Letters to the editor | Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021: MID leader broke confidentiality
MID leader broke confidentiality
Re “MID pays out nearly $600K for gender discrimination claims against board member” (Front Page, Feb. 14): We were shocked to read director John Mensinger’s statements on settlements of claims by three women employees. Those settlements contain confidentiality agreements. We believe strongly when you agree to the terms of a contract you are giving your word to abide by it — to do otherwise is a statement of character. We are equally disgusted by statements that misrepresent confidential information received during closed session. This shows an absolute, blatant disregard for the law.
We assure our constituents there is no scenario where either of us would have agreed to a contract that allowed Mensinger to give false statements while silencing the three women and other board members. That is just wrong.
We are also disappointed by MID’s lack of transparency in its response to The Bee’s request for public records. MID ratepayers paid for legal costs, including attorneys’ fees, to defend Mensinger and MID. We believe you have every right to know the amount you paid.
We apologize to Ms. Lucas, Ms. Kern and Ms. McLean for any further distress, to The Bee for lack of transparency, and to our constituents for having to bear the cost of matters we believe would have been resolved with the investigation we publicly initiated on Oct. 23, 2018. You deserve accountability, transparency and honesty.
Nick Blom and Larry Byrd, MID Board
Base water policy on science
Re “Biologists said Trump California water plan hurt fish; politics won” (Page 5A, Feb. 14): Your article regarding federal water policy repeated many of the concerns expressed in earlier stories but missed a critical component: a 10-year, $800 million investment in new science.
The federal water rules issued last year are based on the latest scientific research, which allows California to manage water in real time, using smart tech to incorporate adaptive management and leverage independent evaluation by outside experts. These new rules also address habitat, food supply, and predator control – issues largely overlooked by the old rules that were based on science developed decades ago.
What no one can dispute is that the old approach wasn’t working for anyone – cities, rural towns, farms, disadvantaged communities or the environment. It relied on decades-old science, an arbitrary calendar approach to species management that takes years to recognize updated research, and utterly failed to help Delta smelt, Chinook salmon and other threatened species.
Water policy is derived through a political process but the foundation must be based on the newest, best science, not something from the distant past.
Mike Wade, executive director, California Farm Water Coalition, Sacramento
GOP senators sold their souls
Treasonous Trump proved once again he can shoot someone on a busy street in downtown Manhattan and 43 GOP U.S. senators will look the other way and find him innocent.
In this case Trump orchestrated the deadly Jan. 6 coup to nullify the election he spent two months saying was stolen from him. He instructed his party to play dumb in exchange for his support and money. Despite mountains of factual evidence the spineless 43 smugly declared him innocent. Trump’s money and support proved too powerful.
The 43 quickly began lining up at Trump’s ATM cash cow machine to collect their promised tainted blood money. Elections are coming up and the money was a fair swap for their GOP souls. Quid pro quo.
What happens if GOP senators and representatives continue to promote the big lie narrative and instruct their followers to “stand ready?” Jan. 6 was just a taste of what Trump and his followers are capable of doing to the United States of America.
Brooks Judd, Turlock