In the October article Marin County Qualifies Measure to Stop Agency From Outsourcing Jobs, Phil Tucker of the California Healthy Communities Network/Tide Center said “We have uncovered millions of dollars in unreported costs that will be borne by the ratepayers.”
In addition to citing unreported costs, Tucker also talked about Veolia Water’s environmental record, and spending aimed at influencing Novato district board elections.
Veolia Water responded to those accusations in a letter to the NewsBlaze editor Veolia Water Responds to Criticism of Control and Environmental Record.
Then, two weeks ago, Jim Kyriakakos, a Veolia Water employee had his say, in the “Novato Advance.” Veolia is not the way to go, Novato
“As a soon-to-be-ex-employee of Veolia, I feel sorry for Novato if you let them have your sewage-treatment plant.”
Jim Kyriakakos
Kyriakakos forecast loss of local staff, shortstaffing, lack of maintenance, terminally slow response to problems, and buck-passing.
Responding again on behalf of Veolia Water, James Good used nearby Richmond as an example of good stewardship by Veolia, saying they saved the city $75 million and improved the city’s environmental record.
The battle appears certain to continue, in the streets and in newspapers.
