Marin Clean Energy (MCE) Supporters:

We need your help right now with a quick but important action: Go to www.marinij.com and vote a resounding “NO” to the “Daily Poll” question, “Should there be a countywide vote on the clean energy proposal?” [Note: as of mid-morning Tuesday it looks like you can't vote. You can add comments, however. Do so. wbk http://blogs.marinij.com/polls/2008/12/getting_a_charge.html]

You’ll see the results being tabulated in real time (72 yes vs. 43 no, the last we looked). They’ll be published in Sunday’s paper, and could provide a smokescreen for disrupting the MCE vote by the San Rafael City Council on Monday.

With that critical vote pending, it looks to us like the IJ and PG&E are attempting an end-run with the lead article in this morning’s IJ rehashing the notion of a countywide vote on MCE and inviting readers to respond to the poll.

A few of the reasons why a countywide vote is such a bad idea:

* It would allow PG&E, the IJ and other unprogressive voices (and their money) to dominate the discussion with sound-bite scare tactics, drowning out the careful deliberative process conducted by our elected officials with full public involvement for over a year.

* It would cost taxpayers at least $1,000,000 to conduct the vote—and MCE supporters untold amounts to counteract the accompanying campaign of misinformation—at the worst possible time for such wasteful spending.

* MCE already provides for individuals to “vote” on their own participation in the program by staying with PG&E if they choose to.

We need to stop muddying the waters—and get on with clearing the air!

Please go on line RIGHT NOW and vote “NO”.

Kiki and Sue

From Sherry Reson:

Will – It would be great if you could urge RG folks to log in today and vote in the IJ poll.

Under the guise of democratic processes, this is part of an effort to usurp local control. The county Supervisors and city and town councils are our elected reps for a reason. The county, led by Charles McGlashen, has done the due diligence and is leading the way. Their progress has been watched and aided by numerous citizens’s groups; notably the Sierra Club, the Sustainables, The MMOB, and Womens Energy Matters.
S

From Michael Dietrick

Our local paper, the Independent Journal (IJ), is a frequent ally of PG&E, our current energy service provider. They’ve pulled a “two-fer” today, publishing a front page story promoting an absolutely unnecessary vote on our Marin Clean Energy Initiative, and running a non-scientific public opinion poll at the same time. As most of you are familiar with Marin Clean Energy, and allied with its clean energy mission, please consider taking a second, visiting the Website linked below, and vote “NO” on the question.

For your information, the new Marin Energy Authority has already been formed, and customers will have four opportunities to opt out and return to PG&E service if they choose to.

Thanks so much for your time.

Michael Dietrick