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By JEREMY HAY
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Activists for Palestinian rights are pressing Sonoma County officials to investigate whether the firm that runs Sonoma County Transit buses engages in human rights
A Sonoma County Transit bus. (PD FILE, 2009)
violations in Israel.
The North Coast Coalition for Palestine says Veolia Transportation, of Chicago, is under scrutiny because it operates buses between Israel and Israeli settlements in the contested West Bank.
Coalition members plan to make their case tonight to the county Human Rights Commission at a meeting expected to draw several hundred people, including Veolia executives.
Coalition spokeswoman Lois Pearlman said the aim is to convince commissioners to ask county supervisors to order an investigation into the company’s practices and, subsequently, to recommend against renewing the $7.3 million annual contract with Veolia, which is up in 2014.
“If they come to the same conclusion we’ve come to, then they would recommend that the county not renew its contract,” Pearlman said. “We’re not asking them to do it on faith.”
The West Bank settlements are considered illegal by the United Nations, under a 1979 Security Council resolution that the United States abstained from voting on and that Israel rejects.
“The buses (operated by Veolia) only run on segregated roads available only to Israelis and tourists,” Pearlman said. The coalition contends that the buses also operate in violation of International Criminal Court rulings.
A Veolia spokeswoman said the Israeli bus routes at issue are two out of 126, and that, in any event, they are not run by the U.S. company in charge of the county buses. Paris-based Veolia Transdev, which owns 50 percent of Veolia Transportation, runs the Israeli buses, said North American spokeswoman Judith Pardonnet.
“We don’t have an influence on the decisions they make; they don’t have an influence on the decisions we make,” she said, adding, “Aren’t there other human rights matters to look into rather than two out of 130 bus lines?”
Discussion at the commission will likely include debate over whether the commission should involve itself in international affairs.
Commission Chairwoman Judy Rice on Monday said, “It is my opinion, and it may or may nor be shared by other commissioners, that this is not within our jurisdiction.”
Pearlman said, “Although it is not actually occurring in Sonoma County, our taxpayer dollars are going to fund this company.”
The commission meets at 5:30 p.m. in the hearing room at the county Permit and Resource Management Department, 2550 Ventura Ave., Santa Rosa.
You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Hay at 521-5212 or jeremy.hay@pressdemocrat.com.
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$2 Billion in California taxpayer money in special funds
The Associated Press
Published:
Last Modified: Friday, Jul. 27, 2012 – 8:05 am
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Interesting news this morning from the Associated Press. Turns out that California government has 2 billion dollars more than it has been telling voters. All stashed in “special” funds.
Out of control public pensions are a far greater problem for the people of Sonoma County. What does government do? It attempts to distract county voters away from what needs to be fixed immediately and away from what has not been fixed.
Wouldn’t it be nice if our local government officials actually concerned themselves with local issues…. like crumbling roads, upside down budgets awash in red ink thanks to local government participating in social safety net programs they have no business providing, and out of control public employee compensation, to name just a few.
But no, we have to all reflexively jerk our knees about something a half a planet away that may, or may not, be an issue. To better serve the progessive wheel and look like we care and are doing something.
Oh yeah… and Free Tibet.
Sheeeesh.
“The West Bank settlements are considered illegal by the United Nations, under a 1979 Security Council resolution that the United States abstained from voting on and that Israel rejects.”
UN? The UN decides who, what and when for the entire World? Big money, greed and power….you 99%ers should be outraged. Come on now!
So once again these people are trying to punish the whole for their version of injustice for a few? Go figure!
Veolia employs local workers and has for over 20 years. If a local company wants to bid on this contract and they can beat Veolia’s prices and service record, I’d absolutely encourage them to do so.
Sounds like an issue of convience more than anything.
Would they have been so solid in their belief if this had been about South Africa?
“…this is not within our jurisdiction.” Human rights are always within our jurisdiction.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law and the Geneva Convention. What part of illegal do people not understand?
This one’s right out of the Funny Pages from start to finish.
How about looking for a company in Sonoma County, the north coast, or at least in California that can run the bus service? IMHO, that should be a primary consideration, then there probably wouldn’t be an international human rights issue. The way this is being put forward completely ignores the real local and regional issues. Tax us here, then send the money as far away as possible!
“Discussion at the commission will likely include debate over whether the commission should involve itself in international affairs.”
Once again, the progressives in this County have it 100% backwards. The real issue is whether a foreign body, whose interests are traditionally opposed to the United States, should have even a shred of influence over internal American affairs.
Let me see, for want of will and political courage the county refuses to maintain a landfill suitable for county needs. The result is we send 65 truckloads of garbage each day to Solano County landfill, about 95 miles away. Yet, county offices proclaim their environmental bona fides practically each and every day.
Folks, look around. We can’t fix simple but serious problems in our own backyard. Let’s first try solving problems we know and understand before taking on the world’s.
‘Some one said ” No one is free while others are oppressed” ‘
That someone was a fool and a liar.
We Americans are free; those who slave under collectivists and fanatics are not.
It’s a childish quote, filled with self-importance and totally unenforceable.
Like those silly “Free Tibet” stickers, it is infantile and naive.
Wanna free Tibet?
Invade Red China.
Ooooo… That would be messy and dangerous and intolerant.
Never mind.
Typical high-minded cowardice.
As far as our busses go, the anti-Israel activists don’t just want to destroy a company, they want every Israeli Jew pushed into the sea.
The “Palestinian” problem is just that simple.
There are no haters like modern American liberals.
Stop the buses immediately! The county needs to terminate the bus contract and turn the bus company owners over to the UN for trial.
Better to walk that ride on buses that deny human rights in the occupied lands.
Justice must prevail!
Clearly the Sonoma County Bus System is in violation of human rights and needs to be immediately shut down permanently. It is better that people walk than have to ride on a bus used to discrimate.
Unite brothers and sisters and do not let this breach of human diginity go unnoticed here in the heart of Sonoma County where every wrong must be corrected and all live free of opression and discrimination.
Good luck.
We’ve been citing Constitutional and current/pending humanitarian violations for years.
Human Rights Commission; I have a news flash.
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and local governments WORK FOR THE UNITED NATIONS!
When you are ICLEI members your are in effect in their employ.
So, I think they could be barking up the wrong tree.
Although the connection is very interesting.
“Discussion at the commission will likely include debate over whether the commission should involve itself in international affairs”.
Once Sonoma County solves all of its own problems, it should then focus on fixing Norther California’s, then California’s, then the West Coast’s, then the United States’s, then North America’s and then it should rest.
RE:” Commission Chairwoman Judy Rice on Monday said “…this is not within our jurisdiction.”
Some one said ” No one is free while others are oppressed”
This issue is within everyone’s jurisdiction, it is a human humane issue, in my opinion.