Candidate for
Board of Directors; Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District; Division 4

As an environmental chemist and the board's strongest water quality advocate, Bill is the only director that understands water quality and groundwater contamination from a scientific perspective. He understands the necessity for groundwater cleanup, while not allowing further future contamination by recharging inadequately treated sewer water to be recharged to the local aquifer as happens elsewhere in California. He is the Only Director to oppose mixing to the groundwater with inadequately treated sewer water. The groundwater basin is not a sewage dump. Bill brought action before State Water Board, Sacramento to protect basin groundwater from poorly treated sewer water contamination.

Directors need water quality courses not ethics courses. We must emphasize developing increased water supply.

Despite recent rainfall valley groundwater is nearing record low levels, largely due to water pumpers in the industry over drafting groundwater. The area is faced with several groundwater concerns, including over-drafting of the basin, a dropping water table, perchlorate contamination, rising nitrate levels, possible future MTBE contamination. Board Members purchase endorsement in the local newspaper by wasting great quantities of your tax dollars as (one half million in newspaper ad revenue).

We need to emphasize developing new, clean, secure, cheap water supplies not a "discovery center". The valley has hundreds of discovery centers... called schools. Residents cannot drink discovery centers.

We have enjoyed some recent successes. We dedicated the David Dreier Water Treatment facility in Feb. 2004 in Baldwin Park, paid for with substantial Federal Contributions. Moreover, October 2 was the date of the dedication of the second public drinking water well to go back on line this year. This new treated well is now undergoing final checkout and permitting procedures by the State Dept. of Health Services.

Despite political pressure to vote otherwise, Robinson dissented twice (2001 and 2003); on the General Manager's excessive salary package; at $138,500 including pay raises plus a 'generous' benefits package. Eight percent per year over two years plus annual cost of living increases. These grants are too generous for most struggling taxpayers to validate.

Bill cast the deciding vote on Districts return from a 4 to a 5 day work week (35 hours), more office hours for better service to public. We need far-sighted, improved public policy, not self-serving public relations gimmicks.

Future challenges include: Visualize and launch a program to plan and build the best water supply and water conservation programs possible using the recently released San Gabriel River Environmental Impact Report. Emphasize developing a new water supply. Bill voted against multiple boondoggle projects and millions in unnecessary expenditures. See minutes of board meetings.

We must strive to replace current board practices of "randomly throwing tax money at projects and grants to favored friends" with specific objectives, and long range planning; "drought securing the valley region" by applying an organized planning effort to determine the best water supply and water conservation programs, not PR and taxpayer financed--public education ads in the newspaper. Bill represents all voters, including those who never contribute political campaign funds. We must broaden public participation through fewer, more focused public meetings. The current District committee system is a de-facto violation of the Brown (open meeting law) Act.

Please on November 2, cast your vote to promote the valley's environmental improvement goals to tranform the Upper District board by forcing them to concentrate exclusively only on valley water supply, water quality, and water conservation improvements. Re-Elect Bill Robinson!!