Celebrity vintners Hobbs & Wilson & film star Tom Selleck steal our water

[Shepherd]

Celebrity vintners like Paul Hobbs and Ken Wilson are like movie star Tom Selleck--water thieves. Today's PD has a brief on p. A5--"Selleck settles with water company." It reports that in Ventura County he was "accused of illegally transporting water." Such celebrities feel they are above the law--entitled to take all the water they want, while the rest of us are supposed to conserve. In fact, Sonoma County vintners are allowed to use as much water as they want to--for free, without conserving--which they transform into wine and then transport most of it all over the world.


Meanwhile, the few real small family food farms in the West County are supposed to reduce our water use, or we will be fined. Meanwhile, the pro-wine industry PD publishes two articles on Thursday celebrating the wine industry, leaving out critical information from the Wine Advisory Group meeting this week.

Fortunately, hundreds of West County people have attended Water Board meetings this week, many of whom have complained about having to reduce their water use, while Big Wine can continue its abuse. Perhaps some of them could add comments on this thread to what they experienced. We need stronger legislation and enforcement to require the Wine Barons to share the water.


I want to share a link below with you to a long 2011 research article by Will Parrish on Ken Wilson, who has been in the wine news recently, and Paul Hobbs. AVA (Anderson Valley Advertiser) in Mendocino published it, as they have much of Will's work. They have done an excellent job, over the years, of covering the North Coast Wine Empire, rather than merely reporting the few crumbs that they give to the rest of us. The link below should lead you to the entire article. Or you could google Will Parrish for his recent articles in the "East Bay Express" and elsewhere. So it is out with the natural Redwood Empire and in with the commercial Wine Empire, if we let these travesties continue.

Back in 2013 the Apple Roots Group (ARG) showed up at a Hobbs wine tasting with signs to protest his new vineyard on Watertrough Ave. in the Sebastopol countryside, next to schools with over 500 students. Hobbs shut that tasting down. ARG and members of the Watertrough Childrens Alliance dogged Hobbs and called the Water Board when we noticed that he was doing illegal things that lead to soil erosion. Hobbs settled for a mere $100,000 for those violations, which could have cost him millions of dollars in fines. This article raises basic questions about how just a legal system we have in this county. The Wine Empire rules.


These issues are likely to be settled "on the ground," if our elected representatives and their appointees do not listen carefully to the rural rebellion rising on the North Coast against the abuses of the bloated Wine Empire.

https://theava.com/archives/1113

[gypsey]

Once again, Shepherd, you need to do your homework. It turns out the hydrant where Selleck "stole" the water is set up for public (paid for) access. We don't know if an employee failed to activate the "pay pump" or whatever. The info will surely unfold, so why not just stay tuned?
Please don't tar people just to promote your agenda. It actually dilutes your message.

Celebrity vintners like Paul Hobbs and Ken Wilson are like movie star Tom Selleck--water thieves. Today's PD has a brief on p. A5--"Selleck settles with water company." It reports that in Ventura County he was "accused of illegally transporting water." ...

[beshiva]

And i will add, why not follow the never-ending story of Hobbs...the man of the hour..who steals land, and water, and is a grand polluter...an enemy of any person or persons who think the environment IS important. this man has a rap sheet for violating the rights of his neighbors and cares so little about this county except to exploit the land for profit for wine gluttons, ALL in the name of doing this stuff "legally"...i have to ask how he gets this all done?? Well, the pockets of the BOS run deep...
if i were to follow the $$$ i would bet he is best of friends with Gore., another predator for the Wine industry.....just saying...
peace
M

At worst, Shepherd is guilty of not following the story as far as you did, Gypsy. ...

[gypsey]

"Details not yet released" is the key. I suggested we wait for the details before impugning the integrity of someone. As for "who cares"--well, I care!. I grew up in the McCarthy era. I've listened to Trump's characterizations of Mexican immigrants as "rapists." I don't believe the end justifies the means. And as I pointed out in my response to Shepherd's post--the "means" he used---denigrating a fellow organic farmer without full facts--actually distracts from his position.

At worst, Shepherd is guilty of not following the story as far as you did, Gypsy. From what I've read, a complaint was followed by a very pricey investigation and then litigation was filed in Superior Court, Ventura County. It wasn't clear to me that Selleck was innocent of taking water illegally - just that a tentative settlement was reached, details not yet released. https://news.yahoo.com/tom-selleck-w...235852858.html

And besides, who cares? The rest of the story IS unfolding and it's not pretty - the once beautiful Redwood Empire has been turned into Wine Country. Not a food crop, not sustainable, bringing tourism - a low form of land use - and traffic and more urbanity. Thank you, Shepherd, for your good work!

[gypsey]

I refer you to the actual TITLE of Shepherd's post, regarding Selleck being a "small player."
My objection is not about Wilson and Hobbs, but about how Selleck's name was used.
If you don't get it, I am sorry.

When I said "Who cares?" it was in relation to Selleck's guilt or innocence, details forthcoming. He is a small player in a very large story. Gypsey, I too grew up with McCarthy's madness and it still trumped Trump's. Shepherd criticized Paul Hobbs and Jim Wilson. Neither are organic, I cannot see criticizing them denigrating but rather simply stating facts. I don't believe anyone here is suggesting the end justifies the means unless it's the wine barons building their empire.

[Sara S]

Umm, it wasn't Jim Wilson Shepherd was referring to; Jim Wilson is our local poet and co-owner of Many Rivers Books and Tea...he's certainly not a water-stealing wine-maker!

... Shepherd criticized Paul Hobbs and Jim Wilson. ...

[gypsey]

Yes, I understand you said Selleck is a small player. Allow me to reiterate my objections:

1) My objections are not about Hobbs & Wilson as portrayed in Shepherd's article.

2) The focus of my posts has been my objection to Shepherd's unethical tactics in creating an inflammatory headline and denigrating Selleck just to create headlines, while actually lacking full information on the Selleck water issue. In my opinion, this also does not help his worthy cause..

3) The reason I responded to you is that you stated that you "did not care" that Selleck was impugned. (As you know, I do care about fairness and integrity.)

4) As an FYI, there are THREE people named in Shepherd's article. The third-Tom Selleck, is a fellow organic farmer.

5) I see no reason to take this private. There is no acrimony and no need for further discussion. Our values are very different around integrity and the media and I get it.

Peace,
Gypsey

I was the one who said Selleck was a small player. In your post, you said Shepherd was denigrating a fellow organic grower. Neither the two who Shepherd named are organic. That was my point. If there's more to say between us, let's go private.