By Brad Breithaupt
Posted: 12/15/2009 06:07:12 PM PST
I HAVE READ dozens of reports by Marin's civil grand juries. While I don't always agree with their findings and recommendations - or the issues they decide to tackle - I have seen very few that I ever would characterize as a "hit piece."
That's what Supervisor Charles McGlashan, whose longstanding political project was dissected in the grand jury's latest report, called the 23-page summation on Marin's controversial green power plan.
In fact, he blasted the report, calling it "a blatant hit piece."
No one would expect McGlashan, one of the power plan's primary architects, to agree with the report, but the document doesn't deserve his harsh dismissal.
But that's the way politics are played today. If you don't agree with someone, you don't debate them - you discredit their integrity. You don't disagree with them - you attack their credibility.
As Marin draws closer to deciding whether to get into the power business, the report deserves better. Launching Marin Clean Energy is a big move in uncertain times.
The grand jury, 19 civic-minded residents who spend a year investigating local issues, recommends officials "pull the plug" on the plan, concluding that it is potentially too expensive and risky for our local government.
The grand jury's report concludes that local politicians could do more to reduce Marin's carbon footprint by working with, rather than against, PG&E to bolster its clean-energy portfolio for local ratepayers.
The report was released as cities and the county are deciding whether to continue their participation in launching the clean power plan - which includes automatically signing up local businesses and residents as ratepayers for Marin-procured electricity rather than PG&E's.
The grand jury's timing was both right and responsible.
There's no law that says the panel's recommendations must be followed, but they shouldn't be ignored or dismissed.
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