Coalition Blog

Jun 24, 2008

My name is Adam Ellison and I’m the new Executive Director of Citizens to Stop the Power Grab. As a Central Valley native and graduate of the University of the Pacific I care about what happens in our community. That’s why I’m excited about the opportunity to work with San Joaquin County residents about key issues like government accountability and eminent domain.

 

My experience as a grassroots volunteer for state and local candidates and issues gives me an understanding of what we need to do – together as Citizens to Stop the Power Grab – to fight for the private property rights of our friends and neighbors here in south county.  

 

As you know, Citizens to Stop the Power Grab has been successful in beating back attempts by the South San Joaquin Irrigation District to take over PG&E’s private business through a hostile eminent domain action. While we were successful before, there’s every indication that SSJID will make another go at it and will again abuse their power of eminent domain to take over a private business solely for the purpose of running that same business.

 

I’m committed to building on the Coalition’s past successes. To do that, I will be reaching out to many of you over the next several weeks, to share your thoughts about the actions we should consider in the future.  You can reach me by emailing info@stoppowergrab.org. If you or someone you know is interested in joining Citizens to Stop the Power Grab or if you’d like more information, please let me know…I’m always up for talking about what’s happening in our county over a cup of coffee.

As the new executive director of the Coalition I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize the great work Adam Struck did with all of you to make Citizens to Stop the Power Grab a respected and effective voice in our community. I have big shoes to fill but I am confident that together we will be able to achieve a great deal.

Regards,
Adam C. Ellison

Apr 24, 2008

SSJID was sent back to square one by the California 3rd District of Appeal yesterday when they ruled that SSJID MUST seek LAFCo approval before embarking on their hostile eminent domain takeover of PG&E’s electric facilities.

As you probably know, SSJID has been trying to seize PG&E’s electric facilities by eminent domain for more than 5 years and has spent more than $8 million in public money trying to do so.

We think that SSJID should spend their more than $30 million in savings to improve local irrigation water infrastructure, give you a line-item credit on your electric bill or permanently reduce or eliminate their irrigation rates for local hard-working farmers.
But don’t take our word for it—read about the court’s decision in the (LINKS) Stockton Record, Modesto Bee and Tri-Valley Herald.

Dec 14, 2007

The Manteca Bulletin reported this week that SSJID has more than $50 million in savings and expects to have more than $60 million at the close of 2008. $60 million is a lot of money!! In fact, according to the Manteca Bulletin, SSJID is pulling in $23.58 per second.

Instead of wasting their time and millions of public money on their proposed eminent domain takeover of PG&E’s electric system, SSJID should focus on using their vast savings to improve irrigation water infrastructure, reduce or eliminate the share of property taxes they receive from municipal governments by substituting their profits for customer payments or to permanently reduce or eliminate their irrigation water rates. Hoarding $60 million of public money is a disservice to the people of South San Joaquin County.

It’s time for SSJID to start acting in the best interest of the people they serve and to use our money wisely. We can all agree that there are more productive uses for $60 million than abusing eminent domain to seize the assets of a private business.

Dec 3, 2007

Here’s yet another story that shows the devastating effects of eminent domain abuse. A school district in the Cincinnati area is attempting to seize 11 privately owned homes to build a new elementary school. While no one can argue with building new schools for our kids, we can all agree that abusing eminent domain to do so is just wrong.

This is just another tragic example of what happens when a public board decides to seize private assets.

To read more about this latest abuse including video, click here.

Oct 17, 2007

An excellent op-ed recently ran in the Chicago Tribune that tells the story of a tragic eminent domain takeover in San Diego that shows how eminent domain takeovers disproportionately affect areas where minorities live. There are a lot of bad things about the use of eminent domain, but this is one of the worst!

The article states, “A new study of 184 eminent domain projects across the country by the Institute for Justice confirms what many have long suspected: Displacement by eminent domain tends to hit the poor, the less well-educated and non-whites.”

This is un-American and unacceptable! Government must never be allowed to abuse its power of eminent domain.

Citizens to Stop the Power Grab is working hard everyday to oppose SSJID’s ill-advised eminent domain takeover of a private business in order to run the exact same business. If you oppose the abuse of eminent domain and want to tell SSJID to pursue other, more reasonable options then join our coalition by clicking here>>

To read the full article click here >>

Oct 8, 2007

Thanks to the efforts of Citizens to Stop the Power Grab and members like you, SSJID is finally listening! SSJID announced last week that they are going to provide free water to their agricultural customers in 2008. Considering that they're sitting on more than $34 million in savings, this seems like the least they can do! In fact, according to the Manteca Bulletin this will cost the District a meager $1.3 million. Although $1.3 million is a lot of money, it’s hardly anything when you consider how much they have earned this year (as of July they have an estimated $46 million in the bank).

But there’s more SSJID can do! What about helping out the South San Joaquin cities like Manteca, Ripon, Tracy and others by using their massive savings to lower their public drinking water costs? Or, using their savings to provide you, a tax-paying citizen of the district, a line-item credit on your monthly power bill.

Instead of choosing to help its community with these reasonable options, SSJID stubbornly insists on using eminent domain to enter the electric business—even after the San Joaquin County Local Area Formation Commission told them, “no!”

We need to keep telling SSJID to spend their money wisely and to focus on their core business practices. You can lend your voice today by joining the coalition here>>

Sep 29, 2007

Did you know that SSJID insists on spending up to $19.7 million dollars of your hard-earned money on their eminent domain power grab? This seems like a waste of public money when you consider what else $19.7 million could buy. It’s enough to buy 355,257 new math books for our 4th graders, pay for 419 new firefighters in our community, sponsor 78,800 memberships to the Manteca Boys and Girls club and much, much more.

But instead of investing to make its community a better, safer place for its customers, SSJID has been spending money on costly lawsuits, out of town lawyers, programs that have nothing to do with irrigation water and on seizing the assets of a private business to run that exact same business. This seems wasteful and wrong—especially when cities throughout San Joaquin County have been forced to raise taxes to pay for basic services like police and fire protection.

Help us send SSJID a message. They should not be spending public money on an ill-advised power grab—they should spend it to make agricultural water cheaper, drinking water cheaper and to improve the quality and amount of water provided to the people of South San Joaquin County. Join our coalition here>>