MARIN IJ'S DICK SPOTSWOOD: PUBLIC VOTE NEEDED ON MARIN CLEAN ENERGY PLAN

 MARIN IJ STILL PUSHING PG&E VOTE MESSAGE 

Dick Spotswood, IJ Columnist, thinks Marin Clean Energy needs a binding public vote-but this time, initiated and funded by the individual cities and towns of the county, and taking place in November of 2009. The goalposts seem to be moving further into the future.

Votes Still Pending

Last week's IJ story about the North Bay Leadership Council's recommendation for a more immediate vote ran into the fact that the Marin Power Authority has already been formed-with the affirmative votes of all local governments except Novato, Corte Madera, and Larkspur. Each of these cities are still considering their positions.

"This is not a suggestion that voters reject the measure. It's simply that local energy supply and its potential cost is such a fundamental issue that voters' concurrence is essential.

The energy authority should now proceed with the next phase. Solicit bids and negotiate power contracts subject to voter approval. Ideally, there would then be a countywide vote. If that's not to be, each city council should then exercise its authority submitting the question to their voters in next November's local elections.

If the town councils don't act, then voters should take matters into their own hands. It doesn't take much to gather the necessary signatures to put this or any other issue on the local ballot."