Jeff,

It's a shame you have to make inferences like that. You seem to see everything through a partisan lens right now. It's too bad.

I did not personally reach out to either the NCC contractors nor solar power companies, prior to the bidding process. That would have been skating right on the line of meddling in that process and I have worked very hard to ensure that my integrity can't be questioned in that way.

My role at the policy level was making sure we had a good process to disseminate the RFP, and ensure that local contractors had a level playing field for winning the business. The college issued press releases that garnered widespread media coverage, and also sent notices to NCCA, NCERC, North State BIA and all of the members of the NCC Photovoltaic Solar Advisory Committee. The coverage was extensive and if companies didn't know the opportunity existed, they weren't looking.

Despite all of that, we only had one company from Nevada County request the RFP paperwork, and that company did not bid. Obviously, I can't speculate as to why they chose not to, but we held informational meetings, offered facilities tours and did anything we could to support the highest number of bidders possible.

Aaron

I was very proud to work with NCCA to ensure a level playing field with our local contractors. They have been a valued partner in helping us develop a level playing field for local businesses on both the NCC expansion and solar projects.

I often write and talk about fiscal issues from my perspective, and I have been critical of both President Bush and President Obama for their records on spending. I continue to be confused as to your drawing a line between fiscal sustainability and partisanship. It's almost as if you believe that only Republicans believe in fiscal responsibility. While I am a Republican, I don't believe that's true.

No, it is not “perfectly legitimate” to question someone's integrity because they happen to believe in fiscal sustainability. And trust me, trying to infer that I would advocate for local contractors on the basis of partisan identity is an issue of integrity.

That's called a smear, and I expected more from you. Like perhaps having some facts to base it on.

Jeff, please don't try to split hairs. I already explained that I worked with NCCA the same way in both cases, in my appropriate role as a trustee by coordinating policy issues. Perhaps you don't understand the difference between being a trustee and being a staff member. It's our staff's job to reach out to the contractors and run the bidding process, and they did a great job in both cases. If there are local solar companies who felt they were left out, please send them here to comment for themselves — perhaps we can learn something useful for next time on how to reach them. You're the only person I've heard make that charge, and you're not a solar company.

I'm terribly sorry you were insulted, but obviously, you don't understand how government contracting works. Here's a good place to start: we can't force local companies to bid on a project. We can (and did) invest our time and efforts in creating a level playing field and publicizing the opportunities. A qualified local contractor stepped up and bid on the NCC expansion project. No Nevada County contractors, qualified or not, bid on this solar project. So yes, it is the contractor's responsibility to bid. What do you want Sierra College to do — award contracts to companies that didn't bid? That's a lawsuit in the making.

As for “crossing the line” from fiscal sustainability to partisan politics, please try and find some backup for your claims before you say things. I have been critical on my blog of both Republicans and Democrats on the issue of government spending and will remain so. Search for “Bush” on my blog and you can see some of those posts for yourself. We all have our opinions about politics, and I respect yours. But I have zero respect for your series of veiled attacks that have no basis in reality. I'm beginning to question whether this is about partisan politics for you, and I never would have said that a few months ago.

Jeff, you're just repeating yourself now. I appreciate NCCA calling me “instrumental” and was proud to work with them to develop a level playing field. If that was “instrumental” then I was equally instrumental on the solar project. For the record, I did not make telephone calls begging local contractors to bid on either project. We have to have a local partner step up and decide to play on the level playing field. That's just the way it works.

The interesting thing is, your original comment isn't even based on any verifiable facts. Contractors are “typically politically conservative” while solar companies are progressive? Says who? I didn't know companies were partisan or registered to vote. One of the local firms that was a part of this solar bidding process was a very well-connected firm formally associated with a Republican county supervisor. You're making up key pieces of your “facts” to try and prove a pre-conceived idea.

Thanks for the example of so-called partisanship. You're referring to the post where I commented on the November 2009 elections and said that the lessons of the election were as follows:

“The fact that President Obama was a far better choice than John McCain for most voters in 2008 did not constitute the endorsement of the rabid left’s policy agenda that they think it was. The fact that voters in New Jersey and Virginia elected Republican governors is not the endorsement of the Republican Party itself that some think it is. (Hint: it’s more about the philosophy of the candidates who won, not their party.)”

Interesting that you are trying to establish your charge by quoting a post where I was making the point that it was a fiscally sustainable philosophy, and NOT partisan politics, that won the election for those two candidates.

(And yes, I'm not a fan of the MoveOn.org / DailyKOS rabid left and their corrosive tactics, some of which we find among a few of the commenters on your blog. I'm similarly not a fan of the rabid right, like people who question the President's status as an American citizen, etc.)

Just a few thoughts to add to this debate…..

First, the characterization of NCCA as a front for a Republican agenda is ridiculous and unfounded. That is a direct insult to this professional organization. Like it or not the reality is that even the most liberal contractor understands the concepts of expenses, profits, and the very real issue that new government regulations rolling out right now are decimating their bottom line and their ability to put food on the table.. It’s not about partisan issues here. NCCA happens to count many solar companies as members in addition to several general contractors and electrical contractors who also do a lot of solar work. Many “conservative” contractors are in the solar business because they want to make money in that field. Its not about politics, its about opportunity.

Second, interesting that one would choose to compare apples to oranges in this case, better said apples to bowling balls. The building industry in Nevada County is an established professional field with an established history. It is also has definable financing mechanisms that are used across the contry. The solar industry defined as a “progressive” industry is still trying to define itself. The financing mechanisms are all over the charts and usually the product is never the same. There aren't common specs to follow and build to. Often solar clients are left comparing apples to oranges even within the same products because of the vast amount of variables. Sierra College doesn’t have the money to pay for solar so they needed the creative approach that solar companies are moving to where they install the equipment sell the power back at a cheaper rate than PG&E. I don’t think the local companies have moved to that level yet. Not to say that they won’t get there.

Bottom line is that there was outreach, there was opportunity, and no one showed up. There have been school projects in town for years that local builders had the opportunity to bid on and no one showed up. Like builders, local solar companies should use this as a lesson on what they need to do to make it to the next level and grab a hold of the opportunities available. Just because NCCA has been publicly acknowledging the hard work Nancy and Aaron put in to keep the construction work local, it doesn’t mean that the locals got a free shot at the work. They had to do some incredible out of the box thinking and take bold action steps to make it happen. If you think this is part of the good old boy system you’re dead wrong. Three years ago these local builders never would have dreamed of taking the risk they took to get this work.

When all is said and done the true American spirit will rise and good local solar companies will look at this as an opportunity. Sitting on the couch never got me a job.

Come on guys, you're both on the same political page: “birds of a feather” …