Why Has the Monterey Herald Censored a Major Local Water News Story for 9 Years?

That’s bad enough. But I didn’t think it could get worse.
Well, I’ve been reading the Herald for several decades, but until recently, I had never seen them censor a major local news story.

Of course they overlook stories about Pebble Beach burglaries and other things the Chamber of Commerce believes would harm tourism, but this is a story fundamental to the future of our entire community.

That censored and vital story is the existence of a genuine and cheaper solution to our water supply problem. A cheaper, faster to build, and non pro-growth water solution.

This solution is not some speculative whimsy by an out-on-a-limb dreamer. No. It is a real project by our local Water Management District that is moving forward. It has completed real ground water testing and hydrogeological testing (unlike the Herald’s favored “Regional” project which has had no testing.)

In fact, as of 2009 it became our Water Management District’s top project to solve our community water problem.

EIR - Genuine Water Solution

Rather than some whimsical theory, this project has a completed Draft Administrative EIR (Environmental Impact Report) that is so heavy, it takes two hands to lift.

The solution was created in 2002 and has had a drumbeat of newsworthy events since then, but the Herald has refused to write a single word about that project.

For example: in 2010, our Water Management District board voted unanimously to have staff get cost estimates for drilling the wells necessary for this project. (You can only understand how difficult it is to get a unanimous vote if you’ve closely follow the politics of the local water board.)

Calkins - Political Censor

The Herald employees directly responsible for blocking this story since 2002 are Royal Calkins, Joe Livernois and Laurel Shackelford (long gone).

HOPE tried to get the Herald to publish our Commentary on this in 2009, but Royal Calkins refused to do so. Others have tried to mention the solution in letters to the editor – but the letters were always “edited.”

Livernois vs Citizens

Also in 2009, HOPE tried to explain the news blackout and bring Calkins refusal to his boss, Herald President Gary Omernick, but City and Executive Editor Joe Livernois falsely told Omernick that the Herald had reported on this solution.

(Several Water Management Directors had published a commentary on the project in 2003 (?) but the Herald has not yet reported on the project.)

This sums up the Herald’s now 9 year long (and growing) news and editorial blackout (censorship) of our Water Management District’s “Right-Sized” Water solution. The solution that developers hate.

You might ask Herald President Gary Omernick: Why Is the Herald Censoring this Major Local Water News Story?

His phone number is 648-1192

Notes:
Article: “Right-Sized” Water Solution for Monterey Peninsula beats the ‘Regional’ Water Supply (which is yet Another Giant Growth-Forcing, Violently Expensive, Anti-Democracy Water Project)

Part I: Herald’s Letter-Editor Royal Calkins Caught Censoring & BlackListing, then Lying to Cover it up

Part II: Herald’s Livernois – Censoring, Slander and Bullying?

Herald Censored Letters

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