thanks for the link again though...good stuff.
By LeftistTraitor 7:16 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
LeftistTraitor,
I think you are straying far from the point that the proposed alternative to GWR in San Diego is desalination of sea water. That is some mighty pure water they will be sucking in off the Agua Hedionda lagoon, so I can see why you would prefer it at 2-3 times the price over GWR water.
BTW, the water from the OC GWR is pumped into an aquifer where it spends years going through the additional "natural purification" you were complaining that it lacked. I assume that San Diego would likewise pump the water into lakes and aquifers where it would be diluted and also go through a prolonged natural purification process.
The fact that we are down stream from lots of sources of pollution on the Colorado and have drunk from the tap for generations, dispels your "January smoker" argument. San Diegans have been drinking crappy water for many decades and live to tell the tale. GWR will most likely be an improvement.
If salt levels get too high, we will just pipe it over to one of Tom Shephards desalination plants.
By paul 9:58 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Yes, I agree it is a bit off point of a comparison from desal. I never meant to compare the two...way over my head. But considering how much many people pay for bottled water (hundreds to thousands of dollars more expensive than tap) I doubt people in general will protest much. Of course thats a small % of overall water usage...so...well...like I said...over my head.
And, yes, OC pumps their wastewater underground. I believe this is mainly to prevent saltwater intrusion. But I've never heard anyone in San Diego making the same suggestion here, I imagine for geological reasons that are also probably way over my head. But in January, OC began a different indirect potable resuse (I thought that is what you were talking about since it is similar to the proposals I have heard in San Diego). And thus I believe it is too soon to say it is safe because no one has gotten sick yet.
Upstream sources of pollution are probably several times as far away as local lakes that would be receiving treated wastewater. And again San Diego has many Biotech R&D companies in close proximity to the recycling plant...all contributing solvents, new nanoparticle pollutants, experimental hormone chemicals...none of which will spend as much time going through natural purification that we see upstream on the Colorado. And I'll just repeat...just because you already consume pollutants in your drinking water doesn't mean it is ok to consume even more.
By LeftistTraitor 11:17 p.m., Aug 5, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #83: This is going to be a hot topic for some time, as it was the last time it came to the fore. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 7:18 a.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #84: So true. Colorado River water is not pure. San Diegans have been drinking it for ages. The argument gets a little silly at times. That name "toilet to tap" is so effective politically -- effective invective, as it were. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 7:22 a.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #85: San Diego should watch the Orange County experience closely. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 7:25 a.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Don:
Thanks for your ongoing commentaries and your continued advocacy of sanity - a much needed counterbalance!
About five years ago, I met a former NASA astronaut and brilliant physicist who indicated there was a whole range of revolutionary energy technology solutions, which both the general public and the majority of our world's would-be experts and pundits are totally unaware of. Because of his credentials and some of my own related background information, I decided to investigate.
Several years ago, I agreed to serve, on a voluntary basis, as "Southern California Coordinator" for a related non-profit initiative, to help educate the public about these topics.
As someone who spends winter months in Borrego Springs, I have been especially sickened by the Sempra proposal to run power lines thru the pristine desert back-country. More generally, I'm convinced that this whole scheme is totally unnecessary, and has been promoted under false pretences from day one.
Recently, I put together a page on one of my websites, offering an overview of this little-known "revolutionary energy technology" landscape. This information will be a real eye-opener for most who encounter it for the first time. The page address is;
www.GVInstitute.org/newenergy
By erq 7:56 a.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #89: This website page is must reading. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 9:06 a.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
There's no more or less water on the world today than in the past. It's a closed system. H2O molecules are fungible, and it's likely one molecule that passed through George Washington is in my system right now.
So the question is its location and quality. Consider how much we have debased not only our fresh water but also the world's salt water, we had better get on with technologies for cleaning water whether we like it or not.
Yet we have come nowhere close to mitigating our usage of water. We're still grass farming in the deserts, sprinkling golf courses and growing water intensive crops like rice where we oughtn't.
The imbalanced pricing of water must be reworked to reflect today's urban realities, rather than an emerging agricultural exporting California of a hundred years ago. The incentives to agriculture have done their bit, and now it's time to renegotiate and rethink based on what we know from recent advancements in life science.
As Don says, this issue is not going away. In fact, it only becomes more important with time, quick fixes, and neglect.
Best,
Fred
By Fred_Williams 9:37 a.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #79:
Back to Sempra/SDG&E if it's OK, there is still a lot to be uncovered about totally unacceptable cultural values of Sempra Chairman and CEO Don Felsinger to explain his failures to serve the interests of the ratepayers and San Diego families by his SDG&E subsidiary.
Felsinger is the typical San Diego bloodsucker executive you expose in every column Don, he accepts no responsibility and accountability for his failures to serve families and ratepayers of San Diego honestly, especially his failure to provide for reliable long-term electric service at lowest possible cost.
Risk to San Diego families and ratepayers has been out of control since the scenario that led to the 2000 San Diego Energy Crisis, which we are still suffering the consequences of today due to the failure in leadership cultural role model set by Felsinger and his predecessors like Steve Baum (a lawyer) who as usual are dedicated first and foremost to personal avarice regardless of consequences to the ratepayers and communities they serve. And they get away with it because of corrupt CPUC President Peevey, corrupt courts and totally incompetent and corrupt politicians in Sacramento.
None of these people gives a damn about the economic and social stability that requires long-term low cost energy to meet the needs of the people of San Diego, so the rates shall always be out of control to support their avarice until the courts start honoring their responsibility to the people of San Diego, and California again. This shall never happen the way the out of control consequences of corruption are overwhelming San Diego citizens today.
So our legislature, courts and CPUC allow Sempra/SDG&E to fleece the people with impunity regardless of how incompetent utility CEO/COBs are, because they are immune from public responsibility and accountability due to legalized monopoly fleecing.
By Anon92107 11:33 a.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #91: Bravo. We have to talk conservation -- severe conservation. The same is true in energy. When discussing alternatives, conservation gets lost. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 1:17 p.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #92: Yes, greed blinds executives and others to the public interest. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 1:19 p.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
response to 94
Don,
While I agree with you completely, let me play devils advocate for a moment.
Isn't Sempra's sole reason for existense to produce revenue for it's share holders, which they did to the tune of about 11 billion last year. In those terms, Don Felsinger can hardly be considered an "incompetent utility CEO". That said, it's also not Don Felsinger's job to "serve the interests of the ratepayers and San Diego families".
It's also not his job to "provide for reliable long-term electric service at lowest possible cost".
His "job" is to make the share holders money.
Speaking from your business backround Don, wouldn't you consider electricity a commodity, like say oil? One that is governed by supply and demand. If we didn't crave electricity like a hungry baby craves milk, wouldn't it be a whole different scenario?
It doesn't matter how it's generated, solar, wind, coal fired generator, the utility will charge as much as it possibly can.
And do you really think Sempra/SDG&E wants to see a county full of residential rooftops filled with PV panels? How much money do people think they will make in that scenario.
Right now I have about 60% of my electricity coming from PV panel. By June of next year I should be generating at 100% , with more panels and enough battery storage to handle nitetime usage. Unfortunately though I can't actually disconnect from the grid because of those pesky cloud filled stormy days we have once in awhile. But because my "excess" electricity flows back out onto the grid, when I need it, it doesn't cost me anything. So how does SDG&E reward me? They take that excess electricity I generate and sell it themselves. And if I provide them with more than I need to take back during the course of the year, of coure they don't give me anything for it, they just keep it for free.
Ah free enterprise at work.
So the only money they will be getting from me is a monthly metering charge and whatever excess power I give them over the course of time. I can't see SDG&E supporting a county full of houses like mine. I just don't see that as a viable business model for them to survive on. I can only see that working on a truly public owned, not for profit utility company such as one I read about recently in Iceland. Definately NOT a scenario capable of survivng here.
As for the "corrupt courts and totally incompetent and corrupt politicians in Sacramento" post 92 refers to, how do we fix that? I don't know since we are the ones that put them there.
So maybe we should start shouldering some of the responsibility ourselves instead of just throwing it onto someone else.
By trestles 2:10 p.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
response to 93
Don,
when considering alternative sources of energy, such as solar or wind which I guess could be considered renewable and non depleting, isn't that in and of itself conservation? I mean if we are not depleting a natural resource such as coal, oil, nat gas etc, then we are practicing conservation.
As far as water, I agree with Fred. It's location and quality.
SoCal is a desert and we must mitigate our usage of water. Unfortunately some people just don't get it. If you've ever been to Phoenix, you know they could be the model of gluttony when it comes to water usage. Drive thru some of the wealtheir areas, such as Scottsdale, and it's so green you would swear you were in the Pacific Northwest. And a great deal of the water used on that greenery is coming from the Colorado, dercreasing avaiable water to So Cal.
By trestles 2:28 p.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Trestles, remember LADWP, much closer to home.
By MarkScha 2:44 p.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
MarkScha
Didn't forget them, more like ignored. Seriously though, I was using Phoenix as an example of another desert community that takes a large potion of it's water from a source that SoCal also relies upon. And one that, to the best of my knowledge, is making few if any strides to mitigate their water usage.
As I'm sure you're aware, a significant amount of LADWP water comes from the Sierra Nevada and I believe there are fewer intrusions into that supply before it reaches L.A. and then to San Diego. And there is no question tha L.A. does a better job in promoting conservation and more efficient use of water than Phoenix does. Maybe better than San Diego also, I'm not sure. The point is, San Diego doesn't have enough water. It will always be dependant on outside resources for water. The more San Diego can mitigate it's water usage, the less it will be dependant on some of those outside resources, whether that be a water-usage conscious city like L.A. suppling us water they import from the Sierras or the Colorado river, hoping water-gluttonous cities like Phoenix take only their "fair share"
By trestles 3:19 p.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Trestles, when you fly into Sky Harbor, just look out the window at the thousands of Tempe and Mesa tract homes, each with its own large outdoor water evaporator and malerial larvae sanctuary* surrounded by a darling mini-grass farm, the produce of which is carefully harvested, bagged, and thrown away each Saturday morning.
We're not much better here in San Diego, ruinously attempting to alter the landscape in a vain host an upper-class sport orignally meant only for grassy scotts highlands, not Pacific coastal desert.
We ought to go to Stage 2 water alert now rather than later. The longer we wait to start conserving, the worse it inevitably will get.
By Fred_Williams 3:29 p.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
* large outdoor water evaporator and malerial larvae sanctuary = residential back yard swimming pool
By Fred_Williams 3:35 p.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
response to 95:
You must remember first of all that SDG&E is a regulated monopoly that must keep rates as low as possible and service quality as high as necessary to meet the needs of its ratepayers and support positive growth and quality of life for the communities they serve.
But SDG&E is owned and controlled by Sempra, whose executives like Felsinger has as his paramount motivation his overarching lust to satisfy his personal avarice with basically no sense of responsibility and accountability to the community that SDG&E serves.
Thus SDG&E and Sempra are two economic entities that are diametrically opposed as far as serving the best economic interests and quality of life for all San Diego families is concerned.
The bottom line is that Sempra under the likes of Don Felsinger is why San Diego is so severely threatened economically, in addition to the corrupt and destructive practices that Don Bauder exposes almost daily of our political, judicial and business bloodsuckers community that controls the future of San Diego with no sense of responsibility or accountability at all other than the satisfaction of their personal avarice. It’s an economic fact of life.
So as long as San Diegans continue in the NORC mode, and continue to fail to fight back for our own interests, then we shall be forever screwed by the bloodsuckers.
By Anon92107 3:36 p.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #95: Regulated utilities are supposed to have an obligation to serve the public. That is why they are granted their monopolies. Profit is not their only goal. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 3:41 p.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #96: When I talk conservation, I am talking about lowering usage: driving less, not using the air conditioner, wearing warm clothes instead of turning on heaters, etc. Best, Don Bauider
By dbauder 3:44 p.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #97: Just think what would happen to Phoenix if a genuine energy crisis forced people to turn off their air conditioners for half of the day. The place would empty out. Best, Don Bauder
By dbauder 3:47 p.m., Aug 6, 2008 > Report it
Response to post #97 (previous one was 96): Yes, L