CITIZENS OVERSIGHT SUES CPUC OFFICIALS ON BEHALF OF RATEPAYERS; ALLEGES BILLING FOR POWER NEVER PRODUCED AT SAN ONOFRE
By Miriam Raftery November 16, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) –Citizen’s Oversight and the law firm of Aguirre & Severson have filed a Federal lawsuit against two top public utility officials and Southern California Edison (SCE) for allegedly violating the constitutional rights of SDG&E ratepayers and SCE ratepayers by taking over $3 billion without just compensation. View lawsuit here: http://www.copswiki.org/Common/M1518 The federal lawsuit exposes how two public officials with a history of granting favors to utility executives allowed rates charging each citizen an estimated $229.00 (more than $1,000 per electric meter) for the failed San Onofre nuclear power plant in violation of the “just compensation” provision in the U.S. Constitution. Ratepayers were charged for power that was never generated after the facility was shut down for safety reasons. The suit seeks restitution of $3 billion to ratepayers. The suit contends that the Public Utilities Commission illegally allowed SCE too take property, specifically, money, of California citizens via illegal overcharges on SDG&E and SCE utility bills. Over 17 million utility ratepayers have been harmed by what the plaintiffs call an “unlawful billing scheme,” the suit contends. “It’s clear the utility has completely rigged the system in their favor,” Ray Lutz, founder of the nonprofit group Citizens Oversight in El Cajon has stated. “They didn’t even have a hearing in the investigation (of the San Onofre shutdown) to find out who was at fault.” Lutz’s group filed the lawsuit being handled by former City Attorney Mike Aguirre and consumer attorney Maria Severson. Lutz told East County Magazine that $3 billion in overcharges over a three-year period to 17.4 million people amounted to about 1,000 per meter or $176 per person. The suit does not currently name SDG&E or its parent company, Sempra Energy, as defendants. Lutz told ECM that plaintiffs had hoped SDG&E would join their suit and seek to recover overcharges from Edison but thus far, the utility has not done so. The suit may be amended in the future to add SDG&E and/or Sempra as defendants, he disclosed. The legal action argues that the two most powerful public utilities Commissioners — Michel Florio and disgraced Commission president Michael Peevey — engaged in scheduling shenanigans that quashed a legally-required internal investigation into the “reasonableness” of charging SCE and SDG&E customers for electricity they never received. By avoiding the legally required hearings, the CPUC, the California Public Utilities Commission allowed SCE to take the property of more than 17 million citizens without just compensation in violation of their 5th Amendment right. Peevey, former chief executive of PG&E, has announced his resignation at year’s end after public records requests revealed improper emails which showed a Peevey staffer promising favorable treatment to PG&E involving the deadly Sa Bruno pipeline explosion. Peevey and Florio have previously been wined and dined extensively by utilities they are supposed to regulate, including SDG&E, San Diego’s power provider. Citizens Oversight’s website states, “We have obtained more than 7,200 pages of emails and other correspondence as a result of the CPRA (California Public Records Act) request by the City of San Bruno regarding the PG&E Gas Line Explosion in San Bruno in 2010, which killed 8, injured scores, and demolished city blocks in San Bruno. These emails show a pattern of close coordination between the CPUC — the California Public Utilities Commission — and the utilities they are supposed to regulate, including PG&E…an initial reading shows a pattern of collusion to manipulate stock prices, coordinate press releases, shop for judges and rig the proceedings to benefit the utilities. We believe this culture of corruption goes beyond isolated incidents,” the site adds, concluding that the problem is “systemic in extent.”
HEADING ABROAD FOR THE HOLIDAYS? APPLY FOR YOUR PASSPORT NOW
Source: County of San Diego’s News Service November 16, 2014 (San Diego)–If you’re planning to travel out of the country over the holidays, now is the time to apply for your passport book or card, the County advises. The County Clerk offers passport walk-in services with no appointment necessary at its office at 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 402 in downtown San Diego. The service is offered from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding County holidays. Thomas Pastuszka, County Clerk, says “It can take four to six weeks to get a routine passport. To reduce the added stress and pressure of the holidays, we encourage people to apply for passports now, before the holiday break begins.” A passport book is required for international air travel and for crossing the international borders into Mexico or Canada. A passport card is often used in communities where crossing the border is a daily occurrence but can also be used at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry for travelers arriving from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda. This can save you hours of waiting. To quickly process your passport application, be prepared with the following: Completed Application: But do NOT sign the form ahead of time. Proof of U.S. Citizenship: Such as a birth certificate, Certificate of Naturalization, or one of several other specific documents. Proof of Identity: This must be a government or state-issued identification or a prior passport. Passport Photo: The office provides passport photo services. Payment: Forms of payment are cash, check or money order only. Credit and debit cards are not accepted. All applicants must appear in Person. There are special requirements for children under age 16. Free, three-hour parking is available at the County Administration Center. The parking garage entrance is on Ash Street between North Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway. In the event of an emergency involving a family member abroad, a short-notice airfare bargain, or an unexpected business trip, having a valid U.S. passport on hand will save you time, money and stress. Apply for your passport or card now and check this item off your holiday to-do list. You can find additional information on the Clerk of the Board’s Passport Application web page.
FUKUSHIMA RADIATION REACHES WATERS OFF WEST COAST
By Miriam Raftery November 16, 2014 (San Diego) – An oceanographer who has studied plutonium levels in the Black Sea after Chernobyl reports that small levels of radiation from the Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdowns in Japan have now reached waters off America’s west coast. Ken Buesseler, a PhD who specializes in studying marine radioactivity at the Woods Hole Oceonographic Institution, published his comments in the New Reddit Journal of Science AMA Series. No federal agency in the U.S. took on the task of measuring the radiation levels or funding scientists to do so, despite the 2011 Fukushima meltdowns following a massive earthquake and tsunami and scientists’ predictions that radiation would reach North America by 2014 or 2015. So scientists launched a crowd funding campaign and organized citizen scientist volunteers to sample the west coast from San Diego to Alaska and Hawaii testing for signs of Fukushima radionuclides identified by measuring cesium isotopes. http://OurRadioactiveOcean.org While the radioactive cesium-134 has not yet been found on our beaches, small amounts of radioactivity from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster have been found in the ocean about 100 miles west of Eureka, off the shore of northern California. But he assures that it’s still safe to swim offshore, since even swimming six hours a day for a full year would exposure you to less than single dental x-ray. “It will not deter me from swimming in the Pacific,” the oceanography expert concludes.
CONGRESS MEMBERS SPLIT ALONG PARTY LINES ON KEYSTONE PIPELINE VOTE
By Chris Jennewein Reprinted with permission from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association (SDONA) November 15, 2014 (San Diego)–The San Diego Congressional delegation followed party lines in the vote Friday to approve construction of the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline. Democrats Susan Davis, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas voted against the project, while Republicans Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa voted for it. “This bill is essentially an earmark for a Canadian oil company,” said Davis. “Keystone will have virtually no impact on job creation and an unnoticeable effect on gas prices. The project is very high on environmental risks and very low on reward.” Issa said Congress “made the economy a priority, and created thousands of new jobs by passing legislation to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. This project will go far in stabilizing our energy sector while creating highly technical and skilled labor jobs for years to come.” Following passage by a 252-161 margin, the measure goes to the Senate. If approved, it may face a veto by President Obama. The project would carry heavy oil from Canada’s tar sands to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPORT: HOT HEARINGS THIS WEEK
East County News Service November 16, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Here are some of the top agenda items coming up on this week’s boards and commissions across East County, from a solar field in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley to renovations at El Cajon’s City Hall to a marijuana dispensaries measure in Lemon Grove. This week, the El Cajon and Lemon Grove City Council meet, as well as the Helix Water Board district. Know of a hot item we missed on a board or council in your community? E-mail editor@eastCountymagazine.org. The El Cajon City Council will meet on Tuesday, November 18th. This week, the Council will vote on a staff recommendation to modernize city hall and renovation fire station #6. Council will also hold a hearing on delinquent trash collection charges and on the Babylon Banquet Hall’s application for on-site sale of alcoholic beverages and joint-use parking. Matters involving the Magnolia Trails and Foundation Lane residential developments will also be on the agenda. Lemon Grove’s City Council meets Wednesday, November 19th. Council members will consider an ordinance that would clarify that marijuana dispensaries do not fit any city zoning categories and are illegal. This follows two ballot measures in which Lemon Grove voters rejected measures that would have allowed marijuana dispensaries in the city. Council will also consider approving use of Community Development Block Grants for street improvements. In addition, Lemon Grove’s council members will consider whether to allow rezoning of several parcels on North Avenue to allow more heavily commercial uses. The Lakeside Community Planng Group meets Wednesday, November 19th. A hearing will be held on Everygreen Nursery’s proposal for a solar field in El Monte Valley. Helix Water Board also meets this Wednesday, November 19th. The board will discuss how to expend funds from a lawsuit settlement involving El Capitan Golf Club and El Monte Canyon LLC. Board members will also vote on a proposed $225,000 pavement improvement project at Lake Jennings.
SALVATION ARMY THANKSGIVING DRIVE-THROUGH FOOD DRIVE NOV. 25
November 15, 2014 (El Cajon)–You can help a family in need during the holidays. On Tuesday, November 25, from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the Salvation Army in El Cajon will hold a special “drive-thru food drive” at their offices located at 1011 East Main, El Cajon. The Salvation Army Drive Through Thanksgiving Food Drive rallies the San Diego East County community to contribute Thanksgiving dinners for families in need. To participate, drive to The Salvation Army El Cajon Corps to donate a frozen turkey, and/or any of the fixings, or make a cash donation. Sitting down to a Thanksgiving meal with family and friends is one of the greatest joys and privileges in life. The Salvation Army wants everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy that moment. One of the most rewarding aspects of donating those meals is seeing families walk away filled with joy and gratitude. Thanksgiving meals help families create lasting memories. Thanksgiving meals provide families the time to be…a family. For more information, please call (619) 440-4683, ext. 401.
A MODERN TAKE ON A CLASSIC – “SCAPIN” AT GROSSMONT COLLEGE NOV. 15-22
November 15, 2014 (El Cajon )–When two young men of substantial wealth fall in love with two beautiful but penniless ladies, they employ the assistance of the clever, crafty, and possibly clairvoyant servant, Scapin. Complications abound in Bill Irwin and Mark O’Donnell’s modern adaptation of Moliere’s classic French farce, Les Fourberies de Scapin. Scapin runs November 15, 20, 21, 22 at 7:30 p.m. and November 15 & 22 at 2:00 p.m. Parking is free. Tickets are $10 for students, faculty & staff, and $12 for general admission. Grossmont College’s Stagehouse Theatre is located at 8800 Grossmont College Drive. For more information please call the box office at (619) 644-7234.
FROST WARNING: FREEZING CONDITIONS
November 15, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a frost warning for the high desert areas. As cold air filters into the deserts and winds drop off, clear skies and very dry air will allow temperatures to plummet by Monday morning. Temperatures may be at or below freezing for several hours before sunrise over the high deserts with temperatures dipping into the low to mid-30s Sunday night and Monday night. Freezing temperatures can damage sensitive crops and plants. West of the mountains, a freeze is not forecast but temperatures will dip to chilly levels in the 30s and 40s in many locations, Alex Tardy with the National Weather Service forecasts.
RED FLAG WARNING
November 15, 2014 (San Diego)–The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning from 8 p.m. Sunday to 8 p.m.Monday for the San Diego County inland valleys and mountains. Periods of strong and gusty northeast winds will develop for Sunday into Monday. Very dry conditions will develop with humidity values falling into the single digits on both days. Weaker but gusty northeast winds will continue into Tuesday along with low humidity. More forecast information and updates are available from the National Weather Service. The Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index for San Diego (Zone 3) indicates that this is a marginal Santa Ana.
SDSU AZTEC ATHLETICS RECEIVES $1.25 MILLION DONATION TO LAUNCH CORYELL LEGACY
East County News Service November 15, 2014 (San Diego)—San Diego State University’s Aztec Club recently launched a drive to raise scholarship funds for student athletes. This week, Athletics Director Jim Sterk announced that a $1.25 million donation has been bequeathed by Bill and Robin Sinclair to launch the Coryell Legacy. Named in honor of Don Coryell, the most winning coach in Aztec football history, the Coryell Legacy will be funded through endowments and estate gifts to assure the financial future of the Aztec Athletics’ department and the success of its student athletes. The Aztecs Club has set a goal of raising $20 million through endowments. Robin Sinclair said, “Bill and I are not alumni, but we love the Aztecs.” Bill Sinclair compared building an endowment to building a sports team — a steady stream of new recruits maintains the program’s strengths. “Legacy giving will keep the university growing and guarantee its future,” he said. For more information on the Aztec Club and the Coryell Legacy, visit the Aztec Club website at http://www.goaztecs.com/aztecclub/ .