By Staff – September 11, 2024
Last September, joint-committee meeting was held between the City, County, and Harbor District, triggering a wave of public outcry. The issue at hand was the agencies proposal to use public dollars to support a defunct Tri-Agency’s controversial push for oceanic windfarms. Many believed these windfarms would have disastrous consequences for the local commercial and sport industries. Despite the public’s opposition, the agencies chose to proceed with their plans, voting to continue allocating public funds to the Tri-Agency without a clear strategic plan, purpose or method to carry out the plan or purpose.
Civic Activist Linda Sutter decided to take matters into her own hands, bringing the issue before the Del Norte Superior Court in a Writ of mandate. This was to stop wasting Taxpayer dollars. Sutter’s dedication to the cause involved countless hours of research and writing, as well as personal financial sacrifice, all to file the necessary legal documents. The Tri-Agency would likely have continued its attempts to industrialize the region’s ocean waters, potentially endangering marine life and crippling the livelihoods of local fishermen.
Despite this, the narrative presented to the public by the Triplicate newspaper paints a different picture. Reporter Roger Gitlin claimed the agencies, out of an altruistic change of heart, decided to stop the flow of public funds to the Tri-Agency. This is far from the truth. It was not political goodwill but rather the timeless efforts of investigative reporter Linda Sutter that forced the agencies to reconsider their actions.
Gitlin’s portrayal of events is not just misleading; it erases the crucial role Sutter played in standing up for the community and holding local government accountable. The work she did to protect the commercial and sport fishing industries deserves recognition, not to be overshadowed by misinformation. The public has the right to know that it was Sutter’s persistence and dedication that brought issue to light not the benevolence of the agencies involved.
Shame on Triplicate editor Roger Gitlin for failing to acknowledge the true story and for misleading the public. The fight to protect local fishing and preserve public funds was not won through political goodwill but through the hard work of a civic activist willing to stand up for her community.
In ending this article and cleaning up after Roger Gitlin, the Tri-Agency officially dissolves on September 16, 2024. The last meeting held will be on September 12, 2024 at 3 pm.
