MRC's failure to notify community, officials of Thanksgiving release was basis for county's referral to D.A., refusal to conduct its own investigation; D.A. sidesteps issue in vague announcement
This really depressed me about the County, BAAQMD, and MRC! We are getting the proverbial run-around...STILL! Nothing like county health passing the baton to the DA’s office. It’s truly maddening and it sounds like we in Martinez have to put a fire under them. Thanks, Craig.
"Runaround" is exactly the word that has come to mind for me time and time again on this topic, Marlene. I was debating whether to include my own views about this situation at the end of the article, but the facts speak for themselves. As a journalist, none of this passes the smell test. As a resident who lives a few blocks from this refinery and depends on the Community Warning System to keep myself and my family safe, I'm insulted and offended by the broken promises, endless foot dragging and illogical arguments that have been made over the past year to keep us all in the dark. When people wonder why so many in our society have lost trust in government, business and other powerful institutions, this situation provides a perfect example. My own guess is that there's no there there with this D.A. investigation, and never has been, other than to give the county a convenient excuse to deny the public a truly transparent investigation into why the county's hyped Community Warning System didn't work last Thanksgiving, and the flaws that may still exist in its operation. This is about THEIR interests, not ours. MRC botched this incident last Thanksgiving and endangered our community, and the county and D.A. have been botching the response every day since, all the while claiming that they "care" about our community. And no one in this town seems to have the guts to call them on it.
Totally agree with you. They are just trying to placate us, tap us on the top of our heads and say “Good sit”. I would really like it if Breanne would say enough is enough. I just don’t think she will although if would show that she has chutzpah and that she could garner more support. Satinder seems to be the only one questioning things. Mark and the others have been radio silent. So frustrating!
If the City Council and community activists had put the same pressure on Contra Costa Health to keep their word about the investigation they promised us, and to give us the answers we deserve about the Community Warning System, as they have on MRC to clean up its act, I have no doubt the county would have reversed course and allowed Scott Berger to investigate the warning system failure. When there was a community backlash against the Board of Supervisors' vote to pass over one supervisor's turn in the rotation to be board chair, the board changed its vote at the next meeting. The same thing would have happened here, but no one wanted to step up to the plate. After the Maui disaster that resulted in large part from the failure of their Community Warning System, you'd think there would have been a desire to get to the bottom of the problems of our own warning system. As I told the county folks last week, I'm throwing up my hands on this and moving on. They won this fight, I lost it. All I know is that if there's a true disaster in my community, the last thing I'm going to count on to keep my family safe is the Contra Costa County Community Warning System.
This is quite possibly the last major piece I will write on the Thanksgiving incident and response, barring any major developments. I can't in good conscience continue to give these public agencies a platform for their empty words and broken promises.
This really depressed me about the County, BAAQMD, and MRC! We are getting the proverbial run-around...STILL! Nothing like county health passing the baton to the DA’s office. It’s truly maddening and it sounds like we in Martinez have to put a fire under them. Thanks, Craig.
"Runaround" is exactly the word that has come to mind for me time and time again on this topic, Marlene. I was debating whether to include my own views about this situation at the end of the article, but the facts speak for themselves. As a journalist, none of this passes the smell test. As a resident who lives a few blocks from this refinery and depends on the Community Warning System to keep myself and my family safe, I'm insulted and offended by the broken promises, endless foot dragging and illogical arguments that have been made over the past year to keep us all in the dark. When people wonder why so many in our society have lost trust in government, business and other powerful institutions, this situation provides a perfect example. My own guess is that there's no there there with this D.A. investigation, and never has been, other than to give the county a convenient excuse to deny the public a truly transparent investigation into why the county's hyped Community Warning System didn't work last Thanksgiving, and the flaws that may still exist in its operation. This is about THEIR interests, not ours. MRC botched this incident last Thanksgiving and endangered our community, and the county and D.A. have been botching the response every day since, all the while claiming that they "care" about our community. And no one in this town seems to have the guts to call them on it.
Totally agree with you. They are just trying to placate us, tap us on the top of our heads and say “Good sit”. I would really like it if Breanne would say enough is enough. I just don’t think she will although if would show that she has chutzpah and that she could garner more support. Satinder seems to be the only one questioning things. Mark and the others have been radio silent. So frustrating!
If the City Council and community activists had put the same pressure on Contra Costa Health to keep their word about the investigation they promised us, and to give us the answers we deserve about the Community Warning System, as they have on MRC to clean up its act, I have no doubt the county would have reversed course and allowed Scott Berger to investigate the warning system failure. When there was a community backlash against the Board of Supervisors' vote to pass over one supervisor's turn in the rotation to be board chair, the board changed its vote at the next meeting. The same thing would have happened here, but no one wanted to step up to the plate. After the Maui disaster that resulted in large part from the failure of their Community Warning System, you'd think there would have been a desire to get to the bottom of the problems of our own warning system. As I told the county folks last week, I'm throwing up my hands on this and moving on. They won this fight, I lost it. All I know is that if there's a true disaster in my community, the last thing I'm going to count on to keep my family safe is the Contra Costa County Community Warning System.
This is quite possibly the last major piece I will write on the Thanksgiving incident and response, barring any major developments. I can't in good conscience continue to give these public agencies a platform for their empty words and broken promises.
*it not *if*