Accountability
The incumbent record: obstruction, insider dealing, and a $4 billion poison pill
The IID Division 1 election is a referendum on institutional accountability. The incumbent's record speaks for itself.
The hypocrisy timeline
2017
Z-Global scandal exposed
Independent investigation reveals conflicts of interest, controversial BESS contracts, and procurement irregularities. Infrastructure costs socialized onto ratepayers.
2017-2024
Deferred maintenance crisis deepens
Core distribution network starved of capital. Transformers dating to the 1930s remain in service. Backlog grows to $1.3 billion.
Late 2024
Historic rate hike approved
Board implements the largest rate increase in IID history. Residential base rate: 11.69¢ to 19.76¢/kWh. Less than 60 days between study completion and approval.
Early 2025
Data center revenue rejected
Despite the developer proposing $30M/year in net IID revenue and fully self-funded infrastructure, IID demands $4 billion in prepaid fees. Developer calls it a "poison pill."
January 2026
Federal civil rights lawsuit filed
Case 3:26-cv-00128 filed in U.S. District Court. Alleges constitutional violations, antitrust abuse, and retaliation by municipal officials against the data center developer.
February 2026
City of Imperial's lawsuit dismissed
Superior Court rules the City of Imperial's 35-page, 121-paragraph complaint was "legally insufficient to state a cause of action." The data center's ministerial approval is validated.
March 2026
State Senate bills target data centers
Senator Padilla introduces SB 886 and SB 887 to retroactively strip ministerial approval from all data center projects. Bills pass key Senate committees.
The "greenmail" ecosystem
The obstruction of the data center is not just local politics. It follows a documented pattern of CEQA weaponization — where advocacy groups file environmental lawsuits to block projects, then drop them in exchange for massive confidential settlements.
The precedent
Comite Civico del Valle (CCV) demanded $83 million over 30 years as the condition for dropping a CEQA lawsuit against a lithium extraction project near the Salton Sea. The IVDC developers allege they face the same shakedown pattern.
Why it matters
While politicians and special interests demand $83 million financial shakedowns and engage in "sham litigation," working-class residents of Imperial County are being deprived of union wages, vital tax relief, and a cleaner environment.