Surf City Voice

Mesa Water District: Was $290,000 PR Consultant Worth It?

admin — Fri, 17 May 2013 01:48:47 +0000

Amidst much recent criticism in the press, the Mesa Water District's elaborate public relations program, along with its "branding" effort in particular, seems to have backfired. One consulting firm in particular, Laer Pearce & Associates, had a strong influence on Mesa Water's public relations approach in the past several years, especially its branding program, and rests at the center of the recent controversy. Today the Surf City Voice begins a daily presentation of invoices from that contract which had an end cost of $209,141.40.

Mesa Water Vs. the Media: 13 Possible Reasons Why

admin — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:47:21 +0000

On March 14, 2013, Mesa Water District’s board of directors passed 5 – 0 a press credentialing policy. That policy is designed to tightly control media access to public functions, like the recent VIP private $50,000 party that the agency threw for itself at ratepayers’ expense. In my public speech to the board on that evening, I speculated as to the reasons for Mesa Water’s new obsession with creating a draconian press control policy. To supplement my views expressed that night, I offer the following 13 additional, specific, possible reasons for that obsession.

New Mesa Water Press Credential Policy Weeds Out Journalists and Terrorists

admin — Mon, 13 May 2013 04:59:55 +0000

Mesa Water District's new anti-terrorism program falls under Mesa Water’s new press credentialing policy, which was approved unanimously by the board but had already gone through a dry run at the VIP event.It requires that journalists who cover Mesa Water’s various outreach activities, like the VIP event, be accredited by the agency first. The standards are strict, carefully designed to maximize media control and the amount of favorable media coverage for the district’s policies and projects.

Mesa Water District: Vanity Leads to Questionable Media Consulting Fees at Ratepayers’ Expense

admin — Tue, 07 May 2013 00:42:11 +0000

The invoices are only four from a total of 30 received by Mesa Water from the consulting firm of Laer Pearce Associates between October, 2008 and December, 2012 for “branding” and general public relations and marketing assistance. But they help show the District’s obsession with its public image ever since Paul Shoenberger became its general manager in 2009 and hired Stacy Taylor as its communications manager in 2010. That obsession became a costly exercise in vanity paid for by Mesa Water’s ratepayers.

Mesa Water District: ‘Plz Don’t Circulate this Story!’ And Director Fisler Gets Even

admin — Mon, 06 May 2013 23:43:21 +0000

Spontaneous interviews with Mesa Water staff or members of the board of directors are discouraged whenever possible by Communications Manager, Stacy Taylor. Potentially tough or touchy media questions must be submitted to her in advance so that she can provide public answers that fit Mesa Water’s “unified voice” template. Emails acquired under the Public Records Act later would reveal how cynically manipulative Shoenberger, Taylor and LPA had been and that Mesa Water officials are motivated more by vanity than a desire to objectively inform the ratepayers.

Huntington Beach Mayor Proposes Coastal Commission Reject of Poseidon Desalination Permit

admin — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:08:03 +0000

Mayor Connie Boardman’s proposed letter to the California Coastal Commission, below, will be before the Huntington Beach City Council on Monday, May 6, 2013. Public comments will be heard at the start of the city council meeting. Her proposed letter is based on findings made previously by Coastal Commission (here). A debate on the pros [...]

A REBUTTAL TO POSEIDON RESOURCES’ ‘FACT vs. FICTION’ FLYER

admin — Thu, 02 May 2013 22:06:16 +0000

Editor’s Note: Opponents of an ocean desalination plant (Nowaterdeal) proposed for Huntington Beach, California, recently launched a major campaign to block the project (here). Poseidon Resources created a response to some of those claims and is circulating it publicly. The Voice republished it here. NoWaterDeal issued the counter rebuttal to Poseidon recently. On Monday, May [...]

Rebuttal to Poseidon Critics from Poseidon Resources, Inc: Huntington Beach Desalination Project

admin — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:27:35 +0000

Editor’s Note: Opponents of an ocean desalination plant (Nowaterdeal) proposed for Huntington Beach, California, recently launched a major campaign to block the project (here). Poseidon Resources created a response to some of those claims and is circulating it publicly. The Voice republishes it below. NoWaterDeal’s counter rebuttal can be read here. On Monday, May 6, [...]

Bad Branding: Mesa Water District’s Marketing Scheme Backfires

admin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:19:20 +0000

Lately, the people who act like they own the Mesa Water District, namely its five-member board of directors, general manager, and communications manager, have been learning a hard lesson in democracy; that, no matter how much of the ratepayers’ money they spend to make themselves look good or how cleverly they spin their “unified message” to shield themselves from transparency by the water agency’s real owners (the ratepayers) their days of reckoning will come.

Retraction and Correction: Mesa Water Spent Public Money on Private Event, But GM Did Not Exceed His Authority

admin — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 05:18:51 +0000

My story published yesterday (Mesa Water’s Celebration: Misuse of Public Funds?), about Mesa Water’s plan for a private celebration utilizing public money, contained one very important error: it strongly implied that the Mesa Water board had not approved of $49,650 in labor and materials costs for the event. In fact, the event was listed is listed in the official minutes of the Nov. 27 board meeting as a “VIP event” and the board did vote to fund it 3-1-1, with Director James Atkinson voting no and Director Trudy Ohlig-Hall absent.