It’s been a big couple of weeks. Last Friday a PAC was formed to run the opposition campaign against the Hood River Water Protection Measure. The PAC, the Coalition for a Strong Economy, has hired a consultant, Rebecca Tweed, along with one of the most expensive political consulting firms in the state of Oregon. We haven’t seen where the big money is coming from yet, but we’ll find out. I suspect the next round of reporting may show Nestlé and the International Bottled Water Association are bankrolling efforts to kill the popular ballot measure in Hood River County that would prohibit any commercial water bottling. You can call it a hunch.
On March 22, World Water Day, the Story of Stuff released their film Our Water, Our Future. Nestlé executives saw the promotion for the film and decided to release a video of their own in response on the same day. It seems that this multinational giant with deep pockets feels threatened by the power of a community fighting to protect their most precious resource: water. And Nestlé should be worried, because common sense and democracy are on our side.
The ballot measure campaign in Hood River County will only ramp up as May 17th approaches and Nestlé attempts to mislead voters into voting against their best interests. But the Local Water Alliance has the power of the people on their side. With countless volunteers calling voters and knocking on doors, no amount of spin that Nestlé can buy can compete.
For more information on the campaign and what you can do to support please visit the Local Water Alliance website and Facebook page.
Keep Nestle Out Of The Gorge 