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Chamber opposes recall

The San Rafael Chamber Board of Directors officially opposes the efforts to recall the Marin County District 1 supervisor.

This position is based solely on the fact that this effort includes the potential waste of government funds at a time when government resources are extremely limited.

The chamber board of directors believes that the open election process should be used as it is designed. In less than one year (June 2014) constituents will have the opportunity to vote for the appropriate candidate of their choice in District 1 through the public election process.

The chamber plans to consider the possible endorsement of a candidate at that time. We encourage all voters to exercise their right to vote to make sure their voice is heard.

Rick Wells, President and CEO

Lorraine Gauthier, chair elect San Rafael Chamber of Commerce

Community costs

I was somewhat amused. after reading the two Marin Voice columns appearing Monday and Tuesday, both by pro-growth proponents.

Was it a mistake on their part not to mention the plan's money tree or was the concept deceptive.

The argument they use is that a plan must be made for the future because of population growth. Let me see, do they mention who is going to pay for the changes? It won't be the nonprofit builder nor the new renters, neither of which would pay into the Civic Center coffers.


Guess who that leaves?

Yup, existing property owners.

Doesn't seem that that adds up to good planning, having an idea that provides no financial support.

Gerald Studier, Marinwood

Behind MCE's numbers

Marin Clean Energy's leadership writes in its Marin Voice about the importance of informed decisions regarding greenhouse gas emissions.

The authors tout MCE's renewable power while discussing recently mailed cards that compare PG&E's and MCE's greenhouse gases.

But the cards ignore that this year alone MCE fails to disclose more than 400 million pounds of GHGs attributable to its "clean" energy.

According to information in MCE's Integrated Resource Plan, through 2021 more than 3.5 billion pounds of emissions won't be disclosed for energy that MCE represents as GHG-free.

MCE's actual emissions, including its Deep Green, are far higher than PG&E's, not less as shown on the cards which, according to MCE, "provide critical accurate information."

MCE's GHGs vanish by employing an inexpensive accounting scheme — Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).

RECs give the illusion of green energy without delivering or paying for it. Coal and gas-fired generators producing MCE's wallpapered-with-RECs system power are pumping very real GHGs into the atmosphere.

Those emissions don't disappear just because MCE waves a financial instrument at them.

PG&E recently dumped its own contemplated REC-based program after pressure from environmental groups. The Sierra Club's legal counsel wrote in its May 2012 protest that RECs represent "deceptive marketing."

MCE's emissions numbers are born from consultants whose compensation depends upon perpetuating MCE's clean energy myth.

MCE board members would do well to fully disclose all GHGs that are actually emitted during production of MCE's clean energy because those "critical accurate" cards mailed to consumers are fiction.

Jim Phelps, Novato