SQUID FRY 06.19.14 - Echo Chambers…

ECHO CHAMBERS… A new rivalry on the Monterey Peninsula is one that speaks to Squid’s three-chambered heart: A chamber-of-commerce showdown.

In one corner is the current heavyweight champ, the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. In the other is the scrappy challenger, the Seaside-Sand City Chamber of Commerce. Which is now also the Del Rey Oaks Chamber of Commerce. And which soon might become the Monterey Chamber of Commerce.

That’s right folks, the lil’ Seaside-based chamber is putting on weight and expanding its reach, and Squid has it on good authority that SSCDRO (Squid pronounces that Scud-row) Chamber Prez Jim Vossen has been swooping up domain names like a Squid in a shrimp popcorn store. The Peninsula chamber might have montereychamber.com, but guess where montereychamberofcommerce.org takes you? Seaside, baby. Seaside.

Vossen has filed the paperwork to make the Monterey expansion official. His goal for the chambers, he says, is to provide big-guy service at a small-guy price.

Squid’s not sure if the Peninsula chamber is even aware of the recent developments, but Squid guesses they will be soon. And if they know what’s good for ‘em, they best keep that domain name on lockdown.

O’S WOUNDED PRIDE… The backers of Measure O, the failed initiative to study a public buy-out of Cal Am, lost big. Seeing as the water company outspent them 24-to-1, Squid’s not surprised. But the folks on Melodie Chrislock’s “Yes on O Key Volunteers” listserv seem to be. In the two weeks since the loss, Squid counts 50-plus different threads: comforting one another about the low election turnout, brainstorming ways to amend local campaign finance laws, collectively dissing Cal Am and the water buffalo it rode in on.

What Squid didn’t expect: the lionization of Steve Collins, guest of honor at WaterPlus meetings June 9 and 16. The former Monterey County Water Resources Agency board member, who’s suing just about every official who ever talked to him while he was double-dipping on the failed desal project, is still trying to cast himself as scapegoat – even hero – rather than villain.

“Steve indicated his presentation would be more titillating than informative, though we found it to be plenty informative, as well as interesting,” WaterPlus leader Ron Weitzman reported. “We applauded him as he left.”

The group is also noodling whether to take their fight for public water ownership to a smaller level. One idea: Elect Monterey Peninsula Water Management District board members who support public ownership. Another idea (a Weitzman preference): Replace the city mayors who backed Cal Am by opposing Measure O, like Pacific Grove’s Bill Kampe and Carmel’s Jason Burnett.