⚡ The Great Betrayal: Pima County Chair Rex Scott's Own Words Damn His Anti-Democratic Vote for Project Blue
Scott's confession that "vast majority" opposed water giveaway reveals the corrupt reality of representative government
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
🌍 A local government official just proved that elections don't really matter when big corporations want something. Rex Scott, who chairs the Pima County Board of Supervisors, admitted in writing that the "vast majority" of people who contacted his office opposed a massive water-wasting project called Project Blue. But he voted to approve it anyway, selling public land to a Wall Street company during the worst drought in over 100 years.
😠💧 The fact that he had a fancy press release ready immediately after the vote shows he never planned to listen to the people who elected him. 📰✉️ It's like if your class president promised to listen to students about school policies, but then admitted most students opposed something and voted for it anyway because the principal wanted it. 🎓🗳️ This shows how our political system often serves rich corporations instead of regular families, even when those families organize and speak up clearly about what they need. 👨👩👧👦💼
🗝️ Takeaways
🔥 Rex Scott admitted in writing that "the vast majority" of constituents opposed Project Blue but voted for it anyway
📞 Scott's office was flooded with calls against the project, proving strong community opposition
📋 Pre-written press release proves Scott's mind was made up before public input, making hearings pure theater
💸 Corporate lobbyists had more influence than thousands of constituent calls and testimony
🗳️ 3-2 vote revealed which supervisors serve Wall Street vs. the people who elected them
🚨 Only 75 guaranteed jobs (not 180) for $20.875 million public land giveaway
💧 50 million gallons of daily consumption approved during the worst drought in 126 years
🏘️ Democratic process exposed as a facade when representatives openly ignore the constituent majority
⚡ TEP couldn't provide basic energy consumption data for their future largest customer
🔮 Precedent set for future corporate resource grabs despite community opposition
From Desert Resilience to Corporate Greed: How Pima County Just Sold Your Water to Wall Street
June 17, 2025 - A day that will live in infamy for water justice in the Sonoran Desert
Executive Summary
In a devastating blow to environmental justice and community self-determination, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to approve Project Blue. This massive data center development will consume millions of gallons of water daily, while creating only 180 permanent jobs.
The $20.875 million land sale to Wall Street investment firm Blue Owl Capital represents the largest water grab in regional history, prioritizing corporate profits over community needs during an unprecedented drought.
The Scene: Democracy for Sale in the Sonoran Desert
Picture this, mi gente: It's 9 AM on a Tuesday morning in the sterile halls of Pima County's administration building, where the future of our desert homeland hangs in the balance. Outside, the thermometer already climbs toward another triple-digit day in what officials acknowledge as "the driest 12 months in 126 years." Inside, corporate lawyers in expensive suits prepare to execute the largest water heist in regional history.
Because nothing says "drought response" like handing millions of gallons to tech bros, right?
As an Indigenous Chicano journalist who has covered the resistance movement for over 15 years now, I've witnessed countless betrayals of community trust. But June 17, 2025, will stand as a particularly grotesque example of how local government serves corporate masters while our families face water rationing and rising utility bills.
The Corporate Players and Their Local Enablers
Meet the Water Thieves
Beale Infrastructure, a company so new it barely has a functioning website, swooped into our desert community backed by Blue Owl Capital—a Wall Street investment firm specializing in data center speculation. Their legal muscle? Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, which the Arizona Daily Star identified as "the second largest lobbying firm in the US by revenue."
When corporations deploy their most expensive lawyers to negotiate with cash-strapped local governments, you know they're not planning small-scale operations.
The project spans 290 acres near the Pima County Fairgrounds, with potential for up to 10 massive data centers. Each facility could consume between 1-5 million gallons of water daily, according to industry standards, meaning we're looking at up to 50 million gallons consumed daily while creating only 180 permanent jobs.
The County's Corporate Cheerleaders
County Administrator Jan Lesher emerged as Project Blue's primary champion within county government, producing memo after memo recommending approval despite lacking comprehensive environmental impact data.
Her communications read like corporate marketing materials, filled with vague promises about "economic development" and "water stewardship" while carefully avoiding specific numbers about consumption and long-term community costs.
During the meeting, Keri Silvyn, representing the corporate interests, delivered polished talking points while dodging direct questions about actual water usage. When pressed by Supervisor Allen about energy consumption, TEP's Eric Bakken admitted: "At this point, we are still in conversations and finalizing the agreement with Project Beale. So at this point, not really able to talk exactly about the energy consumption."
Translation: "Trust us with your most precious resources, but don't ask inconvenient questions about how we'll use them."
The Water Shell Game Exposed
The "Reclaimed Water" Deception
Here's where the corporate propaganda becomes particularly insidious. Project Blue representatives repeatedly emphasized they would use "only reclaimed water, not drinking water," as if treated wastewater magically appears from thin air in the Sonoran Desert.
But here's what they don't want you to understand: reclaimed water IS our future drinking water supply. The same county officials pushing Project Blue are simultaneously telling residents we're so water-desperate that we need to start drinking treated sewage through "direct potable reuse" programs.
It's like having one loaf of bread to feed your family for a week, then giving half to your neighbor because "it's not the bread you were planning to eat today." The bread is still gone, hermanos, and your family still goes hungry.
Environmental advocate Emma Stahl-Wert captured this contradiction perfectly in her testimony: "When my colleagues and I are successful in weaning the citizens of Tucson off of using so much water...there is not going to be the same reclaimed water available. The future that I want to live in doesn't have the same reclaimed budget that you might be basing these studies on today."
The Drought Reality
Vice Mayor Jenn Duff of Mesa, who courageously opposed similar corporate water grabs, emphasized the severity of our situation: "This has been the driest 12 months in 126 years. We are on red alert, and I think data centers are an irresponsible use of our water."
Arizona operates under Tier 1 water shortage conditions, resulting in a devastating 512,000 acre-foot reduction in Colorado River water allocations—that's 18% of our water supply vanishing while county supervisors hand over our emergency reserves to Wall Street speculators.
The People's Voice vs. Corporate Power
Community Resistance on Full Display
Over 30 community members spoke against the project, representing a diverse coalition that included environmental scientists, rainwater harvesting professionals, young families, and local business owners. Their testimony revealed deep expertise and genuine concern for our shared future.
Dr. Chantelle Khambholja delivered particularly powerful testimony: "As it stands, we are currently in the middle of a severe long-term drought that has only deepened in the last year...There has been a shocking lack of transparency about Project Blue, both in the press and in these presentations."
Justin Risley cut through corporate talking points with stark clarity: "We're literally in this basin and in this desert on life support...it's not really any time to be thinking of engineering solutions that aren't directly going to support our water system and our residents."
These are our people—scientists, families, business owners—speaking truth to power while corporate lawyers count their billable hours.
The Labor Question
Several union representatives supported the project for construction jobs, highlighting the challenging position working families face when corporations offer short-term employment in exchange for long-term environmental destruction.
Mark Cardenas, representing multiple construction unions, stated: "Every day our folks go to work building the renewable energy projects in western Pima County...Our skilled union construction workers are painfully aware that every day they step onto a job site, they're essentially working themselves out of a job."
This is the cruel calculus of capitalism: forcing workers to choose between immediate survival and environmental sustainability—a false choice that benefits only corporate executives.
The Vote: Democracy Bought and Sold
The Decisive Moment
When the votes were tallied, the results revealed everything you need to know about power dynamics in Pima County:
Project Blue Approval (3-2):
YES: Rex Scott (Chair), Steve Christy, Matt Heinz
NO: Jennifer Allen (Vice Chair), Andrés Cano
Land Sale Agreement (3-2):
YES: Rex Scott, Steve Christy, Matt Heinz
NO: Jennifer Allen, Andrés Cano
Political Analysis: Who Serves Whom?
Chair Rex Scott led the corporate charge, but his post-vote press release revealed the most damning evidence of democratic betrayal. In a statement released just hours after the vote, Scott admitted: "The VAST MAJORITY of Pima Countians who have contacted our office about Project Blue have encouraged me to VOTE AGAINST IT."
Let that sink in, hermanos. He literally admitted that his own constituents overwhelmingly opposed this corporate giveaway, and he voted for it anyway.
Scott continued his confession: "They have, in most cases, shared thoughtful concerns about the potential effects on our energy and water resources. Their opposition is often based on what they have observed in other places around the world that have built data centers."
The fact that Scott had this press release prepared and ready to distribute immediately after the vote proves this was never about listening to community input—it was about manufacturing consent for a predetermined corporate agenda.
His constituents called, emailed, and showed up to testify against the project, but corporate lobbyists and campaign contributions drowned out their voices.
This isn't representative democracy—it's corporate rule with a veneer of democracy. When elected officials openly admit they're disregarding the overwhelming opposition of their constituents, they've abandoned any pretense of serving the public interest.
Scott's confession reveals the fundamental corruption of our political system: community voices don't matter when corporate lobbyists have better access and deeper pockets.
Supervisor Steve Christy framed the entire discussion as a "business proposition," declaring: "We look at the economic development that we're taking a $20 million sale, selling it to a private equity firm in the private sector." Christy did not mention water at all, just money.
When elected officials reduce public resources to "business propositions," you know whose interests they really serve.
Vice Chair Jennifer Allen provided the meeting's moral clarity, explaining her opposition: "Our role on the board of supervisors...is that we get the privilege to think not just about the water, the energy, the jobs. We think about the future...and best serve us moving forward, generations ahead."
Supervisor Andrés Cano initially seemed supportive but ultimately voted against due to lack of transparency: "I can't vote yes when so many public questions remain unanswered...We shouldn't spend billions without knowing what the risks, terms, and long-term costs are."
What This Means for You and Your Family
Immediate Impacts
If you're a resident of Pima County, this decision directly affects your daily life:
Higher Utility Bills: You'll fund infrastructure upgrades while corporations enjoy preferential rates
Reduced Water Security: Millions of gallons diverted from future municipal needs
Strain on Power Grid: TEP's largest customer will stress an already fragile system
Precedent for Future Grabs: This approval opens the floodgates for similar corporate schemes
Long-term Consequences
For our children and grandchildren, this vote represents a fundamental betrayal of environmental stewardship. While families install rain barrels and xeriscaping, county supervisors hand over enough water to supply a medium-sized city to tech speculators.
This is environmental racism in action: predominantly Latino and Indigenous communities bearing the costs while wealthy corporations reap the benefits.
The Resistance Continues
Learning from Today's Fight
Despite the disappointing outcome, today's organizing demonstrated community power in action. Environmental advocates, families, and local businesses united around clear demands for transparency and accountability.
Community voices like Marisol Winfrey Herrera, speaking while holding her infant son, provided the moral clarity missing from corporate presentations: "We can't just be making decisions based on economic prosperity for the next two years...This is not the place for it. It's simply inappropriate to bring a project of this scale."
Strategic Opportunities Moving Forward
Electoral Accountability: Target Scott, Christy, and Heinz in future elections
Implementation Oversight: Monitor corporate compliance with employment and water promises
Coalition Building: Strengthen alliances between environmental and labor organizations
Policy Alternatives: Develop community-controlled economic development proposals
Hope and Action: ¡Sí Se Puede!
The fight for water justice in the Sonoran Desert is far from over. Today's setback reminds us that corporate power operates through captured local governments, but organized communities can still challenge these systems.
Our ancestors didn't survive colonization, removal, and exploitation by accepting corporate rule. They fought back with fierce love for the land and a clear understanding of what was at stake. We can honor that legacy by building the movement our communities need.
How to Get Involved
Stay Informed: Subscribe to Three Sonorans Substack for fearless investigative journalism that prioritizes community needs over corporate profits
Attend Board Meetings: Second and fourth Tuesdays, 9 AM at the Administration Building
Contact Supervisors: Demand accountability from your elected representatives
Join Organizations: Support Coalition for Sonoran Investment Protection, Tucson Mountains Association, and other environmental justice groups
Electoral Organizing: Support candidates who fight for community interests
The clock is ticking on climate change, water scarcity, and corporate control of our democracy. But when communities organize with clear vision and sustained commitment, we can still win.
El agua es vida. La tierra es sagrada. Y la lucha sigue.
Support Independent Journalism: Three Sonorans provides the fearless reporting our communities need. Subscribe today to support investigative journalism that exposes corporate power and amplifies community voices.
What Do You Think?
The Project Blue approval raises critical questions about democracy, environmental justice, and community power in the age of climate crisis. Share your thoughts in the comments below:
How can we build stronger accountability mechanisms to prevent elected officials from prioritizing corporate profits over community water security during an unprecedented drought?
What role should tribal sovereignty and Indigenous water rights play in decisions about Sonoran Desert water resources, especially given that this land was stolen from the Tohono O'odham and Pascua Yaqui peoples?
¡La lucha sigue, y la esperanza también crece cuando luchamos juntos!
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