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This article highlights the importance of effective oversight of public funds and the need for transparency in government. It discusses a case study of the Gridley Biofuels project and the financial implications it has had on taxpayers. The article raises concerns about the lack of partnership and coordinated working relationship between the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) and REII. It also exposes the high costs associated with the project and the absence of any tangible results. The article emphasizes the need for accountability and responsible use of public funds.
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A Primer on the Need for Effective Oversight of Public Funds TheGridley BiofuelsHandbook
Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights. - Thomas Jefferson
Partners & Sponsors? -SLIDE 6 -
Partners & SponsorsREII (the researcher) of the project Claims the NCPA is a partner. To this day REII displays the NCPA logo on their website. http://www.reiinternational.org/partnerships.asp
And Yet….. Dave,There is currently no partnership or coordinated working relationship between NCPA and REII.The project presentation to NCPA on January 14th is the first time NCPA has seen the biomass project details or met REII personnel… - Dana Griffith, NCPA, Email dated 1/21/11
Give It Some Spin…. “I know I sound like a wacko," said rice grower Dan Boeger. "But what I think we're talking about is a process that will allow Spaceship Earth to produce more energy than it is consuming." - San Francisco Chronicle, May 20, 2001 [That’s not possible by the way……but it certainly could consume moremoney than it would ever produce.]
And we’ve always been told…. “If this plant does not go on line it doesn't cost the city a dime….. This project has a huge up side and costs the City nothing!” - Tom Sanford, Email, August 2008
Gridley’s paid “Energy Commissioner”2000 - 2009 HOURLY WAGE AS ENERGY COMMISSIONER (OTHER) $125 per hour THAT’S $280,000 ON AN ANNUAL BASIS HOURLY WAGE AS ENERGY COMMISSIONER (BIOFUELS) $180 per hour THAT’S $374,400 ON AN ANNUAL BASIS
Total cost of the “Commissioner” to the City of Gridley (2000-2009): $964,949.00 (Give or take – its hard to get an exact figure)
But remember, if the Biofuel project does not get built, there is no cost to the City of Gridley.Right? Well, not exactly…… (I guess it depends on how you define “nothing” and “dime”)
What Has The No-cost Biofuel “Project” Cost Gridley taxpayers (so far)?* Energy Commissioner/Investigator: $964,949.00 Industrial Park Purchase (Part 1): $626,005.00 Industrial Park Purchase (Part 2): $686,122.00 Rio Pluma Land Purchase ($237,000 above market): $679,000.00 Purchase of 15K tons of rice straw in 2002: $225,000.00 Rice Straw Debacle (disposal): $ 24,263.00 ---------------------------- TOTAL: $3,205,339.00 That’s roughly $1,393per Gridley household or $469 per resident. *These figures are estimates.
Yet, in roughly seventeen years, what has the expenditure of $3,206,939.00 of taxpayer money produced for Gridley?* Free electricity (in KWH): 0.0 Low-cost electricity (in KWH): 0.0 Gallons of ethanol: 0.0 Gallons of bio-diesel: 0.0 Steam for Rio Pluma: 0.0 New jobs for Gridley: 0.0 ------ TOTAL: 0.0 *Sadly, these figures are NOT estimates (but it did provide a nice paycheck for one person).
…and, who can forget the giant rotting piles of rice straw the city bought and had to dispose of (at taxpayer expense) in 2003.
Want to see a picture of the Gridley biofuel plant as it looks after 17 years and $3,205,339.00?
And if all of that was not embarrassing enough… Page 64 of The Pig Book arguably makes Gridley famous for the expensive “flop” that they claim the rice straw refinery represents.
