Eye On Modesto

Thoughts and observations about Modesto and Stanislaus County

Archive for the tag “Modesto Bee”

16 Aug 2012

Reed Smith Takes the Bee’s Judy Sly to Task

Here is a copy of the email.
 
Judy:
 
I am troubled by your characterization of citizens expressing their First Amendment right to free speech in your article referenced below.
 
 
“Some of the opponents of the proposed water sale have taken over recent MID board meetings, throwing out verbal bombshells and making rude and reckless accusations against some board members. We understand that they sometimes feel like they’re under attack.”
 
Just between you and me, hey, please give me the names of the persons who have “taken over the MID Board meetings”?  I have been to every one except April 3, 2012, since October 2011.  All I know is that Tom Van Groningen has limited citizens comment time from a bare five (5) minutes to the minuscule 3 minutes (3) per person to discuss complex issues.  It is hard to imagine a “3-MINUTE TAKE OVER” with two and sometimes three (3) heavily-armed guards.  Refresh my memory, have the Modesto Police been called yet?  You were there . . .  I can’t remember.
 
I would also be interested in which of their statements you consider “verbal bombshells”, “rude and reckless accusations”.  I am sure you have copies of all the Board meeting videos since last October, as do I, and it would not take much to provide proof of your assertions.    I am trying to understand your criteria for your claims.  I find it a little irrational that you criticize the very persons you need to stay in business, or maybe Joe does not need,  . . .  you know the residents of Modesto.  Actually, I am trying to determine if your assertions in this article are “reckless accusations”.  So, let’s get to it.  Show me your cards.  Who, When, and What did they say.  Then we can compare that to the words of the “most civil” MID Board Chairman Tom Van Groningen, personally civility-trained by the almighty Carol Whiteside.
 
Also, I would be interested in your characterization of any citizen who goes to the microphone and speaks to a position, for or against, that is paid to promote that position, and does not declare to the Board, or the rest of the public, that they are being paid to promote and sell us, and how much?  Does that sound OK to you?  You know, there might be an article there, not sure.  You might want to look into that.  I have lots of leads for you if you are interested.  Lots of leads.
 
I eagerly look forward to your reply.
 
Civilly,  Reed Smith
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09 Aug 2012

Reed Smith Questions Modesto Bee’s Editor and Senior VP/News Joe Kieta

Joe Kieta
Editor
Modesto Bee
 
Mr. Kieta:
 
It was nice to meet you on July 11, 2102 during the Editorial Board session when John Duarte and I were invited to discuss the MID water sale to the SFPUC.  Welcome to Modesto.
 
During the Editorial Board meeting, Judy Sly proposed that MID’s repeated false claims could be attributed to mere incompetence.  Incompetence would be justification to end negotiations to sell our water all by itself.  This was countered during the presentation as implausible because of the repeated re-use of documents that by MID’s own documents prove false, numerous times after the lie has been publicly exposed.  I would find the term “criminal” closer to the mode MID Board and staff are in, with incompetence removed from the excuse list many months ago.  
 
On one particular issue we discussed, John Holland followed-up in a phone call to me on July 13 asking me to validate a statement I made, that being my source of the California Water Resources Control Board staff’s statement in a meeting on May 3, wherein we were told that a 50-60 year water transfer was a “permanent” transfer of water rights.
 
I sent the e-mail below to Mr. Holland on the 13th as a reference document and cc’ed you.  I entered your e-mail address incorrectly, so it has been in my in box as undeliverable.  So, fast forward to my writing to you today.  On July 10, I had a very brief encounter with John Holland in the foyer of the MID Board Chambers during the morning MID Board Meeting break.  I inquire if he had contacted the references I provided.  He said he had not had time.
 
POINT:  One of MID Board’s key criteria for any water sale is to not interfere with the water right.
 
 

Question Key: General Questions Ag Related Questions November 2011

1. Will transferring the water for a long term deal endanger MID’s water rights?

The proposal is for selling water. Just water; MID’s water rights will be retained by MID; in fact by putting water to beneficial municipal and industrial uses, MID is protecting the water right.

 
I have provided John Holland with a statement witnessed by myself and John Duarte, who was in your conference room with John Holland on July 11, stating that experts in state government factually believe water rights are voided.  I have provided Mr. Holland with the citation of who, what, when, why, and where, on THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT IN THE WATER SALE NARRATIVE, and . . . Mr. Holland is too busy to validate and report it.  Hmm.
 
It begs the question of the Bee’s veracity on this issue.
 
I hope to see Mr. Holland’s reporting in a major article on MID’s attempt to sell our water rights.  Certainly it is newsworthy.
 
Regards,
 
Reed Smith
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25 Jul 2012
1 Comment

“What’s on America’s Mind” Tonight at 7:00PM Pacific

Tonight we’ll be discussing the Bee’s inability and John Holland’s unwillingness to convey what is happening at local meetings,  Our County Supervisors view on the Water sales, what’s happening in New Hampshire regarding freedom of Speech and local authorities trying to stifle it, and last but not least how Women’s Issues are playing out on the national stage.  It’s starts Wednesday night at 7:00PM Pacific time.

You can call in and just listen to the show or join in the conversation by calling 1-347-215-9414

You can always catch any of the shows in the archives.

And of course a big Thank You to Brad over at  104.9 FM K-GIG who broadcasts Central Valley Hornet Shows.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/centralvalleyhornet/2012/07/26/whats-on-americas-mind-with-emerson-drake

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09 Jul 2012

Tonight at 6:00 PM Athens Abell’s “On Watch” MID Water Sales and More

Tonight at 6:00  PM Pacific I will be guest hosting Athens Abell’s cable TV program “On Watch” with guests John Duarte and Troy McComak.

It can be found on the Assyrian Channel KBSV-15 on comcast, KBES 89.5 FM, and http://www.betnahrain.org/KBSV/kbsv.htm streaming video.  Just click on DSL at the top of the page.

First off we’ll be discussing with John Duarte  MID’s proposed water sale and the propaganda and misinformation  that the Modesto Bee and others have  been spreading.

The we’ll bring you some interesting thoughts of Troy McComak a former California 10th District Congressional candidate.

I hope you can take the time to visit with us.

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23 May 2012

Here is the Link to a Short MID Meeting Video

Take this link and watch MID Board President Tom Van Gronongen interrupt Brian DuBois.  Talk about a lack of civility. This was just one of many times VanGroningen interrupted speakers at the meeting.  More footage will be posted shortly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L7Xc-WjPbQ&feature=share 

What on eath can Judy Sly be thinking?

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28 Apr 2012

What you can Learn by Going to Modesto Council Committee Meetings

By Emerson Drake

Monday night 4/23 at the City’s Finance Committee meeting we learned the city had contacted 25-30 banks (their numbers not mine) to inquire which among them would be interested in renewing Modesto’s revolving letter of credit which expires September 30, 2012.

Only four banks showed any interest in doing business with us. And only one actually made an offer and it wasn’t what we were looking for.

Our current letter of credit is with Bank of America and BofA wanted to change it over to an out right loan.

Modesto is looking at a $63,000,000 letter of credit and so far there are no takers.

As it stands right now we will  have to pony up $12.5 Million to terminate the letter of credit in September if some sort of accommodations aren’t made.

Should we be concerned that only four banks would even return our calls and only one would make any kind of solid counter offer and not just a “maybe” IF they can find someone else willing to split our debt with?

And does it matter that two of those are European banks ( based in France and Belgium) we know how unstable the EU is now and the remaining bank is Bank of the West.

In times past you might have had the chance to learn about this from other sources  but we were the only ones there.

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23 Apr 2012

Kristin Olsen, the Assemblywoman is a Detriment to the Central Valley

Seal of the California State Assembly

Seal of the California State Assembly (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Emerson Drake

Once again the grandstanding of Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen has wasted our time and money.  Her latest foray into bill writing has been pushed to the wayside. Her feeble, poorly written bill AB1861 which makes a felony for any teacher to have a romantic relationship with a student even if the student were over 18.  While this feel good measure might appeal to some, it mostly seems to be  geared to throwing meat to her base using a newly found popular cause.

She dutifully ignores any and all other occupations where a minor might fall prey to a person in power. Taking away ones retirement might seem to be just but why not apply it across the board.

We believe teachers shouldn’t be singled out when so many professions  come into contact with minors.

If  Ms. Olsen would ever truly apply herself to improving the economy, or any effective  goal other than  the pointless self-serving one she has chosen we could at least consider her for Assembly District 12, but with her track record we would be better off retiring her from public office.

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05 Apr 2012

Will the Real Modesto Bee Please Stand Up

Back in 2007 Mike Moody wrote an article against San Francisco taking 52,000 acre feet out of the Tuolumne River but now the Editorial Staff is backing the initiative.  

 
Interesting, they didn’t want us to let some else have it but it’s okay to sell it.
 

MID, TID challenge SF water assumptions

Amount ofTuolumnewater to SF worrisome, they say, particularly in a drought

By Mike Moody

San Francisco’s plan to take more water from theTuolumneRiver– especially in dry years — faces a challenge from theModestoandTurlockirrigation districts.

MID and TID leaders suspect faulty assumptions may have led the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to overstate how much river water would be available to divert during a drought year.

“That’s probably our biggest concern,” the MID’s Walt Ward said Wednesday, “the assumption that 27,000 acre-feet can be diverted from the river (even) during dry years.”
That is about 24 million gallons a day.

MID officials are confused, saying that there is no extra water flowing in theTuolumne, especially in a drought year.

Diverting more water by 2030 — San Francisco already diverts 225 million gallons a day from the Tuolumne — is a key part of a $4.3 billion San Francisco Public Utilities Commission plan to refurbish and rebuild its Hetch Hetchy water conveyance system.

http://www.modbee.com/2007/10/04/84207/mid-tid-challenge-sf-water-assumptions.html 

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09 Mar 2012

The Bee’s Drones Wave Their Stingers in a Blind Defense

By Emerson Drake

The MID Board in their great wisdom allow 125 defects( which is requiring walls to be torn down and storage pools to be rebuilt, even the wrong type of concrete was used) in the new water treatment plant which could end up costing citizens and ratepayers MILLIONS of dollars and now they’re selling us a bill of goods about wanting to sell water to San Francisco instead of investing it in Stanislaus County and our citizens.

 
The thinking public had hoped with Mark Vasch’s imminent departure, the Editorial Staff would stop their blind devotion to members on the MID board that they foolishly endorsed.  The Editorial Staff’s slavish behavior is surpassed only by Tom Van Groningen, Paul Warda, and Glen Wild’s, lemmings over the edge of a cliff mentality, to MID’s G.M. Allen Short.
 
Ask yourselves how many times in the last 100 years the flume has been in peril by earthquakes.  Ask why suddenly has this taken the forefront of the debate. 
 
Even more importantly, ask how they intend to sell water we don’t  have for the next 10 years, when/if the changes  to the system are made, we wouldn’t be able to recapture it until 10 years from now, after the proposed water contract is complete.
 
And most importantly remember to get off of your tail ends and go to the Modesto City Council meeting Tuesday night, March 12th at 5:30, to ask these and other questions and let your opinions be heard.
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11 Nov 2011

On-Going Scandal in Modesto

By Emerson Drake

City Manager Gregg Nyhoff perpetuated the myth of “everything is fine” down at city hall at Wednesday night’s city council meeting.  The bobble heads were nodding in agreement that city workers overseeing the NSP2 funds are stretched too thin, rather than acknowledging pressure from local power brokers was responsible.  When you listen to members of the Commonwealth Group explain it away, it almost sounds plausible until you consider the web of intrigue that surrounds the scandal.

From city councilmen and their business partners scheming their way through the NSP2 maze of paperwork and guidelines, to newspaper publishers relatives being waist deep in the mire.

While the SCAP controversy abused everyone’s sense of reason, the NSP2 controversy exposed the raw naked greed of a city councilman who can’t use city attorney Susan Alcala Wood as a shield this time.

The premise that a city official can’t profit from NSP2 funds or HUD money isn’t obscure, not in the least.  It’s one of the first things you learn.

But when the money Ryan Swehla and Scott Monday funneled to Benchmark Realty (a company Swehla owns with Joe Muratore) first came to light, it was eclipsed by the SCAP scandal.

Needless to say, despite Mark Vasche’s claim of distancing himself from the reporting on this, it can’t be easy to be a reporter writing about Vasche’s son-in-law (Scott Monday).

Commonwealth members continue to support Councilman Muratore despite his being caught with his fingers in the till.  After all, his being on the council, adds unspoken pressure on city employees (unspoken by Muratore), while his partner doesn’t hesitate to play the “do you know who my partner is” card to anyone unaware of the affiliation.

Even most of the city council has remained silent on whether or not Muratore should resign his seat.

You can’t expect any pressure from his council district, considering that Mike Moradian has been inspecting all of the homes being “processed” by the conjoined triumvirate.

How can citizens ofModestoexpect to be treated with respect and honesty while the Bee management is shielding Muratore and his cohorts.

To be bluntly spoken, we can’t.  People need to express their dissatisfaction and outrage to the City Council and everyone they meet. 

We need to say the iconoclast, “We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it any more.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” 
― Margaret Mead

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