Hetch Hetchy
Statement of Incompatible Activities - SFPUC:
https://sfpuc.org/sites/default/files/about-us/policies-reports/Public_Utilities_Commission_SIA_061323.pdf
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has repeatedly failed us all. We need an institution that sets high standards and demonstrates unwavering accountability and transparency, instilling hope for a better future.
You can take the horse to the water's edge but not force it to drink.
I heard the person in charge of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion give a presentation - on the state of affairs at the SFPUC and its employees.
He clearly pointed out - that drastic changes - are called for - to make the SF Public Utilities Commission - operable.
Resolution Condemning Systemic Racism
and Promote Racial Justice:
https://sfpuc.sharefile.com/share/view/s9eeb6fd36f14639b
Right now, the SFPUC has top management - being a pain in the ass - the employees - are leaving, and those who are there - wish they could go.
The SFPUC controls over 2000 employees. It has significant assets, including the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which provides clean drinking water and hydroelectricity.
It has operations linked to quarries that bring in large amounts of money, millions of acres of grazing ground for cattle, and more.
It has golf courses, and these golf courses and other recreational facilities bring in money.
It provides clean drinking water to a large region in the Bay Area, with San Francisco being foremost.
It also generates money to provide sewer needs to the public of San Francisco - be it that we still use clean drinking water to flush our toilets.
The San Francisco Public Utilities has millions of acres of land - from Hetch Hetchy to Crystal Springs and here in San Francisco - but also in San Mateo, Brisbane, Burlingame, Daly City, Palo Alto - that is why we are called the City and County of San Francisco.
The SFPUC has many buildings - some old power stations, - warehouses, and other facilities - some used wisely, others locked up.
It also has large vacant areas used to store large pipes and other materials - outdoors.
Many of these locations—are well-fenced and protected.
If we had not had the locations, storing these materials would have cost us a lot of money.
The SFPUC also leases land - to some non-profits to grow greens and help the community.
For some strange reason, the SFPUC has not treated the citizens of Bayview Hunters Point with respect.
We, the people, created the SFPUC Contractors' Center—it was my vision. I, Francisco Da Costa, was aided by Jae Ryu and Scott Hanks, who worked with me at Executive Park, 5 Thomas Mellon Circle, SF—CA 94134.
It moved to 150 Executive Park and has been underutilized for 5 years.
Many of us have yet to read the Raker Act 1913 - created to bring clean drinking water to San Francisco - to cater to our City of San Francisco and the Municipalities.
Also, electricity is used for municipal functions here in San Francisco.
For the longest time until 1996, the Public Housing and the United States Army at the Presidio received electricity for free.
Find out who the Mayor of San Francisco was in 1996.
Few of us take the time to think that our clean drinking water comes from the Hetchy Hetchy Reservoir - once the most beautiful valley in the water - that was dammed with the land stolen from the indigenous people - who, to this day, are NOT respected.
Water is stored within the tall granite walls of Hetch Hetchy—we have had water stored for over five years.
In the interim, we deprive the salmon of water - creating warm water in the Tuolumne River - resulting in toxic algae - killing the fish and anything in its path.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) does not care that it has drained the Tuolumne River for all these many years, creating a situation that is the worst ever for the salmon, who have been spawning for thousands of years.
One of the worst animals to ever live on this Earth is homo sapiens - greed is what makes mankind the worst animal - destroying almost anything good - as long as the greed brings money in - avarice.
We get our clean drinking water from Hetch Hetchy - 267 miles away - come to Crystal Springs and then to our Reservoirs
in San Francisco, one of them is the University Mound.
San Francisco uses treated water to flush its toilets.
Water is life! Water is precious. It seems the SFPUC does not appreciate getting clean drinking water from Hetch Hetchy—stolen land and stolen water belonging to the indigenous tribes—who must be acknowledged with a plaque—much the same that you folks have for the SFPU Commissioners on the 110th anniversary.
Here in San Francisco, we brag that the water we drink is the best. It is not.
It has been some time now—we mix groundwater with our Hetch Hetchy water, and this hoodwinking in broad daylight is known to some—and mixing groundwater with Hetch Hetchy is not what most citizens approve of.
I have been attending the SFPU Commission meetings for a long time.
The lies are incredible, and most within SFPUC know little about what is happening.
Employees are told to do what they have to do and not reveal to those outside SFPUC what is genuinely happening within SFPUC.
It is as if it is a cult.
That is why Harlan Kelly, Juliet Ellis, Dwayne Jones, and others—some still working for SFPUC—caused so much damage.
The community was the one who suffered the most.
It took the Federal Bureau of Investigation to follow the money and indict these very corrupt individuals - we have over thirty left - and while most of them do not get sleep - they may - try to run and hide - but they will be caught.
Attorney David L. Anderson.
It took Attorney David L. Anderson—at that time the Federal Attorney General of Northern California—who took it upon himself to investigate all the corruption that had reached saturation point.
Today, the SFPU Commission is again in the doldrums.
For many years, going back to 1980, we have had raw sewage released into the San Francisco Bay.
For all these years, the community has suffered, with many windsurfers exposed to raw sewage, pathogens, and other contaminants. It is a shame that our City and County of San Francisco have looked the opposite.
Innocent people who swim are exposed to raw sewage.
This is especially true during heavy rains when the "dual system." Our system combines sanitary and rainwater into one system.
It allows the SFPUC to claim all sewage is treated before discharge into receiving waters.
Their play on words combines Combined Sewage Overflow - as a mix of treated sewage before discharge.
The Bay Keepers have been doing a good job.
Kudos to the Bay Keepers, not afraid of the many crooks polluting and contaminating our Bay and the surrounding area - putting innocent citizens in harm's way.
However, it did not occur to us who followed this issue—the many Notice of Violations—that the Environmental Protection Agency, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, manages quality control for the region at the state level.
Joining them at the State of California - Attorney General's Office and the Bay Keep with time.
The 1972 Clean Water Act mandates specific standards.
In the past, when we filed our complaints, we, the people, were ignored.
We know this problem is severe and look forward to how the community will be informed and whether they will be at the table.
Why did it take these entities so long to wake up to the issue of raw sewage flowing on our streets and into the Bay, the many Force Main eight-foot pipes that discharge over 1.8 billion gallons of combined sewage into the Bay?
Here is the court case that you must read:
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https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-05/3-24-cv-02594-city-county-san-francisco-complaint-2024-05-01.pdf
San Francisco still has many homes with lead pipes—one would think that by 2024, we would have addressed this situation.
Joe Biden and his lackeys keep coming to California and San Francisco to fill their campaign coffers, but not once have they addressed the sordid conditions in San Francisco.
It is a shame that infants, children, Elders, and those with compromised health are exposed to lead - the lead pipes should have been replaced a long time ago.
In 2002, we were promised over 1100 miles of sewer and over 1000 miles of clean water pipes - most leeching would be replaced.
We, the people, were promised that Karen Kubick would present us with the progress made twice a year. The last presentation was three years ago.
It is a shame that San Francisco has a $14.6 budget - and millions are wasted.
We have those heading the Human Rights Commission, the Department of Public Works, the City Administrator, and many in Room 200 at City Hall - testing the patience of the citizens of San Francisco.
We will see a drastic change with the SF Public Utilities Commission.
After the results are declared, we will also see a drastic change in the coming SF Mayoral Race - the result will be a change for the better, and those crooks who are now having a field day will be singing the blues.
In the interim, our infants, children, youth, our Elders, and those with compromised health are dying.
We have a new SF Controller, Greg Wagner, and Todd Rydstrom is the Deputy Controller. He is a man of his word and has served us well—a man known for his tenacity and fortitude.
At this juncture, we count on the Controller's Office to save our City and County of San Francisco.
The results, leading to new leadership, will expose the chronic corruption and see many jumping ship—in fact, much before the coming general elections.
We San Franciscans fought hard to have a working and well-represented SF Sunshine Task Force, but it needs to be fixed.
In like manner, we did our best to create the SF Ethics Commission - sad to say - it is dysfunctional.
We have the SF Controller - Ben Rosenfield, who saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
The two current head Controllers have a lot of work to do, and some of us will do our best to support them.
Our former City Attorney is now the General Manager of the SF Public Utilities Commission, and the current situation could be better.
For all the talk that the SF Public Utilities Commission is focused on the environment and the community, there is no evidence that this is happening.
I attended all the meetings linked to the Task Force related to the Sewer System Improvement Project (SSIP) that fought for Community Benefits. Nothing much happened, and that is an understatement.
It is sad to see our infants, children, youth, women, men, Elders, and those who have compromised health - more the physically and mentally challenged slowly die in the San Francisco - Bayview Hunters Point area.
Our Elders live in trailers at Pier 94, with sand blowing in all directions, and they Are treated with disdain.
The indigent in Bayview Hunters Point need help finding help that makes a difference - there is no upward mobility.
The developers come into the community - and do not offer any career jobs to the local population.
To get jobs, we need the youth and youth offered sound training - City Build is a joke - offering pre-apprenticeship - pre-apprenticeship is an oxymoron.
The SF City Department is forced to set aside some money so that the Non-Profits can provide opportunities with taxpayers' money.
This needs to be corrected.
It's totally wrong, and a deep audit will prove that what I say is exemplary—I have the empirical data.
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