Proponents of SF Measure to Drain Hetch Hetchy Resort to Mud-Slinging

The Bay Area Council has labeled as “irresponsible and desperate” statements by proponents of a San Francisco ballot measure to dismantle the Hetch Hetchy water and clean power system. The inflammatory statements came in an October 18 press release issued by the group seeking to drain Hetch Hetchy.

“Here comes the mud,” said Jim Wunderman, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council, which is leading the campaign to defeat Prop. F and protect the region’s largest supply of pristine water and one its major sources of clean power. “The statements by Mike Marshall and Restore Hetch Hetchy are irresponsible and desperate. With almost no support in San Francisco and the region for their misguided and deceptive measure to drain Hetch Hetchy, it appears proponents are now turning to mud-slinging and making inflammatory allegations to get attention.”

While the majority of the proponents’ financial support comes from sources outside the Bay Area and California – just five of 42 contributors to Prop. F during a recent campaign reporting period were from San Francisco – the opposition to this measure includes Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Reps. Jackie Speier and Anna Eshoo, Mayor Ed Lee, every member of the Board of Supervisors, all of San Francisco’s state elected leaders, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Bay Guardian, the Bay Area Reporter and just about every business, neighborhood, political, labor and community group. Not a single environmental group has endorsed Prop. F, including the Sierra Club.

“With so little support, it’s no wonder Restore Hetch Hetchy would resort to hurling flimsy accusations to grab headlines,” Wunderman said. “Perhaps it’s time for the Prop. F proponents to look at themselves and ask why no leader or group with any stature thinks their proposal is worthy of support, and why some very responsible leaders have called it “insane” and “dangerous.”