Firms spend $50,000 in attempt to 'buy' obscure bay area election, critics charge
California Desk
October 28, 2009
Two firms, including French company, spend $50,000 to influence obscure Bay Area sanitary district election; foes call it attempt to buy election.
NOVATO – Two companies – including one based in France – have poured in nearly $50,000 to influence an obscure Bay Area sanitary district election in favor of incumbents, who recently voted to give the firms millions of dollars in business, according to campaign finance reports.
"It's a blatant attempt to buy a local election," charged Dennis Fishwick, one of three challengers to the incumbents in the Novato Sanitary District Board race. He said the companies were engaged in a "payback" for the sweetheart deals given to them by the incumbents.
Veolia Water, a French company selected last month by incumbents to run a new $90 million wastewater plant, is spending $25,000 to influence the election, according to filings. Novato Disposal – which owns a deal with NSD that has led to major increases in local garbage rates – admitted it has spent "more" than $21,000 to keep the incumbents in office.
"Even when former Novato mayor Jim Henderson said he thought it was a conflict-of-interest, incumbent Mike DiGiorgio said he welcomed it. Novato taxpayers should be very, very concerned that the payback will mean even higher rates," said Bill Scott, another challenger.
Scott, Fishwick and Dennis Welsh are running as a slate for the seats now held by De Giorgio, Art Knutson and Bill Long, who have been on the board for many decades.
The district has been embroiled in controversy since earlier this year when the FBI and EPA raided its offices, acting in response to whistleblowers who said the district illegally and criminally dumped millions of gallons of untreated and partially treated sewage into the Bay.
There is a federal grand jury probe ongoing, and criminal indictments are pending.
And, Novato citizens concerned about loss of control of their own wastewater plant and higher rates recently filed more than 4,000 petition signatures in an effort to qualify a ballot measure to overturn the NSD board decision to give a contract to Veolia.
NOVATO – Two companies – including one based in France – have poured in nearly $50,000 to influence an obscure Bay Area sanitary district election in favor of incumbents, who recently voted to give the firms millions of dollars in business, according to campaign finance reports.
"It's a blatant attempt to buy a local election," charged Dennis Fishwick, one of three challengers to the incumbents in the Novato Sanitary District Board race. He said the companies were engaged in a "payback" for the sweetheart deals given to them by the incumbents.
Veolia Water, a French company selected last month by incumbents to run a new $90 million wastewater plant, is spending $25,000 to influence the election, according to filings. Novato Disposal – which owns a deal with NSD that has led to major increases in local garbage rates – admitted it has spent "more" than $21,000 to keep the incumbents in office.
"Even when former Novato mayor Jim Henderson said he thought it was a conflict-of-interest, incumbent Mike DiGiorgio said he welcomed it. Novato taxpayers should be very, very concerned that the payback will mean even higher rates," said Bill Scott, another challenger.
Scott, Fishwick and Dennis Welsh are running as a slate for the seats now held by De Giorgio, Art Knutson and Bill Long, who have been on the board for many decades.
The district has been embroiled in controversy since earlier this year when the FBI and EPA raided its offices, acting in response to whistleblowers who said the district illegally and criminally dumped millions of gallons of untreated and partially treated sewage into the Bay.
There is a federal grand jury probe ongoing, and criminal indictments are pending.
And, Novato citizens concerned about loss of control of their own wastewater plant and higher rates recently filed more than 4,000 petition signatures in an effort to qualify a ballot measure to overturn the NSD board decision to give a contract to Veolia.
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