As UCAN prepared to bring your spuds before City Hall, NBC San Diego and CBS News 8 interviewed Bianca Garcia, Manager of UCAN’s Water Advocacy Project.  Check out the News 8 coverage here: News 8 video.

Our pre-campaign efforts also grabbed the attention of many other media sources.  Check out this SignOnSanDiego news article recognizing UCAN as leading the opposition against the latest water rate increase.  On January 5, the Mike Slater Show on KFMB 760AM featured Bianca Garcia as a special guest to discuss San Diego’s rising water prices (Podcast: "Water is rising (the price that is)").  And, on January 21, NBC News reported, “Your Water Bill May Go Up…Again!” which credited UCAN with encouraging citizens to say “NO” to the increase by joining our SPUD campaign.

During the protest, 10 News interviewed UCAN Staff Attorney David Peffer and gave special recognition to UCAN’s “spuds of protest.”  In this news video, notice how Carl DeMaio proudly displays his “spud of protest” while addressing fellow council members during the January 24 hearing.

After the City’s vote, NBC News released this article recognizing our campaign efforts and reporting residents’ BOILING OUTRAGE at the City’s decision to raise water rates.  

And we weren’t the only ones protesting before the City Council voted!  Check out this NBC News coverage of Rancho Bernardo residents protesting the latest rate increase.  We’d also like to point out the related video within this story (“Water Rate Hike Up to You”) where UCAN Executive Director Michael Shames warns citizens about the misleading nature of the “notices” SPUD mails to ratepayers whenever it wants to raise rates.  Those notices look strikingly similar to junk mail, don’t you think?

In the aftermath of our protest, Bianca Garcia took on Roger Bailey (SPUD’s Director) and Sandra Kerl (CWA Deputy General Manager) during KPBS’ “These Days” coverage of rising water costs.  Check out our blog post debunking several myths about your water rates posed by Roger Bailey that day.

Even after the hearing, we did NOT let this important issue fade away.  On January 28, Bianca Garcia called in to KPBS’ “Editor’s Roundtable” radio show and pointed out that the City’s tiered water rate structure actually encourages waste rather than conservation.  So, instead of raising rates and punishing those who’ve already undertaken major efforts to conserve, the City needs to change its overall rate structure.  Imposing yet another rate increase on San Diegans is an ineffective “fix” to the overall problem.

As the SPUD watchdog, UCAN’s Water Advocacy Project is dedicated to exposing abuse and waste, and hopefully stopping future water rate hikes, but we need YOUR help to keep these issues alive.  Become a UCAN member and join our efforts.  Also visit these news stories and other related media coverage as often as you can to show the media that this HOT TOPIC should not be ignored!