Is it bad that I’m becoming a sucker for Tim Quinn? That I find myself nodding a lot when he talks? I can’t tell what is going on with that. My younger, wild-eyed self would be horrified to see me agreeing with ACWA. ACWA! Have I become centrist and moderate, or some crap like that?! I’d hate to think it.
But Mr. Quinn seems to genuinely believe in having all sides negotiate from their position of strength (perhaps because he has done this long enough to be pained at the thought of re-negotiating everything in eight years because it wasn’t done right the first time). He talks pretty freely in public forums, and says things that I had also thought. He says he was a big part of the last year’s water legislation, and I mostly like last year’s water legislation. I’m trying to stay skeptical, so I remind myself that you don’t get to be one of the big players without being good at talking in public. I dunno, man. I might have to bargain with myself. Like Tim Quinn on the one hand, give a donation to the Earth Liberation Front on the other. To keep my self-respect.
UPDATE: Or maybe my instincts are good. Westlands’ letter of resignation from ACWA complains about Mr. Quinn. Thank you for releasing that, Mr. Weiser.
On the public record 
Quinn’s statements reflect his advocacy of an association of the *state’s* water agencies, and not one district’s specific problems.
Westlands suggests in their letter that Quinn was expressing personal opinion, and not the agenda of his constituents, as if that agenda was a monolithic position.
Quinn knows there is no such thing, and so does Westlands.
Great post (and blog!) Tim is finally doing what I hoped he’d do — advocate for the future of water, for all water agencies (http://aguanomics.com/2007/06/tim-quinn-goes-to-acwa.html). I realize that he’s “establishment” in many ways, but he’s trying to move that establishment around, from the inside — an idea I am allergic to :)