Buying Good Coverage

Two full-page ads in the middle of the main section of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune today. One was for joebarter.com which is promoting (yet again) the idea of a football stadium in Industry. One of the main sponsors of this "summit" on the football stadium include the Upper San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority.

Cam someone explain to me how a football stadium in Industry is any business of the Water Quality Authority?

Right across the page from the stadium ad was an ad from the city of Vernon.

I think both of these ads are totally bogus. They're just blatant attempts to buy good coverage in the paper.

Water Quality Authority business?

Well, that depends. If you are referring to the (non-Upper) San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority, then that agency would be interested insofar as said development would impact the regional groundwater quality and/or cleanup efforts for same. This seems a possibility, as, if this is the one I recall, it is a very large project that would not only require a Big Dig, but could create runoff issues in both construction and the final product. (Some stormwater runoff does eventually wind up in groundwater supplies, depending on the region.)

On the other hand, if you are referring to the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District (a representative for which sits on the board of the Authority), then they would be interested due to the potential water demands that would be created by such a project.

In both cases, feedback received in such a summit could result in a "cleaner" and/or more water-conserving project, which would benefit the respective agencies.

As for your primary hypothesis, I have not seen the ads in question, but it is certainly within the realm of possibility.