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Mendocino County Today: Monday, Apr 20, 2015

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MENDO TO SEND LETTER TO CALIFORNIA WATER BOARD asking them to slow releases from Lake Mendocino. (But, as former Third District Supervisor John Pinches reminded us on numerous occasions, the Sonoma County Water Agency calls the shots behind the scenes and they’re not likely to agree to getting less water that they can sell to Sonoma County water districts or Marin County.)

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BOARD AGENDA ITEM: Approval of a Letter to the State Water Resources Control Board Urging the Application of Directive 26 in the Governor’s Executive Order B-29-15 in Order to Preserve Water Storage in Lake Mendocino

On July, 22, 2014, the Board of Supervisors approved the transmission of letters to the State Water Resources Control Board and Sonoma County Water Agency, urging action to minimize releases from Lake Mendocino, due to drought conditions (Agenda Item, 6b).

Decision 1610 (D-1610) adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) in 1986, determines yearly minimum flow requirements in the Russian River. D- 1610 methodology is outdated and contains many criteria that are no longer applicable to the annual water budget for Lake Mendocino. In particular, the “water year” criteria for Lake Mendocino is determined by inflow into Lake Pillsbury. Historically these two reservoirs were strongly linked, but subsequent changes to the operation of Lake Pillsbury have greatly decreased the amount of water that is exchanged between the two reservoirs. Due to the obsolete criteria, Lake Mendocino is being operated under “normal year” conditions even though we are in a third year of drought. The “normal year” operating criteria is resulting in a depletion of storage levels in the lake. This situation has resulted in number of prior temporary urgency change petitions (TUCP) being filed with SWRCB since the lakes were de-coupled in 2006. Sonoma County Water Agency, the primary water right holder, is reluctant to file for another TUCP due to the high costs levied by the SWRCB. In addition, the current releases result in a violation of the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the 2008 Biological Opinion (BO) on the Russian River.

If the SWRCB applies Directive 26 of the Governor's Executive Order B-29-15 to reclassify our water year to a more appropriate "dry" water year criteria under the existing D-1610 it would save up to 200 acre feet (AF) of water per day. The resulting savings would add up to over 40,000 AF over the remainder of the water year and make releases compliant with the ESA and the BO.

As this drought continues, drastic measures need to be taken quickly that will dramatically lower the outflows from Lake Mendocino, thereby increasing the ability of the lake to provide a sustained pool for as long as possible. This will be critical if the drought continues next year. Agencies throughout the region support this effort, including: the San Francisco District of the Army Corp of Engineers, Mendocino County Russian River Flood Control and Water Conservation Improvement District and the Sonoma County Water Agency.

THE DRAFT LETTER:

Ms. Felicia Marcus
Chair California State Water Resources Control Board
P.O. Box 100 Sacramento, CA 95812-0100

RE: Drought Emergency Action for Lake Mendocino

Dear Chair Marcus,

The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, which also serves as the Mendocino County Water Agency Board of Directors, is deeply concerned that Lake Mendocino will be de-watered by Fall this year. The large amount of water being released is a result of the lake being operated under a “normal year” criteria, per SWRCB Decision 1610, even though we are in a third year of drought.

Aspects of the D-1610 criteria are outdated and are no longer applicable to Lake Mendocino’s water budget. In particular, the “water year” criteria for Lake Mendocino is determined by inflow into Lake Pillsbury. Historically these two reservoirs were strongly linked, but subsequent changes to the operation of Lake Pillsbury have greatly decreased the amount of water that is exchanged between the two reservoirs. Due to the obsolete criteria, our lake is being operated under a “normal year” criteria, even during a time of drought and in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and 2008 Biological Opinion (BO) on the Russian River.

This situation has resulted in number of prior temporary urgency change petitions being filed with California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) since the lakes were de-coupled in 2006. Sonoma County Water Agency (primary water right holder) is reluctant to file for another change petition due to the high costs levied by the SWRCB.

If the SWRCB applies Directive 26 of the Governor's Executive Order B-29-15 to reclassify our water year to a more appropriate "dry" water year criteria under the existing D-1610 it would save up to 200 acre feet (AF) a day. The resulting savings would add up to over 40,000 AF over the remainder of the water year and make releases compliant with the ESA and the BO.

With the historic drought we are experiencing today, we are asking for the SWRCB’s intervention with respect to the present water releases under your oversight and control. We base our request on the new emergency drought regulations issued by Governor Brown in Executive Order B-29-15. Mendocino County is asking for your immediate action on this critical matter.

Sincerely,

Carre Brown, Chair Mendocino County Board of Supervisors

cc: Carmel J. Angelo, Mendocino County Water Agency General Manager

Russian River Flood Control and Water Conservation Improvement District

Sonoma County Water Agency Board of Directors

Grant Davis, Sonoma County Water Agency General Manager

Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission

The Honorable Mike McGuire, Senator

The Honorable Jim Wood, Assemblymember

US Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District

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INTERESTING that Fort Bragg Mayor Dave Turner voted on the resolution to give funds for flooring and solar panels to the Hospitality Center/House on January 12, 2015 but last Monday night recused himself from voting on the final handout of the funds because his business is so close to the Hospitality House?

Here is the vote on January 12, 2015:

"A motion was made by Vice Mayor Peters, seconded by 
Councilmember Cimolino, that this Resolution be adopted 
as amended. The motion carried by the following vote:

Lindy Peters Aye; Michael Cimolino Aye; Scott Deitz Aye; Doug Hammerstrom Aye; Dave Turner Aye."

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Carson
Carson

WE THINK this guy has such a distinctive look and size, he might want to consider an acting career. Christopher Carson, 27, is 6-6, 300. Game of Thrones? Perfect. Of course he had some minor legal probs including the one that got him scooped up in our Catch of the Day on Saturday. That one alleges that Chris threatened to kill and/or inflict severe bodily harm on an unnamed someone. A guy this big can certainly do major harm, but we'd have to see the particulars before we judge ol' Chris. Charges can read a lot more dire than their real life circumstances bear out.

BTW, every day people are booked into the County Jail for “probation violation.” Which almost always means they haven't paid one or another inflated fine, often for traffic violations. Pay the fine, get out of jail.

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Alvarez
Alvarez

ON FRIDAY, APRIL 10th at about 4:25 PM Ukiah Police Officers were advised of a vehicle pursuit north of the Ukiah City limits, being conducted by the California Highway Patrol and heading south on North State Street. Officers were then advised the California Highway Patrol had terminated the pursuit. The Ukiah Police Department soon received a call of a head-on collision on North State Street at the Brush Street intersection with one driver who had fled the scene on foot. Ukiah Police Officers determined a 1992 Honda Accord being driven by 19 year old Eduardo Alvarez was heading south on State Street at high speeds and weaving in and out of traffic, and failed to negotiate a left turn onto Brush Street due to the high speeds. The Honda collided head-on with a 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe pulling a trailer, stopped in the northbound left turn lane waiting to proceed onto Low Gap Road. Both vehicles sustained minor damage to the front-ends, and the 48 year old driver of the Tahoe sustained minor injuries from the impact. Alvarez was located and arrested near-by and charged by the California Highway Patrol with reckless evading and hit and run with injury.

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ON SUNDAY, APRIL 12th at about 10:45 AM Ukiah Police responded to Low Gap Park, at 1151 Low Gap Road, for a missing 19 year old male. Officers contacted a 21 year old male who reported he and the 19 year old male went into the park the night prior to use drugs. Apparently the 19 year old suddenly “freaked out” and ran away, and was not located by the other subject. Officers began searching the park and contacting acquaintances of the missing subject, and learned the subject may have gone to the park to ingest LSD, known as “acid”. Unable to locate the subject, officers requested the assistance of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and Search and Rescue. As assisting personnel were responding and gathering to search, the missing person was determined to be at an acquaintance’s residence on the south end of Ukiah, and reported having had a “bad trip”.

Rocanella
Rocanella

Later that day at about 7:15 PM Ukiah Police responded to the area of Walgreen’s, at 308 East Perkins Street, for a subject who’d fled the hospital. Offices contacted the caller and learned the caller was told by 22 year old Francis James Rocanella, that Rocanella had taken LSD, known as “acid”. The caller observed Rocanella was acting strangely and became concerned for him, and took him to the Ukiah Valley Medical Center. Rocanella then fled from the hospital. Officers located Rocanella in the 300 block of South State Street, and found he was behaving strangely and providing odd responses to questioning. Rocanella was believed to be under the influence of a hallucinogen and was arrested for public intoxication.

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Miranda
Miranda

ON TUESDAY, APRIL 14th at about 7:50 PM Ukiah Police responded to Babcock Lane near East Gobbi Street for a hit and run traffic collision. Officers arrived to find three vehicles with significant damage. In speaking with witnesses, officers determined a 2013 Toyota Camry was being driven northbound on Babcock Lane and struck the bridge abutment, causing it to spin around and collide with two parked vehicles and a fence. The Camry was left at the scene and had sustained major damage, and the driver was seen exiting the vehicle and fleeing on-foot. Officers identified the driver of the Camry as 35 year old Audiel Orozco Miranda, of Ukiah, and determined he was unlicensed and on probation and prohibited from driving after drinking. Officers were speaking with witnesses and investigating the collision scene when Miranda was spotted by witnesses at the scene, now driving a white Chevrolet Tahoe, at the intersection of Oak Manor Drive and Gobbi Street. Officers could see Miranda in the driver’s seat as he drove through the collision scene, coming within inches of a police officer who had to quickly move out of the way to avoid being struck by Miranda. Officers gave chase and pursued Miranda as he drove south on Babcock Lane before turning abruptly into the orchard where he was able to evade the officers. Miranda’s abandoned vehicle was soon located and empty beer and alcohol containers were located inside. Officers had returned to the collision scene when Miranda was again spotted by witnesses, standing and observing at the corner of Gobbi Street and Babcock Lane and holding the shirt he had been seen wearing on all the prior occasions he had been seen. Miranda was contacted by officers and found to have been drinking and was too intoxicated to drive, and was arrested for DUI, hit and run, assault with a deadly weapon, driving unlicensed, and violating probation. Miranda had the keys to the Camry and the Tahoe in his pocket.

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CATCH OF THE DAY, April 19, 2015

Burger, Cram, Grahl
Burger, Cram, Grahl

JOSEPH BURGER, Garberville/Ukiah. Possession of more than an ounce of pot.

WILLIAM CRAM, Ukiah. Drunk in public, probation revocation.

HALEY GRAHL, Willits. Domestic battery.

Fabela, Hernandez, Myrland, Scarberry
Fabela, Hernandez, Myrland, Scarberry

MICHELLE FABELA, Lakeport/Laytonville. Drunk in public/trespassing.

OMAR HERNANDEZ, Ukiah. Domestic battery, child endangerment, probation revocation.

TROY MYRLAND, Madison, Wisconsin/Ukiah. False ID.

NICHOLAS SCARBERRY, Laytonville. Domestic assault, child endangerment, witness intimidation.

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JAMES LUCAS LINDSEY, JR.

JamesLindseyJames Lucas Lindsey, Jr., son of James L. Lindsey and Adda M. Mayer, was born in San Francisco in 1932 and died in Ukiah April 16th, 2015. He grew up in Anderson Valley and Ukiah, along with his siblings, Robin (Bobby) W. Lindsey, now of Oregon, and Mary Louise Lindsey Allred of Arizona. He graduated from Ukiah High and then the University of California at Berkeley, majoring in Wildlife Management. He married Robin Stone in 1952 and they raised a family who loved him.

Jim worked in land surveying and highway engineering in California and Alaska. His outside interests included education, serving on the Valdez, Alaska, school board for 22 years, and being an avid student of celestial navigation, teaching a couple of classes on that subject at the Community College in Valdez. His life-long interest in old firearms and people who enjoy them found him many good friends he valued very much.

Missing him greatly are his wife of 63 years, Robin; daughter Gina Marie Lindsey, son David J. Lindsey, granddaughter Holly Lindsey Barbacovi, and great grandchildren Stella and Roman Barbacovi. He was preceded in death by Gina Marie’s son, Jeremy.

Holly wrote: “My sweet grandpa passed away last night. He taught me algebra, how to catch a salmon, how to shoot a gun, how to drive in snow and how to talk politics. I’m so grateful for the 39 years I had with him.”

David wrote: “I lost my father this evening. I am grateful to have had him and blessed that his passing was as peaceful as possible. He will be remembered as an idiosyncratic character with a penchant for celestial navigation, fine music and old fashioned values.”

Gina Marie wrote: “Daddy was self-effacing with a wicked wit and was a master of the pun; a broad thinker always extrapolating how short term decisions would affect long term society. He loved Alaska and always kept extra socks in his coat even after leaving Alaska because…, ‘You never know when you’ll need them’.”

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FIRE OFFICIALS DECRY TIMBER MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE AS UNSAFE

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/3779680-181/fire-officials-decry-timber-management

Mendocino County fire authorities have added their voices to a heated debate over a timber-management practice that poisons unwanted hardwood trees and leaves them to decompose in forests, creating what some say is an increased fire hazard in a state already plagued by tinder-dry conditions in its fourth year of drought.

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AV FOODSHED invites you to participate in two upcoming AV fundraisers that will benefit the AV Foodshed organization. Anderson Valley Goat Festival at The Mendocino County Fairgrounds. We are hosting the last Boonville Winter Market of 2015 at the Anderson Valley Goat Festival - April, 25th - 10am - 4pm. If you would like to be a craft, food or fiber vendor or rural skill presenter next Saturday - please call Cindy Wilder ASAP @ 895.2949 Cooks please join our Birria Cook-off & Contest and Win Prizes - Call Jim Devine before Friday for rules and grocery discount tips! 707.496.8725

Bring your goat for the parade and costume contest! We need event volunteers for Goat Fest Anderson Valley and Mendocino County: Farmers, Vendors, Crafters, Fiber Artists, Rural Skill Presenters and Local Chefs.

In collaboration with the Mendocino Film Festival this year on Memorial Day Weekend, we are hosting a Festival Market as a fundraiser for the Anderson Valley Foodshed and Boonville Farmers’ Market Food Stamp Matching Program. On Saturday, May 23rd from 1-4pm in The Madrones front courtyard, this Festival Market will feature all sorts of local producers and craftspeople, so we are hoping you will be a part of it! Before the Festival Market, we are showing a movie about community activism, local selfsufficiency and farming. Directly afterward, moviegoers will spill over to the Festival Market with all the enthusiasm that the film will energize them with. We have space for up to two-dozen producers. The cost for a table will be a 10% donation of your proceeds, or a $100 donation, whichever makes more sense for your pricing. This is a great customer base and will be a lively and fun event that will likely lead to good sales. We really want to wow the attendees with all the varied and incredible local talent this valley has to offer. Let’s show them what we can do! Please let me know if you’re in ASAP.

Molly Sutherland, Balo Vineyards, killerpinot.com. 707/895.3655

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TRADE SHOW, Part Deux: Imaginary Benefits vs. Real Costs

In which we learn that there are some parts of the game hard to un-rig and the price of free trade.

by Charles Pierce

Senator Bernie Sanders, who may or may not be running for president, was on with Thom Hartmann for their usual Friday chat. Right at the moment, Sanders is standing atop the battlements against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the secretive intercontinental job-suck for which the skids are being greased in the Congress even as we speak. The most remarkable thing to me about this oncoming car-bomb to the economy is the fact that the Congress is being asked to give the president fast-track authority on a massive agreement that only members of Congress can read, but that none of them can discuss. Sanders told Hartmann that he could read the proposed agreement, but he had to go into a secret room to do so. This, he rightly argues, is a completely crazy way to make public policy.

The reason they put a gag rule on the delegates of the Constitutional Convention was because they didn't want the country to fall apart, and because they didn't want the convention to last 300 years and come to no real conclusion even by then. And even then, there was a strong strain of opposition to secret agreements deep in the American political soul. To name only one person who had no use for what came out of secret conventions, Mercy Otis Warren, one of my favorite American polemicists, went fairly well up the wall.

It has been observed by a zealous advocate for the new system, that most governments are the result of fraud or violence, and this with design to recommend its acceptance — but has not almost every step towards its fabrication been fraudulent in the extreme? Did not the prohibition strictly enjoined by the general Convention, that no member should make any communication to his Constituents, or to gentlemen of consideration and abilities in the other States, bear evident marks of fraudulent designs?

And that was the U.S. Constitution, not an agreement between international corporations about how to divvy up obsolete concepts like national sovereignity and a viable middle class. Sanders is as exercised about TPP as Mercy was over what those crafty bastards in Philadelphia had produced.

"It is incomprehensible to me that the leaders of major corporate interests who stand to gain enormous financial benefits from this agreement are actively involved in the writing of the TPP while, at the same time, the elected officials of this country, representing the American people, have little or no knowledge as to what is in it," Sanders said in a letter (pdf) sent Monday to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman. "Members of Congress must have the opportunity to read what is in the TPP and closely analyze the potential impact this free trade agreement would have on the American people long before the Senate votes to give the President fast track trade promotion authority."

The president's insistence on using this procedure to commit the country to what recent history tells us will be illusory benefits and concrete consequences to the domestic economy is a real brown spot on the old apple. And his comments on fast-track are nothing but the magic jargon-spells that we've heard from a couple of generations of free-trade hustlers.

President Obama embraced the legislation immediately, proclaiming "it would level the playing field, give our workers a fair shot, and for the first time, include strong fully enforceable protections for workers' rights, the environment and a free and open Internet." "Today," he added, "we have the opportunity to open even more new markets to goods and services backed by three proud words: Made in America."

Except for the fact that every "concession" that has been made to congresscritters worried about this beast has been made to soften blows that its partisans insist aren't part of the deal.

To further sweeten the deal for Democrats, the package includes expanding trade adjustment assistance — aid to workers whose jobs are displaced by global trade — to service workers, not just manufacturing workers. Mr. Wyden also insisted on a four-year extension of a tax credit to help displaced workers purchase health insurance.

Mercy Otis Warren wouldn't have bought this, and neither do I.

(Courtesy, Esquire.com)

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Gorson

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RENE AND GEORGETTE MAGRITTE WITH THEIR DOG AFTER THE WAR

Rene and Georgette Magritte

With their dog after the war

Returned to their hotel suite

And they unlocked the door

 

Easily losing their evening clothes

They dance by the light of the moon

To the Penquins

The Moonglows

The Orioles

And The Five Satins

The deep, forbidden music

They’d been longing for

Rene and Georgette Magritte

With their dog after the war

 

Rene and Georgette Magritte

With their dog after the war

Were strolling down Christopher Street

When they stopped in a men’s store

With all the mannequins

Dressed in style

That brought tears to their

Immigrant eyes

 

Just like The Penguins

The Moonglows

The Orioles

And The Five Satins

The easy stream of laughter

Flowing through the air

Rene and Georgette Magritte

With their dog apres la guerre

 

Side by side

They fell asleep

Decades gliding by like Indians

Time is cheap

When they wake up they will find

All their personal belongings

Have intertwined

 

Rene and Georgette Magritte

With their dog after the war

Were dining with the power elite

And they looked in their bedroom drawer

And what do you think

They have hidden away

In the cabinet cold of their hearts?

 

The Penguins

The Moonglows

The Orioles

And The Five Satins

For now and ever after

As it was before

Rene and Georgette Magritte

With their dog

After the war

— Paul Simon

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THINK YOU CAN'T BE FRAMED? THINK AGAIN!

On KMEC Radio, your community radio, John and Sid return on Monday, April 20, at 1 pm., Pacific Time, with a special edition show on the FBI's framing of Dr. Bruce Ivins for the 2001 anthrax letter attacks.

There's more. It gets worse.

The 2001 anthrax letter attacks may have been the false flag attack that preceded the mother of all false flag attacks -- 9/11. Conspiracy theory? Or conspiracy reality? You decide.

Our guest are Meryl Nass, MD, ABIM, and McMaster University Professor Graeme McQueen.

KMEC Radio airs at 105.1 FM in Ukiah, CA. We also stream live from the web at www.kmecradio.org

Our shows are archived.

We also post our shows to Youtube, and shows will soon be posted to Public Radio Exchange and Radio4All. Shows may also be available as podcasts.

Anthrax: Lawsuit Alleges F.B.I. Hiding Evidence

The New York Times recently reported: "When Bruce E. Ivins, an Army microbiologist, took a fatal overdose of Tylenol in 2008, the government declared that he had been responsible for the anthrax letter attacks of 2001, which killed five people and set off a nationwide panic, and closed the case.

"Now, a former senior F.B.I. agent who ran the anthrax investigation for four years says that the bureau gathered 'a staggering amount of exculpatory evidence' regarding Dr. Ivins that remains secret. The former agent, Richard L. Lambert, who spent 24 years at the F.B.I., says he believes it is possible that Dr. Ivins was the anthrax mailer, but he does not think prosecutors could have convicted him had he lived to face criminal charges." See Courthouse News piece: " Former Agent Says FBI Memo Cost Him New Job ," which states: "Lambert says part of the reason he was unfairly targeted was due to a whistleblower report he filed in 2006 about the mismanagement of an investigation into 2001 anthrax letters."

MERYL NASS, MD, ABIM

Nass writes at the Anthrax Vaccine blog. See: http://anthraxvaccine.blogspot.com/

GRAEME MACQUEEN

MacQueen is founder of the Centre for Peace Studies at McMaster University and author of the book The 2001 Anthrax Deception: The Case for a Domestic Conspiracy. See: http://www.claritypress.com/MacQueen.html

The day before the New York Times article appeared, Nass wrote about the case on her blog and highlighted these allegations from the legal action:

"While leading the investigation for the next four years, Plaintiff's efforts to advance the case met with intransigence from the Washington Field Office'™s (WFO) executive management, apathy and error from the FBI Laboratory, politically motivated communication embargoes from FBI Headquarters, and yet another preceding and equally erroneous legal opinion from Defendant Kelley --“ all of which greatly obstructed and impeded the investigation. ...

"WFO's insistence on staffing the AMERITHRAX investigation principally with new Agents recently graduated from the FBI Academy resulting in an average investigative tenure of 18 months with 12 of 20 Agents assigned to the case having no prior investigative experience at all...

"The FBI Laboratory's deliberate concealment from the Task Force of its discovery of human DNA on the anthrax-laden envelope addressed to Senator Leahy and the Lab's initial refusal to perform comparison testing...

"The FBI's subsequent efforts to railroad the prosecution of Ivins in the face of daunting exculpatory evidence. Following the announcement of its circumstantial case against Ivins, Defendants DOJ and FBI crafted an elaborate perception management campaign to bolster their assertion of Ivins' guilt. These efforts included press conferences and highly selective evidentiary presentations which were replete with material omissions. ...

"Plaintiff continued to advocate that while Bruce Ivins may have been the anthrax mailer, there is a wealth of exculpatory evidence to the contrary which the FBI continues to conceal from Congress and the American people."

Background: The anthrax attacks, coming right after the 9/11 attacks, were used by pundits to galvanize the public for war in 2001 -- against Afghanistan and against Iraq. For example on October 17, 2001, Andrew Sullivan wrote "The Coming Conflict," which states: "We have to extend it to Iraq. It is by far the most likely source of this weapon (anthrax); it is clearly willing to use such weapons in the future; and no war against terrorism of this kind can be won without dealing decisively with the Iraqi threat. We no longer have any choice in the matter. Slowly, incrementally, a Rubicon has been crossed. The terrorists have launched a biological weapon against the United States. They have therefore made biological warfare thinkable and thus repeatable. We once had a doctrine that such a Rubicon would be answered with a nuclear response. We backed down on that threat in the Gulf War but Saddam didn't dare use biological weapons then. Someone has dared to use them now. Our response must be as grave as this new threat."

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CALIFORNIA WATER RESTRICTIONS MUST INCLUDE BIG AG, BIG OIL & NESTLÉ!

by Dan Bacher

The mainstream media and state officials have for years tried to portray California as the "green" leader of the nation. In reality, California suffers from some of the greatest environmental degradation of any state in the nation, since corporate agribusiness, the oil industry and other big money interests control the majority of the state's politicians and exert inordinate influence over the state's environmental policies.

California is currently in a state of emergency, with NASA scientists saying that California has only about one year of water left in reserves, according to Food and Water Watch. This is largely due to the gross mismanagement of California's reservoirs, rivers and groundwater supplies, during a record drought, to serve the 1 percent.

California Governor Jerry "Big Oil" Brown's recent water restrictions on cities and counties are woefully inadequate. Big agribusiness, oil interests and bottled water companies continue to deplete and pollute California's precious groundwater resources that are crucial for saving water.

It's clear that the severity of this drought calls for much more than just individual action like cutting back on showers.

Sooner or later we have to stop subsidizing corporate agribusiness, growing almonds and other export crops on toxic land that should have never been irrigated with cheap water and other subsidies. The idea of big corporate growers "suffering" during the drought is a classic example of the "Big Lie" that has been spread by agribusiness, the Brown administration and Big Ag Astroturf groups.

At  a press conference in Sacramento yesterday after meeting with water agency and agribusiness leaders, Governor Brown said that the "key is to get the water and not point fingers" during the drought.

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, responded, "We have already sent a tweet asking him get the water for whom? Westlands? Paramount Farms?"

Natural Resources Secretary John Laird claims that "everybody is a soldier in the fight" to address the drought. Yes, everybody except those planting almonds in the drought!

According to the "On the Public Record blog (http://onthepublicrecord.org), almond acreage in California has expanded by 70,000 acres, a total of 280,000 acre feet per year of new water demand:

"I have marked the almond acreage at the beginning and end of the 2006-2009 drought (700,000 acres at the beginning, 810,000 acres at the end). At the beginning of our current drought, almond acreage was 870,000 acres. In 2013, after two years of drought, it was up to 940,000 acres. It looks like the 2014 California Almond Acreage Report comes out at the end of April (here’s 2013). I will be excited to see a new total acreage.  

Let’s make this all explicit. Since this drought began, almonds have expanded by 70,000 acres. That’s 280,000 acft/year of new water demand for a snack that will be exported. That water will come from groundwater or from other farmers. At the same time, the California EPA is literally telling urban users to take five minute cold showers. If there is a lot of new acreage in 2014 and 2015, it is going to be difficult for the Brown administration to stay friends with them."     

You can take action NOW to stop corporate agribusiness, big oil companies and Nestle and other bottled water companies from depleting California's precious water supplies during a record drought by going to:

https://secure3.convio.net/fww/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2011&s_src=taf_sp&sp_ref=113679618.63.12411.f.50225.4

On March 20, environmental and human rights activists, holding plastic “torches” and “pitchforks,” formed human barricades at both entrances to the Nestlé Waters bottling plant in Sacramento at 5:00 a.m., effectively shutting down the company's operations for the day. To read the complete story, go to:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/03/27/1373887/-Activists-Shut-Down-Nestl-Water-Bottling-Plant-in-Sacramento

4 Comments

  1. Bill Pilgrim April 20, 2015

    Notice that Congress will push as hard as it can to serve the interests of the Israel lobby by demanding a say in the Iranian nuclear agreement.
    But when it comes to serving the interests of the middle and working classes by demanding full access to, and a say, in the TPP…. not so much. Just the opposite. They are yet again serving their corporate masters.

    • Harvey Reading April 20, 2015

      Bidness as usual. And people can kiss the environmental laws goodbye as well if this horrendous program is authorized … either that or be willing to pay scum corporations who claim they suffer monetary damage from them. Glad I’m old, and my sentence to this prison planet is almost over.

  2. Rick Weddle April 21, 2015

    re: Israel lobby; scum corporations…

    You might have noticed Netanyahu recently being granted a personal audience with ‘our’ whole god damned congress. Kudos to those lawmakers who made themselves scarce for that. You might also have noticed that we, the American Public for whom that congress was built, elected, sworn and paid, get disregarded, disenfranchised, disinformed, dispossessed, and visited with violence upon our politics, our economies, our resources past the last drop, our lives, our very weather, and then…don’t try to make sense of this, you could do yourself permanent damage…that same betrayed, shackled Public gets charged for all these privileges. A lot. Frequently. It is further recommended you be well adjusted to this, even an enthusiastic participant and sponsor.

    Some see this as The Way The Cookie Crumbles, a ‘natural’ kind of sequence, simply to be expected. It’s definitely not news to N. American Peoples of the First Nations, People of color just about everywhere, and so on…

    I’m glad to say I know People who know better and act like it. Elders, youngsters and in between who have more than an inkling that there’s nothing remotely natural about piracy as economy or terror as policy. Crime is not natural in the least, Virginia.

    The momentum of our present economic/ecological tailspin may yet be terminal, but they’s a whole ‘nother population here and there dancing to a very different tune. A tune that doesn’t bring down the barn.

  3. Stephen Rosenthal April 21, 2015

    Bruce,

    How about a Dummy of the Week companion piece to Catch of the Day? I’d like to nominate Señor Miranda as the premier Dummy.

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