the royal scam

this from the Channelkeeper website:

"Channelkeeper is pleased that we were able to work cooperatively with the City to forge an effective and proactive solution to Santa Barbara’s sewage pollution problem. Our agreement is a win-win for the citizens of Santa Barbara and the environment.

As part of the agreement, the City will also fund a project to raise awareness, provide training and install Low Impact Development features such as rain gardens on numerous properties throughout Santa Barbara, which will help to further reduce pollution to local creeks and beaches."

the city will fund rain gardens on various properties to reduce pollution to local creeks?? WTF is this?? are these chicks insane??

What is a raingarden?

A raingarden is designed and planted to capture rainwater so it can penetrate deep into the soil to help protect and restore water quality. This helps to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff that would otherwise take pollutants from the air, our yards, and the streets and carry them into our lakes, rivers, and wetlands. A raingarden is a great way for homeowners or business owners to reduce the amount of runoff flowing from our properties. By capturing this polluted water and allowing it to slowly soak into the ground, we can mimic natural systems that have historically purified our waters through a process of filtering underground. Raingardens are also a way to beautify your property. Using perennial plants that require little maintenance and can thrive without fertilizer or pesticides, we enhance the value and attractiveness of our neighborhood and community.

how did the city agree to all this nonsense??

reduce the runoff from your property by retaining rainwater and planting native plants?? well, if you live in a high water table area you don't want water to stay on your property, you want it to run off.....water flows downhill...retaining water around your house when it should be draining off can damage the foundation!!

ok... so is councilman Dale Francisco right about the "cottage industry of environmental groups and their lawyers suing municipalities"....

here's some interesting info I found while I was looking for Channelkeeper's annual report for the financials..hmmm, they seem to have some sort of privacy policy and the info is not showing itself....

cottage cheese
Subsidized by federal tax dollars, environmental groups are filing a blizzard of lawsuits that no longer yield significant gain for the environment and sometimes infuriate federal judges and the Justice Department. During the 1990s, the U.S. Treasury paid $31.6 million in legal fees for environmental cases filed against the government.Those who know the environment best -- the scientists who devote their careers to it -- say environmental groups often twist fact into fantasy to serve their agendas.

There is no clearinghouse for information about environmental groups, no oversight body watching for abuse and assessing job performance. What information exists is scattered among many sources, including the Internal Revenue Service, philanthropic watchdogs, the U.S. Department of Justice and nonprofit trade associations.

Sift through their material and here is what you find: Donations are at flood stage. In 1999, individuals, companies and foundations gave an average of $9.6 million a day to environmental groups, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, which monitors nonprofit fund raising.
Under California law, individuals and organizations bringing suit under the environmental statutes are entitled to keep a significant portion of the monetary awards and civil penalties for themselves. This has become something of a cottage industry in California, where environmental groups financially support themselves through the filing and award of damages from suits such as these.

nonprofits giving to nonprofits...
the Fund for Santa Barbara gave Channelkeeper $16000 to support the lawsuit against the City of Sanata Barbara
Santa Barbara Channelkeeper / Clean Water Advocacy and Enforcement Program - $8,000 per year for 2 years (Year 2)
Support to lobby for updating sewage infrastructure in the City of Santa Barbara and reducing plastic bag use county-wide

private businesses give to Channelkeeper...non-profit???

Verizon VelocitySanta Barbara Channelkeeper will receive a sizeable donation from Verizon when you order new qualifying residential Verizon products, including Verizon Internet (FIOS Digital Voice). To order, call Verizon at 1-888-299-0132 and provide Santa Barbara Channelkeeper's code # 22569.

Eco Wireless Channelkeeper has joined the Eco Wireless Nonprofit Partnership Program and will receive 20% of every Verizon Wireless two-year service contract purchased online through Eco Wireless, an authorized agent of Verizon Wireless (both new service and upgrades apply). Visit Eco Wireless and place your order for a new Verizon Wireless phone or calling plan today. Make sure to enter code # SBCK01. It couldn't be easier!

WinWin Living, an online Santa Barbara lifestyle guide and daily deal website, offers exceptional deals in Santa Barbara and will donate 10% of its deal proceeds to us every time you make a purchase on the website and select "SB Channelkeeper" as your chosen beneficiary at checkout...

wow what a scam!!! ...this is a cottage industry....look at all the parasitic ways these people steal money!!  you are already paying taxes to fund the city services, and now nonprofits like Channelkeeper get tax exempt money from other tax exempt nonprofits to sue the city so you pay more for work that is already being done on your behalf..

these people are eco-Nazis!!!