Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3816 Jul 19- Aug 2 2019 | Page 28

26
July 19 - Aug 2, 2019
VOL.38 • ISS. 16
Is Gavin Newsom A Slicker
Version of Jerry Brown?
G
overnor Gavin Newsom ton
June 28 reappointed three of
Governor Jerry Brown’s most controversial,
least popular and most environmentally
questionable appointees – Karla Nemeth,
Cindy Messer and Chuck Bonham – after in
February refusing to reappoint Brown’s best
appointee, Felicia Marcus, as Chair of the
State Water Resources Control Board.
He reappointed these three officials in spite
of growing opposition to their reappointment
by fishermen, conservationists and environ-
mental justice advocates. He reappointed
Nemeth as Department of Water Resources
(DWR) Director, Messer as DWR Chief
Deputy Director and Bonham as California
Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)
Director.
The Governor’s Office stated, “Governor
Gavin Newsom today announced several
appointments, including the reappointment
of several of the state’s top water policy
officials at the California Department of
Water Resources and the California Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife, which are critical
to build the Administration’s water resilience
portfolio in the coming months, as directed
by the Governor’s executive order, and to
advance Voluntary Agreements regarding
water management for the Sacramento and
San Joaquin river systems.”
Fishermen, Tribal leaders, conservationists
and environmental justice advocates must
wake up and see what Newsom is really
doing. I have been the voice in the wilder-
ness on Newsom’s questionable appoint-
ments and actions to date – and other people
must pull the blinders off their eyes and
acknowledge that Newsom is just a slicker
version of Governor Jerry Brown.
Under Newson, Nemeth, Messer and
Bonham, the environmentally destructive
Delta Tunnel is still on the table as part
of Newsom’s “water portfolio.” It is only
the twin tunnels that the Governor has
abandoned.
Newsom is promoting the “voluntary
agreements” on the San Joaquin River
that will result in much less water than the
increased flows that would be provided for
salmon, steelhead and other fish by the State
Water Resources Control Board’s decision in
December 2018.
And the Delta smelt continues to move
closer and closer to extinction, with zero
smelt reported in the CDFW’s fall 2018
midwater trawl survey, This is the first time
this has ever happened in the history of the
survey, not a good sign for the future of the
smelt, an indicator species that is only found
in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River
In addition, the expansion of oil and
gas drilling in California continues under
Newsom. And California continues to
promote oil industry-written cap-and-trade
(carbon trading) policies that attack Indige-
nous Communities and ravage the earth.
We need change, not more of the same old
Big Oil, Big Ag and Big “Green” environ-
mental policies of Jerry Brown.
The reappointment of Nemeth, Messer and
Bonham takes place in an administration
that has gone to great lengths to appease
corporate agribusiness interests in the San
Joaquin Valley. On
February 12, Cali-
fornia Governor Gavin
Newson announced
the appointment of
*Trolling
William Lyons, 68, of
Motors
Modesto, to serve in
*Fishfinders
a new position — the
*GPS
Agriculture Liaison
*VHF
in the Office of the
Radios
Governor.
Lyons, a San
*Radar
Joaquin Valley grower
*Batteries
who has opposed
and
increased San Joaquin
Chargers
River flows, has been
chief executive officer
Largest Service
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ments Management,
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By Dan Bacher
Secretary of the California Department of
Kings County from 1998 to 2000. Nemeth
Food and Agriculture from 1999 to 2004.
earned a Master of Public Administration
It is no surprise that Big Ag was a major
degree from the University of Washington.
contributor to Newsom’s 2018 campaign.
Nemeth was confirmed by the California
Newsom received a total of $637,398 in
State Senate as director of the Department of
campaign contributions from agribusiness,
Water Resources in 2018 and the compensa-
including a total of $116,800 from Beverly
tion is $202,384. Nemeth is a Democrat.
Hills agribusiness tycoons Stewart and Lynda
Cindy Messer, 50, of Sacramento, has
Resnick, the largest orchard fruit growers
been reappointed chief deputy director of the
in the world and owners of The Wonderful
California Department of Water Resources,
Company.
where she has served since 2017. Messer
Could those contributions have influ-
was assistant chief deputy director of the
enced Newsom’s decisions to not reappoint
California Department of Water Resources
Felicia Marcus as Chair of the State Water
from 2016 to 2017, deputy executive officer
Resources Control Board, to appoint Mike
of planning at the Delta Stewardship Council
Lyons as the new “Agricultural Liaison”
from 2012 to 2016 and assistant executive
to the Governor’s Office, to reappoint the
officer of the San Joaquin Delta Conservancy
agribusiness-controlled Nemeth, Messer
in Sacramento from 2010 to 2012.
and Bonham, to go ahead with a one Delta
Messer was senior environmental scientist
Tunnel plan and to back the voluntary agree-
and specialist for the Division of Environ-
ments promoted by Lyons and other agribusi- mental Services at the California Depart-
ness leaders? For more information, go to:
ment of Water Resources from 2009 to 2010
https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/03/08/
and an environmental program manager
governor-appoints-san-joaquin-valley-grow-
from 2008 to 2009. She was senior envi-
er-william-lyons-to-new-agriculture-liai-
ronmental scientist and supervisor at the
son-position/
Department of Water Resources from 2005 to
With the latest appointments, it’s clear that
2008 and Range A-C environmental scientist
nothing has really changed under Newsom.
for the Water Resources Department from
As The Who said so well, “Meet the New
1999 to 2005. Messer earned a Master of
Boss, Same as the Old Boss.” I evaluate
Science degree in conservation biology
politicians on their actual policies and actions from California State University, Sacra-
– and the corporate money behind them – not mento. This position does not require Senate
the pretty words that they tell the media and
confirmation and compensation is $176,244.
the gullible public.
Messer is a Democrat.
If people want Newsom to do the right
Charlton “Chuck” Bonham, 51, of
thing, they need to stop playing nice and
Berkeley, has been reappointed director
start confronting and challenging him, like
of the California Department of Fish and
the courageous María Xiomára Dorsey of
Wildlife, where he has served since 2011.
Idle No More SF bay did last weekend in
Bonham was the California director and
questioning his support of environmentally
senior attorney for Trout Unlimited from
unjust carbon trading policies while Newsom 2000 to 2010, governing board member of
was walking to and from a conference in San the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conser-
Francisco. We need more people like Maria
vancy from 2010 to 2011 and an instructor
to show courage – and far less NGO repre-
at the Nantahala Outdoor Center from 1994
sentatives collaborating with the Governor
to 1997.
and his staff so they can get a “seat at the
He served as small business development
table.”
agent in Senegal for the U.S. Peace Corps
You can get a “seat at the table” and still be from 1991 to 1993. Bonham earned a Juris
on the menu in the corrupt world of Cali-
Doctor degree from the Northwestern School
fornia politics.
of Law of Lewis and Clark College. Bonham
Here are the bios of Nemeth, Messer and
was confirmed by the California State Senate
Bonham:
as director of the Department of Fish and
Karla Nemeth, 48, of Sacramento, has
Wildlife in 2012 and the compensation is
been reappointed director of the California
$189,090. Bonham is registered without
Department of Water Resources, where she
party preference.
has served since
2018. Nemeth was
deputy secretary for
water policy at the
California Natural
Resources Agency
from 2014 to 2018.
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