Friday, March 30, 2012

Is Sonoma the most retarded city on earth? Why yes it is.

I don't pay attention to Sonoma that much. Predictably for California, they were struggling pretty hard financially. Yet, they wouldn't allow a Williams and Sonoma store into their town because it's a chain store. Here. You can't make this shit up.

So, when I hear stuff about the town - I only mildly pay attention while trying to prevent my eyes from locking in the up position.

Still, I've been noticing a trend lately about Sonoma. And really, I wonder how many towns are like them. Chalk full of green energy projects that have been paid for, but aren't actually functional. This article caught my eye a couple of days ago.

"Sonoma County's "Electric Trail" continues to grow, though parts of the network of charging stations for electric vehicles have yet to open nearly two years after being installed." Source.

The article goes on to say:

"The purchase of 12 new charging stations in the north county, including Guerneville, Cloverdale and Healdsburg, using $150,000 in grant money, was authorized Tuesday by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors."

Did you get that? The ones they have - aren't being used. So lets buy more! But wait kids - there is more:

"The city of Santa Rosa installed 13 charging stations in the summer of 2010. Nearly two years later, they remain unused, in part as a consequence of back-and-forth negotiations with the vendor on how to charge users for electricity."

You can make up your own commentary. Because really - you can imagine what I think. I think it's funny the article is three pages. But you only have to read the first page, because the others are just a cheer leading session for electric cars.

You'd think this was an isolated incident. Right? Apparently not.

"SONOMA, Calif. (KGO) -- Fields of solar panels were supposed to save $1 million at a local school district this year. But the I-Team has found out the district won't be saving any money -- instead they'll be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Sonoma Valley Unified School District's solar project has been controversial from the beginning. Neighbors claim they didn't know the panels were going up and now they are wondering why they aren't working. "
Source.

This article goes on to say:

"We expect to save over $26 million over the next 25 years," SVUSD Deputy Superintendent Justin Frese said.

There's just one problem...

"Right now they're not operating," neighbor Nancie Ligon said. "


Oh hell. Just watch the video where the school board was confronted by the news media and were pretty evasive.



The other interesting thing about this story is this quote:

"That won't make up the $1 million the district hoped to save this year, so, according to Frese, the district may have to spend $300,000-$400,000 or more out of the general fund for their electricity. "

If they are only spending 400,000 bucks for the year on electricity - how do they realise a gain of a million for the year. Did they expect to make 600,000 dollars selling electricity back to the grid? That is quite extraordinary. Or, they were just cooking the books on savings to get the project funded?

But hey - at least the city employees aren't stealing 7 million dollars in gas like L.A. Here.

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