The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 306: Longfin Smelt and Habitat Protection Act]

Throughout January and February, Hawke devoted all his energy to the company -- restructuring its organization, recruiting new employees, establishing more standardized management systems, and driving further development. 

In his scarce free time, he also went on dates with Erica or Megan. 

...

During this period, Hawke made several trips to Covina to directly oversee Brian's campaign operations. Brian officially hired Hawke as a special campaign adviser with a salary of $5 million. 

In the office, Brian remarked, "I know you're a billionaire now, so you probably wouldn't care about a mere $5 million." He added, "The rest will have to wait until after I'm elected."

Of course, Hawke did not mind the $5 million -- a sum more than enough to hire dozens of elite mercenary teams from Latin America. He said, "Just transfer the money to the account of West Coast Studios, as before." 

Brian immediately called the financial manager and then asked, "We've already set the ball rolling on the meteorology front -- God willing, those experts have predicted that the rainfall in Los Angeles will decrease over the next few years, so we won't have to put in too much effort to fabricate support for that." 

Hawke replied seriously, "That means even the weather is on our side. Next, it's time to deal with the environmental groups." 

Hawke nodded, "We shouldn't skimp on money in this area; get in touch with the media and start building momentum." 

After a moment's thought, he added, "With the Oscars coming up soon -- and environmental causes always being a favorite among celebrities -- let's have the aquatic movie, Finding Nemo, featured at the Oscars, with Hollywood stars speaking up for them." 

Brian remarked, "I know those folks in Hollywood all too well -- once you stir up some buzz, they will definitely follow suit."

One matter made Hawke uneasy, so he asked, "Is that secret fund handling the money transfers resilient to investigation?" 

In a lowered voice, Brian replied, "Of course. This is a foundation my grandfather established over a decade ago under the name of someone who outwardly leaned Democratic. Over the years, he funded the Democrats on multiple occasions." 

Hawke then said, "The Ferguson family has been investing more and more resources in you." 

Brian looked serious and admitted, "I'm under a lot of pressure." 

...

Under Hawke's guidance, a university research group conducted a targeted investigation into the waters north of Los Angeles and discovered an endangered species of fish called the Longfin Smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys). This fish was scarce in California and had rather stringent habitat requirements, primarily residing in northern-central California.

Following Hawke's command, a large sum of money began flowing -- via a secret private foundation -- into the accounts of California's mainstream media, including the Los Angeles Times. 

Thus, from late February to early March, the Longfin Smelt became a media darling. Some outlets touted its crucial role in biodiversity, others emphasized its key position in California's food chain, and still others claimed that protecting the rare Longfin Smelt was a major advancement for human civilization. 

...

As the Longfin Smelt gained popularity, online media were quick to follow suit. 

Google, Yahoo, and Twitter all reported on its origins, launching related videos and images online. Twitter even set up an official account for the Longfin Smelt and, through its algorithms, silently pushed news about it into the feeds of those connected to environmental groups. 

It was nearly impossible for these environmentalists not to take notice.

...

The media coverage soon caught the attention of several environmental organizations -- including the California Nature Preservation Association, Earth Justice, the Sierra Club, and the Environmental Protection Foundation.  ℝÄŊоＢÊṩ

As is well known, the true purpose of environmental organizations has never been about protecting nature itself. Several influential environmental figures, swayed by the deep pockets of the secret foundation, organized their followers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento, obtained permits for marches, and took to the streets in large numbers to fight for the Longfin Smelt's rights. 

For a time, the Longfin Smelt overshadowed everything else -- even dampening the buzz surrounding the upcoming Oscars. 

On the day of the 74th Oscars, over 300 environmentalists gathered near the Kodak Theatre, brandishing flags and banners calling for the fish's protection, while staging a sit-in across the street. 

A swarm of reporters came over from the ceremony to interview them.

...

At the awards show, just as Hawke and Brian had predicted, Hollywood celebrities known for their environmental advocacy mentioned the Longfin Smelt on stage. 

Leading the charge was Hollywood's foremost environmental advocate, Leonardo DiCaprio. A typical liberal in Hollywood, he took the stage and declared, "Though the Longfin Smelt is small, it is a member of our California family. We should protect the Longfin Smelt as we would care for our own family!" 

Later that night, Charlize Theron -- fresh off winning Best Actress -- also thanked the Longfin Smelt in her acceptance speech, saying, "It has made us realize that even the most ordinary and insignificant beings possess great meaning!" 

After the Oscars, the Longfin Smelt enjoyed media treatment comparable to that of the Oscar winners, and its popularity continued to rise.

...

The vice president of the California Nature Preservation Association and the chairman of Earth Justice eventually stepped forward, calling on the California government to enact specific legislation to protect the Longfin Smelt and its habitat. 

...

Though the situation had escalated beyond Hawke's control, it achieved the effect he had intended. 

Environmentalism had always been a favored socio-political movement of the Democrats in California. Hawke had quietly executed his plan and delivered it to the Democrats -- and they couldn't resist the bait. 

Several state legislators mentioned the Longfin Smelt in interviews and urged more people to stand up and fight for its protection. 

On Twitter, the call to protect the Longfin Smelt topped the trending news charts, with over 4 million posts and nearly 17 million retweets.

Hawke continued to monitor the media and public reaction; it was clear that a large force had joined the movement, further stoking the news about the Longfin Smelt. "They needed that little fish," he mused. 

...

In Twitter's chairman's office, when Brian quietly visited, Hawke said, "Just as we anticipated, those Democrats who love to exploit environmental issues simply couldn't resist this delicious bait." 

Brian agreed wholeheartedly, "In California, environmentalism is the Democrats' base." 

Hawke added, "The proposals the Democrats put forward -- and the laws they pass -- will eventually backfire on them." 

After a pause, Brian said, "Antonio Villaraigosa will be the first to take the fall." 

He then asked, "When do we launch the next phase?" 

Hawke replied, "First, we'll wait until the state legislature passes the protection act; after a while, we'll publicize the tragic plight of the 9/11 firefighters." 

Brian recalled related cases his team had found -- several involving California firefighters, including two from Los Angeles. 

"Excellent," Hawke instructed. "Make sure their work is solid, and release the information when the time is right." 

These steps had to be taken one at a time; acting too hastily would have yielded poor results.

...

In mid-March, two Democratic state legislators -- Clint and Dalot -- jointly proposed a protection bill for the Longfin Smelt. 

The move won fervent support from eight major environmental organizations, and Democratic-controlled media helped build the hype. 

Since the environmental movement had been underway in California for many years and was considered politically correct, even Fox Television reported on it. 

Twitter, like other media, did not miss out on the hot topic. 

The eight organizations convened thousands of people from all over California who gathered in Sacramento on Ninth Street and staged a sit-in in front of the state capitol to support the legislators' initiative. 

For outsiders, it was hard to understand the fervor of this politically charged environmental movement. In Hawke's earlier view, he dismissed these people as merely idle and overindulged -- after all, while the Longfin Smelt was scarce in California, it was not uncommon worldwide. 

In the end, it didn't really matter what was being protected; what was most important were the economic and political objectives achieved through the protection.

...

Days of continuous support activities were widely reported by the media, capturing the high ground of public opinion. 

It seemed as if everyone in California supported protecting the Longfin Smelt, and when necessary, the efficiency of political activism could be astonishingly swift. @@novelbin@@

Legislators Clint and Dalot formally submitted the bill, and it passed at the special California legislative session in March. However, the bill was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. 

According to regulations, a vetoed proposal would be sent back to the legislature, which could override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote. 

With 2004 being an election year and the race looming, the Democrats would never give up -- the battle had already begun. Countless Democrats scrambled and networked, hoping that this bill would secure the full support of environmental organizations and the California public for the remainder of the year.

...

Soon, the Democratic-controlled legislature reconvened and, with a two-thirds majority, overrode Schwarzenegger's veto -- turning the proposal into an actual law. 

A local California law called the Longfin Smelt and Habitat Protection Act was officially promulgated. 

Once in effect, the law essentially eliminated the possibility of diverting water from northern-central California to Southern California. 

The official enforcement of the Longfin Smelt law delighted the Democrats and boosted their morale significantly. 

Many already foresaw an absolute victory in the election year. 

Although the Republicans had won a round in California last year, California ultimately belonged to the Democrats -- and at the onset of an election year, the Republicans were not as formidable as they might have imagined.

*****

/Sayonara816.