I had the opportunity to meet with a group of county officials and business leaders earlier this year in Mariposa who were pursuing this project as a gateway to Yosemite.

I think that I like the overall objective, but I think it has to be done comprehensively.

Now, if this is just about moving administrative offices, as Congressman Garamendi has suggested, is there unleased office space in Mariposa?

By removing visitor services 30 miles to the west, travelers from both the northern and the southern parts of California would be diverted many miles out of their way.

But this is not a comprehensive plan that involves all the gateway communities. This is a plan that picks one winner out of many losers.

Of all the unresolved issues surrounding this, it is crystal clear that a consensus has not yet emerged locally.

A few weeks after I met with Supervisor Cann I was invited to a community meeting in Mariposa attended by several hundred Mariposa residents who raised the issue during a question and answer session, and expressed strong opposition to the…

The ultimate goal is to remove as many vestiges of human activity from the park as possible.

It is estimated to produce 800 megawatts of the cleanest and cheapest electricity on the planet.

Wind does not come environmentally without cost.

About 15 years ago I asked the California Energy Commission for its estimate of the cost of various sources of power for electricity generation.

I would start by suggesting that we ought to count the damn hatchery fish.