Official: Water Tom Selleck accused of stealing was paid for.

[PoliticAverse]

WESTLAKE VILLAGE — Water from a public hydrant that Tom Selleck has been accused of stealing from in dry California was legally purchased, an official said.

The Calleguas Municipal Water District in Ventura County sued the "Magnum, P.I." star, alleging that a tanker truck filled up at the hydrant and took it to Selleck's 60-acre ranch more than a dozen times in the past two years.

...

Jay Spurgin, public works director for Thousand Oaks, said a construction company paid a fee to secure the rights to draw water from the city hydrant two years ago. About 1.4 million gallons of water were taken from the hydrant during that period.

"There was water used during that time, and it was paid for," he said.

Read the rest at: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/entertainment/4190297-181/official-water-tom-selleck-accused

[gordianot]

1. I was so worried about a POS actor stealing water.

[PoliticAverse]

2. So apparently were all the people on DU participating in the several threads on the issue. n/t

[yeoman6987]

27. He is excellent in blue bloods

[gordianot]

31. In real life a Republican POS.

[yeoman6987]

34. Not the first in Hollywood and not the last

[KamaAina]

3. So did Magnum buy the water from the construction company?

Or did he steal it from them?

[PoliticAverse]

4. You think he hijacked their truck? (I do agree that we don't have quite all the specifics). n/t

[KamaAina]

5. You sure it was their truck?

He couldn't have rented one?

[ileus]

12. The rich don't water their own lawns...

[Brother Buzz]

7. Robin Masters footed the bill

Freeloaders like Magnum never ever pick up the tab.

[gratuitous]

6. So, that's why they hired a private investigator to tail the truck?

Seems legit.

[PoliticAverse]

9. If you read the story carefully you'll note...

The Calleguas Municipal Water District in Ventura County sued the "Magnum, P.I." star,

while:

Jay Spurgin, public works director for Thousand Oaks, said a construction company paid a fee to secure the rights to draw water from the city hydrant.

it appears this might be a case of different units of government not communicating with each other.

[tularetom]

21. Yup, sorta

City buys the water from the water district.

City puts a meter on one of it's fire hydrants for the use of a construction company doing work inside the city.

Selleck cuts a side deal with the construction company to buy water even though he doesn't actually live inside the city limits.

Water district notices the construction company's truck filling up at the city fire hydrant and tails it to Sellecks property outside the city, not realizing that the city has furnished water to the construction company which then sold it to Selleck.

My conclusion is that no "theft" of water actually occurred, but Selleck's side deal with the construction company is questionable given that he is not a city resident. I don't think a crime was committed, but in a drought, it sort of smacks of favoritism for a celebrity to buy scarce water that city residents might need.

[PoliticAverse]

22. Yes, even if nothing illegal was done it has the potential to be embarassing to Selleck. n/t

[tularetom]

23. The only thing I can't understand is why the water district allowed this to go on as long as it did

Once the district learned Selleck was indirectly buying water that was intended to go to city residents why didn't they immediately contact the city and tell them what was going on so they (city) could put the kibosh on it?

[PoliticAverse]

24. Good question. We clearly don't have all the details yet. I suspect we will over next week...

when the "settlement" mentioned involving Selleck is scheduled to be approved.

[davidpdx]

39. I think that is a good summary. I agree it is hypocritical of Selleck to take so much water when

everyone else is being rationed (see I have money, I'm above the law). The construction company was given the rights for a purpose and sold the rights for another. If people should have a beef with anyone, it should be with the construction company (not that I'd defend Selleck because he's still a GOP asshole). It very well could be a case of he knew someone at the construction company. The city should revoke the construction companies right to use the water from the hydrant at the very least. I'd like to see them get fined as well.

It still does go to show how money can buy anything in the US, at least for those who have it.

[Major Nikon]

46. I'm not so sure it's questionable

A company buying water in such a manner would logically make a deal with the water district that is most efficient to draw water from in the area where they operate. It wouldn't be reasonable to expect them to make deals with every individual water district.

[tularetom]

47. No but it's questionable for them to turn around and sell the water to a buyer (Selleck)

When (1) they acquired it for purposes of a construction project and (2) the buyer would not be allowed to purchase the water direct from the city or the district because of water conservation restrictions.

I guarantee you that the city would have yanked that meter off its hydrant and refused to furnish any more water to a contractor who was running his own little side business selling marked up water to wealthy movie stars.

I was involved in construction for over 30 years and I've seen this situation more than once. The contractor himself may have known nothing about it because his employee (water truck driver) made his own cash deal with Tom Selleck to drive a few truckloads over to his place.

[Major Nikon]

51. The link in the OP specifically said it wasn't

Construction firms and contractors can obtain special meters that allow them to haul water from hydrants for large projects. Companies can draw as much water as they need or sell it to a third party as long as they pay the monthly service charge and water bill, Spurgin said.

[tularetom]

52. I stand corrected, even though thats a fucking insane policy in a time of drought

Actually its an insane policy anytime. But especially now, and I'd guess there will be pressure put on them to change it now that it has become public knowledge. Otherwise I could buy a fleet of water trucks, hook them all up to city hydrants and get around water rationing limits by reselling their water at a substantial markup, to their wealthy residents.

[Major Nikon]

53. It may depend on where the water ultimately comes from

Around here there's dozens of water districts which all get their water from the same reservoir. In the case of underground water it may all come from the same aquifer.

[jberryhill]

33. They hired Jim Rockford

But they should hired Magnum P.I..

[JI7]

8. So it's like someone using cocaine and other illegal drugs

They did pay for it but it was still illegal.

[PoliticAverse]

10. I pretty sure it is legal to possess water once it is legally paid for.

[JI7]

11. i Don't think it was in the way this was done

That's why there was some settlement

[PoliticAverse]

14. That's the problem with the word "settlement", it could mean anything...

like: "We apologized to Selleck for the erroneous allegations and he agreed not to sue us"
or "He paid a fine for his illegal actions and promised not to do it again".
or "He promised not to keep doing the thing we say is illegal but he says wasn't and we dropped it".

[pinboy3niner]

17. The water board meeting on Wednesday should help to clarify things

That's when the settlement is up for approval.

[PoliticAverse]

18. I anxiously await release of the slippery details. n/t

[840high]

37. He has paid for it for 2 years. He has an avocado farm.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

48. Rich people do have a way of finding loopholes.

It appears he used the construction company to circumvent water restrictions. Why didn't he make an agreement with the city itself?

[840high]

54. I don't know.

[hobbit709]

13. Was it paid for before or after he got it? Or after it was noticed?

[PoliticAverse]

16. The article claims the company paid for the right to draw water 2 years ago and

has been paying for their usage since then.

[840high]

28. I believe it. He has an

avocado farm.

[DiverDave]

38. Whats a farm got to do with construction?

Construction means building. I guess a lawyer could claim he was building avocado's?

Whatever it is, it's violating the water usage laws.

[840high]

40. He has been paying for the

water for 2 years. Anyway does not interest me so much.

[DiverDave]

44. So, rich people can pay

poor folks go without or if they do what this douchebag did they go to jail.
Progressive attitude.

[thelordofhell]

15. Soooo......Water Laundering??

[Monk06]

20. Not just water laundering but structured water laundering. The worst kind.

[JCMach1]

19. No, Ross Perot's crazy cousin...

[yuiyoshida]

25. Well glad thats cleared up...ROLL the credits !!!

[Warpy]

26. Instead of using it to mix concrete

and hire people to spread it, it was going to one rich guy to water his trees.

Something about this still doesn't smell good.

[840high]

29. His avocado farm.

[underahedgerow]

32. Yes, his avocado farm, which provides local jobs and produce. And guacamole. To go with salsa

and tortilla chips, and more importantly, margaritas, to benefit all mankind.

Sometimes people actually have to buy water when water mains don't reach their remote, rural lands. It's cheaper than digging miles of main water lines from the nearest connection.

I hope they're Haas Avocados.

I like Selleck as an actor. Donnie Wahlberg chaps my butt though. I can't STAND that wife of his. But I predict a divorce in about 1 more year.

[840high]

35. I like Selleck.

[Liberal In Texas]

30. Typical repub. n/t

[840high]

36. see post above yours.

[AngryOldDem]

41. I don't know why they don't charge him with theft.

Because that's exactly what this is.

This overblown sense of entitlement needs to be put in its place. You don't fuck around with water in California right now, or anywhere, really.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

42. Meanwhile, a private company bought and paid for it

Yeah, don't fuck with it when it's been bought by the highest bidder.

[AngryOldDem]

43. It wasn't his.

And maybe it's time to examine the whole issue of water rights and water usage before it truly becomes too late and becomes a serious point of contention, if not worse.

Just read a novel about that called "The Water Knife." It's fiction, but the plot is all too plausible.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

49. I don't know about theft.

I think there may be fraud since the water was not used for its intended purpose (maybe the company was paid more for the water by Selleck than they paid the city). I say revoke the construction company's contract and implement much higher fines for people doing this crap. He can truck the water in from out of state if he cares so much. I also wonder how much was used for his avocado trees and how much to keep the rest of his grass green and pretty.

[AngryOldDem]

55. Agree.

I hate it when I see lawn sprinklers going. We've had about (it seems) a year's worth of rain here lately and I still see lawns being watered by undergound sprinklers. A few years back during a drought my city instituted a ban altogether, and people were ignoring it. Yes, I turned them in. And I'd do it again. There's no need to water grass. It goes dormant during dry spells then comes back once it rains.

Water is becoming a precious commodity. Oil wars? I see water wars in some parts of this country in the not-too-distant future.

[PoliticAverse]

45. Followup: California Water District OKs Tom Selleck's Settlement Offer

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/california-water-district-oks-tom-sellecks-settlement-offer-32481501

[Liberal_in_LA]

50. I owe the mustache an apology

[nilesobek]

56. The avocado is of subtropical origin.

I doubt its native to S. Cal and even if Selleck has been using a drip irrigation system I'd bet it takes a lot of water. Not too sure how I feel about this.

The soil and environment down in S. Cal must be incredibly dry.