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July 3, 2008

Contact: Ed Jenkins: Director Communications People for Yes on Whidbey PUD – 360-341-2831

VICTORY! PEOPLE FOR YES ON WHIDBEY PUD OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED 27 HOURS LATER-A RECORD? THE MEASURE TO PUT FORMING A WHIDBEY PUD ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT IS NOW REALITY.

People For Yes on Whidbey PUD want to thank the County Auditors Office and Sheilah Crider for such quick work and assigning her best staff to the job. The staff lead by Michele Reagan took the task to heart, starting immediately after the petitions were turned in and notified People For Yes on Whidbey PUD the next day at 1:15 that the minimum number of 2464 valid signatures had been reached. As soon as the remainder of the petitions had been validated Michele Reagan took the official document to the Board of Commissioners so they can schedule and place the notification of public hearing in the newspapers. As this was happening Dave Jamison was writing the official language for the November Ballot. It seems clear that Island County Officials believe that this measure is something Whidbey Island deserves to vote on and People For Yes on Whidbey PUD thank them for their expedient work to get this moving

This is an historical first step in gaining local control over our energy future but we know the battle is far from over. On the same day that People For Yes on Whidbey PUD filed our petitions Puget Sound Energy and Puget Holdings investors announced a so-called "sweetened offer" attempting to overcome overwhelming opposition from every direction to the sale. On the surface the "new deal" might look better but once you wipe off the mascara and lipstick it’s still the same old ugly pig staring back. People For Yes on Whidbey PUD are preparing a line-by-line rebuttal to the "cute new pig" from PSE. The true facts will be available on our web site soon. This "new offer" also begs the question, why does Macquarie REALLY want PSE so badly? At some point one must look at the reality that the cash flow from PSE seems to be less interesting than its assets like the Baker Dams. One must also ask what is the 10% of PSE holdings Macquarie has applied to FERC to sell upon completion of the sale…no assurances here are there?

PSE and Macquarie shenanigans aside Public Power and local PUD’s are a concept whose time has come, the people of Whidbey have affirmed this. People For Yes on Whidbey PUD are well aware that PSE’s smoke and mirrors campaign has just begun. We are ready and are confidant that argument-to-argument Public Power wins out and the people of this Island won’t be fooled