Jackson, Mississippi is in the news - our nation, a Superpower, does not have the ability to do a sound needs assessment - and look deep into their hearts to do right by the people. All people have a right to Quality of Life issues - for sure clean drinking water.
In this case, poor people - seventy percent of Jackson, Mississippi are Black. This clean water issue has been a sore factor for years. The nation has to be ashamed of itself - with the intent of making infants, children, youth, and our beloved elders - more physically and mentally challenged - suffer.
The Mayor is Black, and all he says - is he does not have the resources - and this problem - filthy brown water - smells terrible and cannot be used without adversely affecting one's health.
Not long ago, we had the same problem - in Flint, Michigan - in this case, the water was drawn from a contaminated river. The infants and children suffered most - a few doctors had to do the testing and take the authorities to task.
President Joe Biden knows about this case - and President Joe Biden knows about other cases too.
Would it surprise anyone that we have lead pipes right here in San Francisco - that adversely many - more, in the Bayview Hunters Point area - the water is contaminated - and slowly but surely so many are dying.
Here is San Francisco - we get our so-called pristine drinking water from 1600 miles - from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir - the water Sacred to the tribes from which it was stolen - and today - millions of clean drinking water - is used for flushing our toilets.
San Francisco must not take for granted - the mild weather we have - surrounded on three sides by water - the calm winds soothe our souls - and we forget what a blessing this is - while all over the United States - the weather is not favorable.
Not far from San Francisco - say in Fremont, the heat is unbearable - people are sweating and need air-conditioning. Here in San Francisco - honestly speaking, we do not need air-conditioning.
As I mentioned, here in San Francisco - we use our clean drinking water to flush our toilets. We waste millions of gallons of water - and our SF Planning Department does not give a damn about this crucial issue.
One must watch the SF Planning Department - they talk a lot - but cannot do a sound needs assessment on things that matter - most.
We do not need these skyscrapers that emit thousands of tons of carbon dioxide - lead, mercury, and particulates - SF Planning does not care - and today - millions of square feet of commercial space are vacant and will lay dormant - for years to come.
Some three hundred years ago - San Francisco and the neighboring areas were - pristine.
You could go to the Bay and pick up Abalone - so much was taken from the Bay that today none exists. Greed.
One could go fishing and catch all sorts of healthy fish - herring, bass, other edible fish - today, most of it is contaminated.
The nearby mercury mines - let their waste into the Bay - this is a crying shame.
Our treatment plans - often release half-treated sewage - and the shameless San Francisco Public Utilities Commission - not once will mention the hundreds of Notice Of Violations.
At the many SF Public Utilities Commission meetings - at the public comment - again and again - the advocates remind them that they cannot do a needs assessment.
Dumber than dumb - they rubber stamp issues - false information provided to them by the SFPUC staff.
We went over two thousand miles away from San Francisco - to stand with the Lakota nation - we understand what water means for survival.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission - does not get it - they are so used to having the stolen water for free - have no idea it is Sacred water - and do not know - that the day is coming when they will fall - flat of their face.
Thieves never, ever go Scott free - those of us who have been around knowing that - the thief always thinks he or see if go Scott free.
We have seen it with SFPUC General Manager Harlan Kelly, others too - many to mention.
Those - in authority still continue to steal, cheat, lie and squander.
To this day, we do not know how many millions of gallons leach into the ground - from the 1200 miles of clean drinking water - sixty percent are leaking, and more miles of clean drinking water pipes - would have been replaced by now.
It is the same with the over 1000 miles of sewer pipes - that run in San Francisco - we do not know what percentage of the leaking sewer pipes have been replaced.
The authorities are busy talking about mundane stuff - impeding public comment - by giving the public a measly two minutes - while the Commissioners run their mouths - with lengthy drab words - say too much, most of it hot air.
Let us not take the water we get from the Tuolumne River for granted - even as the glaciers - lose the snow - even as the raging fires come closer to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir - even as the SF Public Utilities Commission fails to listen to the advocates. We, taxpayers, are not listened to - and this is a crying shame.
Finally - to this day, we have NO accountability for the over $300 million - Community Benefits linked to the Sewer System Improvement Project.
We still have the SF Public Utilities Commission - forcing the SF Ethics Commission - to permit the SFPUC to use " behested payments," which is ridiculous, to say the least.
Aaron Peskin - messing things up at the SF Ethics Commission - vouching for the SF Public Utilities Commission.
Creating a language for the impending Ballot - and asking for permission - to permit the SFPUC to exercise "sordid, behest transactions " linked to some projects is totally uncalled for.
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