Steinberg Appoints Politically Stacked Water Bill Conference Committee

Steinberg Appoints Politically Stacked Water Bill Conference Committee

by Dan Bacher

Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) today named the Senate conferees to a politically-stacked conference committee on water to “reform” California’s water system without appointing any Senators, besides himself, from the California Delta, the region that will be most directly impacted by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to build a peripheral canal.

The conference committee, which will vote on a package of five bills that Delta advocates believe will serve as a “road map” to the canal, will have 14 members in total.

The Senate conferees are Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Bakersfield), Senator Alex Padilla (D- Pacoima), Senator Fran Pavley (D- Agoura Hills), Senator Dave Cogdill (R- Modesto), Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) and Senator Bob Huff (R- Diamond Bar). Steinberg will chair the committee.

“It looks to me that everybody on the committee is either from the San Joaquin Valley or southern California, with the exception of Steinberg, who is pushing the package, and Senator Aanestad from Grass Valley,” observed Bill Jennings, executive director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, (http://www.calsport.org). “The omission of representation from the Delta is a grievous oversight.”

“There are no legislators from the Delta other than Steinberg on the Committee,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, campaign director of Restore the Delta (http://www.restorethedelta.org). “It also appears that the majority of the Senate appointments are not only pro-canal, but they support making large expenditures for water infrastructure at a time when the state is in a great economic crisis.”

Steinberg also announced a schedule of hearings, starting with the first conference committee meeting Tuesday (today) at 3 p.m. in the State Capitol, Room 4203. It will also meet Wednesday, Thursday and Friday upon call of the chair in the same room, Room 4203.

“The conference has until Tuesday, September 8 to bring a final conference report to the floor of both houses,” according to a news release from Steinberg's office. “A conference report can only be brought to the floor if eight conferees (four from the Senate and four from the Assembly) sign the conference report.”

Karen Bass, Speaker of the Assembly, hasn’t yet announced her appointments to the conference committee.

A broad coalition of recreational fishing groups, commercial fishing organizations, environmental groups, Delta farmers and California Indian Tribes is opposing the Legislature's attempt to push through a water package that would reshape California policy and support the construction of a peripheral canal, Arnold’s “Big Ditch.”

“The similarities between this backroom water deal, which has left Delta communities and fishing representatives out of the process, and energy deregulation are startling,” said Barrigan-Parrilla. “The proposed package would allow the legislature to give up their authority on oversight and costs regarding future decision regarding the Delta (including new conveyance) to a seven member appointed council, with six of the appointees coming from outside the Delta.”

The Council would have the authority to authorize the construction of the peripheral canal. A draft economic report by Steven Kasower of the Strategic Economic Applications Company, released to the California Legislature last Tuesday, reveals that the costs for the construction of a peripheral canal around the California Delta or a tunnel under the estuary would be much higher than previously estimated, ranging from $23 billion to $53.8 billion depending upon the conveyance facility.

“The canal, a 48-mile long ditch comparable in size to the Panama Canal, won't make more water for California,” Barrigan-Parrilla stated. “It will just ship water from the north to Western Central Valley Agribusiness - at the expense of Delta fisheries and Delta family farmers.”

Even though Senator Steinberg didn't author the legislation, his participation in moving it through the building led Barrigan-Parrilla and Delta advocates to ask the following questions:

1) Why is he selling out Sacramento (his district) to send water to Western Central Valley Agribusiness?

2) Why isn't he protecting the Delta?

3) Why is he willing to spend so much money on a peripheral canal that won't make more water?

4) Does he think what's in the water bond doesn't matter because it won't get funded? Doesn't he know that Californians want permanent solutions for the state budget and water management practices?

“There are better ways in terms of cost and environmental effectiveness to make more water for California, such as water recycling, floodplain restoration, groundwater cleanup and desalinization, stormwater capture and reuse,” added Barrigan-Parrilla. “This needs to be the center of California's water policy, especially in an era of excessive deficits.”

Jennings also slammed Steinberg's cynical attempt to ram the water bills through the Legislature for political gain. "Steinberg seems to believe that, given the Legislature's current 9-11% approval rating, a water package is essential in order to improve the public's perception of the Legislature - regardless of merits of the bills - regardless of their effects on one of the great estuarine treasures of the world," he said.

Jennings said the push for the canal is "sadly reminiscent" of the "mad rush" to the $50 billion energy deregulation fiasco. "If Steinberg wishes to avoid becoming the Senator Peace, of energy deregulation fame, perhaps he should consider that a vast majority of his constituents are opposed to a peripheral canal,” he concluded.

A poll of 800 registered voters throughout California released Monday indicates all segments of voters are strongly opposed to a Peripheral Canal and nearly half oppose a bond for new dams, reservoirs or other water infrastructure projects. The poll also disclosed that voters believe that ensuring a long-term reliable water supply is a "very high priority."

Ruth Bernstein and Tom Patras of EMC Research in Oakland, CA conducted the statewide voter survey on water issues on behalf of Restore the Delta from August 23-27, 2009. For a full copy of the report, go to http://www.calsport.org/DeltaWaterPollMemo.pdf

Barrigan-Parrilla and Jennings urged everybody concerned about the future of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its imperiled fish populations, farms and people to immediately contact Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg to make clear their displeasure with his promotion of this water package. His Capitol office number is (916) 651-4006.

Draft conference reports will be available today on the websites of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. Hard copies will be available in the offices of the respective committees.