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LULAC is “the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the U.S.” When those strings were added, I do not know.
[Ed. Note: Originally posted July 20, but worth a second look.]
We saw this editorial coming, those of us who attend OCWD meetings and have suffered through early versions of it recited by Latino spokesmen Benny Diaz and Arte Montez in their public comments, and now we see it printed out in its full obscenity, in the Register, in a piece “written” by statewide LULAC chief Dave Rodriguez. (below, right)
In short, the usual uninformed kindergarten argument for Poseidon (“We need water DUH”) has now been ennobled and given a great racial urgency:
- the need to build Poseidon is now a question of “ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE,”
- the right to overpriced desalinated water is now a CIVIL RIGHT for central-county Latinos,
- and any argument against the boondoggle is a luxury enjoyed by spoiled rich white people near the coast.
In how many ways is this obscene? Let us count them:
1. “Environmental Justice??”
“Environmental justice” is defined as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” It’s an acknowledgement that less-politically-powerful dark people and poor people tend to get stuck next to polluters more often than others. A perfect local example that’s been in the news lately is the unenclosed odiferous Rainbow Dump right across the street from the Oak View Neighborhood and school – something LULAC has never spoken out about.
So for the writer of this piece (whom I suspect to be neither Dave Rodriguez nor Latino) to use that phrase while shilling for something as environmentally destructive as the Poseidon plant is UTTERLY ORWELLIAN. Unless! Unless by “justice” they mean “revenge,” and their notion is to take revenge on what they might consider the spoiled white people of Southeast Huntington Beach by sticking this nuisance in THEIR back yard.
Nah, even that doesn’t make sense. Take a look at the beach some day – the coastline which Poseidon would pollute with a hyper-salinated dead zone is enjoyed by Latinos as much as anyone else. The billions of sealife larvae set to be slaughtered by Poseidon’s open intakes could easily be making their way into ceviche. And all of us of EVERY race have to live in an atmosphere into which Poseidon would be pumping epic amounts of greenhouse gases.
2. ¡Tenemos Sed!
In my life I have known so many Latin-Americans, MANY of them in Santa Ana and Anaheim – probably hundreds by now. And I have NEVER noticed them to drink more water, to need more water, than the average white, black or Asian person. So how does desal water become a “Civil Right” unique to Latin-Americans?
Sulnick jokes, after someone else answers a tricky question, “I was just gonna make something up!” much to the mirth of some. (Click for larger view. Pic John Earl.)
The fact is, low-income people from central OC are not suffering from a LACK of water, but, if anything, from increasingly EXPENSIVE water – and the Poseidon boondoggle would raise their water bills considerably. So the thoughtless and uninformed prescription coming from LULAC would actually HURT central-OC Latinos: Epic Fail.
On that note, who writes corny sentimental sentences like, “The Latino community knows that water is life; there is no life without it”? Ah, the “simple people of God” who live “close to the earth,” if only the White Man would Heed their Wisdom! This is one of several clues that makes me think no actual Latino wrote this piece, but a white fake-liberal – specifically Poseidon propagandist and environmentalist-for-hire Robert Sulnick, who heads up OC WISE, a Poseidon-lobbying astroturf group which “partners” with LULAC. (Just my extremely-informed guess.)
A Few Other Things…
- I really take offense to the “reverse racism” in the notion that our ability to debate, criticize, and fight against Poseidon’s proposal is some kind of luxury we enjoy because of our “white privilege.” No, we are doing this for everybody. If anything, this boondoggle will hurt low-income people the worst.
- For LULAC to abuse the terms “environmental justice” and “civil rights” for this kleptocratic project is a real corruption of noble and important concepts which have saved and improved lives for decades … just as this whole LULAC endorsement is a sad corruption of what once was an important and credible civil rights group, founded after WWI in Texas to help “assimilate” hispanic veterans into American society.
- When Rodriguez or Sulnick or whoever writes “We are mindful that Latino voices have been conspicuously absent from the dialog over the need to build this plant,” he’s wrong or lying: As Surfrider’s Joe Geever tells me, “Latino communities HAVE been engaged in water issues: there is a long-standing Environmental Justice Coalition for Water (EJCW) that represents those concerns, which … LULAC just hasn’t been a part of as far as I know.” Also, Santa Ana has been represented on the OCWD first by Vince Sarmiento, now by Roman Reyes; not to mention the constant shilling at meetings and behind the scenes by political figures like Lou Correa, José Solorio, and Benny Diaz. But go ahead, “work the refs” for more attention…
- Bringing up parched, agricultural, Latino Porterville, way up north of Bakerfield, is a real non sequitur: Nothing we do here water-wise in the OC, involving Poseidon or not, is going to change their situation for better or worse, no matter WHAT Rube-Goldberg case for that you dream up. Porterville’s problems could be discussed elsewhere, but there doesn’t seem much point here.
Wherefore LULAC?
Yes, I know, “Wherefore” means “Why.” As in “WHY is this Hispanic civil rights group involved in water infrastructure debates of all things, on demonstrably the wrong side?”
There is usually a cash nexus when Poseidon shilling is involved. At last count the Boston-based corporation had spent nearly a quarter-million dollars ($233,779.00) “donating” to politicians and water officials who could make a difference in them getting this prize. The enthusiasm of trade union and Teamster officials is easily explained by their desire for quick, albeit temporary jobs. (2000 construction jobs over two years although not all at the same time, then only 25 permanent ones.) But what would motivate “the oldest Hispanic civil rights group in the US” to get dirty with these Northeastern hedge fund pirates?
I immediately “tagged” Garden Grove LULAC’s irrepressible president Benny Diaz (that’s Facebook talk) and asked if his organization had received any contributions from Poseidon, which he vehemently denied several times. Then, when journalist John Earl made the “official legally binding request” to see Benny’s organization’s 990 forms, Benny responded by “blocking” John – on Facebook that means erasing each other so that neither of you can see anything the other one writes again. Hmmm!
Within minutes John was looking at the available 990 forms online, for both Benny’s local LULAC and the organization statewide, and if we’re to believe LULAC, they have had NO REVENUE, NO ASSETS, AND NO CONTRIBUTIONS – EVER. Hmmmm … the plot sickens.
Lu-Lack. Click for larger image.
Well – next step, John or I – whoever has the time first – needs to go by Garden Grove LULAC’s office (if there is one) to request the paper forms. Next step after that is the Attorney General.
I’m a little sensitive to the question of LULAC and whether or not they get contributions. Back in 2012, just a few days after my wife’s son Joel Acevedo was killed by the police, LULAC asked her for permission to fundraise “in his name” – out of whatever they raised they would pay for Joel’s funeral expenses, and keep the rest for their further “good work.” Donna declined: Joel already had enough family and friends to help with expenses, and she didn’t care to be used by an organization she had no time or energy to vet.
Pretty hard to imagine such quick opportunists having no income, no assets, and no contributions, these past 16 years.
Oh well, if we keep looking MAYBE we’ll find out the root motivation of a propaganda piece like we just saw in the Register. Meanwhile, keep up the good fight, friends. It is we Poseidon foes who are looking out for the interests of OC’s low-income residents, Latino and otherwise.
Just SOME of our Previous Coverage of Poseidon:
- HB Council Respectfully Asks Coastal Commission to Shitcan Poseidon. (July 2013)
- Poseidon Runs Headlong into Infiltration Gallery (report on Nov 2013 Coastal Commission hearing)
- Poseidon’s Water Boy: Matt Harper Quietly Pushes Desal Scam Past Ratepayers. (May 2014)
- OCWD’s Sheldon Clams Up on Poseidon Vote, Flory Shakes Things Up! (June 2014)
- Who owns the OCWD, you or Poseidon? YOU DO! Remind them, tonight! (June 2014)
- Unpacking Poseidon’s Latest Propaganda Blitz with Debbie Cook. Pt 1: The CNN Puff Piece. (June 2014)
- Recent Poseidon-Probolsky Push-Poll Threatens Candidates and Misleads Voters. (Nov. 2014)
- Sheldon’s Unethical Culture Challenged by Legal Complaint (Dec. 2014)
- Poseidon & OCWD Bring their Snake-Oil Show to the Pumpers Tomorrow (Dec. 2014)
- Surfin’ Sheldon, Little Lost Dina, Righteous Flory – What You’ve Been Missing at OCWD! (Jan. 2015)
- Poseidon Update: OCWD “just sticks the tip in…” (Jan. 2015)
- Sheldon Says “Suck it Surf City!” The Poseidon Shill is also Behind our High Density Development. (Feb. 2015)
- OCWD’s Forecast for the Future: Cloudy with a Huge Chance of Error. (March 2015)
- Pat Bates Baits Us with Bogus Doomsday Drought Scenario. (March 2015)
- Swan Song for Poseidon? A Blast of Truth from Irvine’s Peer Swan. (March 2015)
- Cage Rattled Hard, OCWD Dons Fig Leaf Before Marrying Poseidon. (April 2015)
- Our Celebrated Groundwater Replenishment System Steals Poseidon’s Lunch Money. (April 2015)
- OCWD profile #1: Phil Anthony, the Quiet Skeptic. (April 2015)
- Showdown at the OCWD Corral Nears, R4RD launches Volley. (May 2015)
- The Poseidon Adventure Sails On! (May 2015)
- Dina Nguyen Stands Up Garden Grove, Skips Fascinating Poseidon Forum. (May 2015)
- Will OCWD be Shipwrecked by Mermaids? (June 2015)
- Cathy Green Falsely Carries Poseidon Water to Coastal Commission (June 2015)
- Watch Poseidon Joke over Proposed Property Tax Increase to fund their “Privately Funded” Desal Project. (July 2015)
- Bao Stands for Garden Grove Against Poseidon, the rest of Council Waffles. (July 2015)
- Phan is the Man – who Stopped this and Needs to Start it Again! (July 2015)
- OC Can Do Desal Better – Use Salt to Lock Up CO2 Emissions. (August 2015)
- San Diego Has Too Much Water – but is Paying $1 Billion for Their Poseidon Plant. (Dec. 2015)
- Poseidon Progress Report: Eight Ways to Screw the Public. (Feb. 2016)
- Why the Coastal Commission Will Approve Poseidon. (April 2016)
- Poseidon in denial over the obstacles ahead, and more… (May 2016)
- Dispatches from the Battle Against Poseidon, Summer 2016 (July 2016)
*Yeah….where is Lulac in the discussion about Trump? And the Hispanic 100 too?
Meanwhile, we would much rather have Poseidon taking care of the water needs
down in South County… than So Cal Edison and San Onofre.
I am So disappointed in LULAC.
The only thing Poseidon does is make poor people pay for a rich white man’s lawn in South County.
That brown people mow for $5 an hour.
What an absurdly shameful decision by LULAC.
The root motivation? A coalition of the Teamsters and Building Trades — which controls the county’s Democratic Party and thus its ambitious if not slavering servant Benny Diaz — wants some more (almost entirely temporary) jobs without any regard for the social expense imposed on everyone else. And so they, on behalf of Poseidon, enlist Benny (and, perhaps as an afterthought, Art) to call people racists if they don’t go along with LULAC … carrying Poseidon’s water.
If you’re asking whether the “root motivation” is ambition or greed, it probably varies from person to person. But, then again, the two are not unrelated.
Not just Benny, this piece was “written” by their statewide director.
Yes, but “the Latino community knows that water is life; there is no life without it.”
And other stuff.
As does the polka community –
“In Heaven,…. there is,…no beer,…..That’s why,…..we drink it…..Here!……” lol.
Well done, well said.
LULAC in California has gone LAS LULAC as in Latino Al Sharptons. Poseidon has no place doing business with us when obviously they are going to not only stick it to us financially with outdated, behemoth, ocean destructive technology. We are not willing to be your serfs with our surf and at great expense to our ocean life. Ocean Lives Matter. Shame on LAS LULAC, allowing themselves to be colonized this way.
As an add: Ventura pays $600 acre foot currently. Desalination will make that $2200-2400 acre foot. LAS LULAC, how does that serve the Latino community, exactly? By keeping families under Poseidon’s thumb?
Does anyone have those numbers for Orange County?
What we pay now.
What we will have to pay later.
If it’s anything like Ventura, they can sucker punch somewhere else. Leave our Orange County coastline alone. Fight for our environment not for foreign investors to profit from American rate payers.
Chale!
Sure its justice to make everyone pay triple for water. Yup.
With some digging I found where the Orange County LULAC Foundation received $1500 from the Wells Fargo Foundation on 4/21/2005, but that’s it. Nothing on Guidestar or Charity Navigator. The IRS site shows they have been filing the Form 990-N, but that only indicates that they have received less than $50K in revenue during the year. Not so transparent.
So staff at LULAC works for free? What about black tie fundraising events? Are the financials being kept by State LAS LULAC office? And if so, why? To hide desal support payments? Are they on the take, one wonders. At great expense to Latino community I would say.
For WOT-
Just up from YouTube – there’s a (hyperloop investor) born every minute !
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-hyperloop-idUSKCN0Y205F
Fullerton Voting Maps Tossed Out; to Be Replaced!
http://voiceofoc.org/2016/07/fullertons-voting-districts-map-being-challenged-in-court/
This was to have been our Weekend Open Thread, but the Management got busy.
Yeah – were we right on top of that one or what?
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2016/06/fullerton-districting-sleaze-mayor-fitzgerald-rocks-out-with-mapmakerrockstar-popoff/
On Election Day even!
It was a good day. Among us, I think that Ryan knows most about it.
Jane and Matt were my sources.
Again for WOT, from YouTUbe-
An interesting clip about North Korean forced labor being used across Poland to send foreign exchange currency to NK.
Um, wasn’t there a provision somewhere in the TPP or its brethren, allowing import of foreign workers, paid at home country wages ? Well, FWIW.
I hope for their sakes, that Joshua Collins, Lou Noble and other homeless advocates, miss this article, so nobody has to clean up the aftermath of exploding heads. This illustrates our apparent priority for (Mind Numbing Deficit Borrowed) spending here at the USA (Unceasing State of Absurdity)- $67 Million or so worth, anyway.
http://dailycaller.com/2016/07/28/us-builds-homes-for-displaced-afghans-locals-turn-around-and-destroy-them/
Very interesting. Also, interesting: Where are all the extremely outraged players who were so fired up about terms such as, “environmental racism” being used in regards to Rainbow? It made them so, so upset. And a notable amount of those folks stated many times that it was NOT about Rainbow per se. But it WAS about the very idea of bringing racism into it and so on and so forth.
A lot of those same folks are very, very VERY opposed to the OVSD bond. Citing the cost to the public. Especially the impact on older folks. They are highly concerned about the thirty year life of the OVSD bond. Yet not the fifty year contract with Posedon and the burden that the UNCAPPED increase in water bills will have on the very same demographic and community.
Plus, none of these “no new tax” advocates have spent anywhere near the massive amount of the time and energy they have put into opposing the OVSD bond disavowing the proposed (HIGHER) yearly tax to fund Poseidon. Or the increased water rates. All so that a private company can profit.
Rejected letter by the OC Register regarding LULAC and Poseidon
So now Poseidon is a matter of Environmental Justice huh?
It’s strange that Dave Rodriguez and LULAC, which never took an interest in real “environmental justice” of the Oak View community in Huntington Beach asked them for help in our dispute with Rainbow Environmental Services, suddenly sees it as a matter of “environmental justice” for Poseidon Resources to build a billion-dollar desal plant that will actually pollute our shoreline and atmosphere. (“Huntington Beach desalination plant a matter of environmental justice,” July 15.)
Speaking for the Latinos I know, we don’t want or need Poseidon’s overpriced water, or the pollution it would entail. Desalination is the most expensive way to produce fresh water known to mankind, and this company is especially dishonest and greedy, and has spent a quarter million so far contributing to local politicians like Assemblyman Matthew Harper (who also has begun receiving contributions from Republic Services, new owner of Rainbow Environmental).
It’s hard to imagine why LULAC, a “Hispanic civil rights organization,” would stick their noses into this situation, especially since they don’t seem to keep financial records, but their arguments for desalinated water being a special “civil right” for Latinos makes no sense at all.
With that being said, the door is still open. There’s lots of work to be done regarding Rainbow Environmental Services, where the REAL environmental justice work is happening – come on down and get a whiff of garbage smell!
Oscar Rodriguez, excellent letter. Agree, totally.
Pay to play under the guise of justice, environment, civil rights is evil. Las LULAC should do some due diligence on the foreign investors/colonizers they are sleeping with. Selling out the Latino community and our precious ocean environment is flat out evil doings. Big fail. Shame on you.
Well done, Oscar Rodriguez. They should have printed your letter!
Chickenshits. Bounced too high on the truth-ometer for them.
Just saw this on OCPolitics- (perhaps only news to me ?)
http://ocpoliticsblog.com/2016/08/01/sanchez-endorsed-for-the-u-s-senate-by-the-o-c-business-council/?
given the endorser, does “support for water infrastructure” euphemize a company name starting with “P” ? or is it Jerry’s Tunnel ? or ??
her last public statement on Poseidon was to tell the Coastal Commission that it needs to have the more expensive, subsurface intakes – which to Poseidon was a dealbreaker they fought tooth and nail. She doesn’t seem to have taken notice of the SWINDLE aspect of it.
She (and LOU!) were both big champions and funders of our Groundwater Replenishment System, which was actually an unalloyed good.
Endorsement by Lucetta and Kurt? Mo bueno, Lo.
Andale. Jalando greñas. Pulling hair.
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Tomorrow–Join-Antonio-Gonzalez–WCVI-and-Benny-Diaz–LULAC-for-a-Pro-Agua–Latino-Community-Meeting.html?soid=1114208817960&aid=g4_7glV69Fs
Yep BeeBeeBee, Bennie is really working his butt off for Poseidon, I wanted to go shadow him tonight in Fullerton but I was doing too much work for my wife’s council campaign; I’ll try to cause some trouble next Thursday in Santa Ana.
Meanwhile he and Arte went to Los Amigos last week (when there were few people there) and tried to get the group to vote a resolution in favor of Poseidon. They were supposed to come back yesterday morning to follow up, but I think they chickened out – we had a veritable Poseidon truth squad there – members of HB’s Residents for Responsible Desalination (one of them an old Latino), Oak View activist Oscar Rodriguez, the OJ’s own brilliant researcher/muckraker Paco Barragan, and myself. I write songs. Donna had suggested I adapt Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” to the occasion, and that was right up my alley. It went over very well. I think if there were a vote that morning, it would have been pretty unanimous against Poseidon.
That’s a great rendition Vern. Elton would approve. Nothing like a song when you cannot wrap your head around something so obvious at being so wrong.
Moshing.
Moshing!
Right on Vern. Point on.