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Legislation Calling for a Water Council to be Released
Legislation Calling for a Water Council to be Released
by Dan Bacher
Language for water bill legislation in the California Legislature will finally be released tomorrow, July 31, 2009, according to Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, campaign director of Restore the Delta. Rather than authorizing a canal directly, the proposed legislation will authorize a "water council" that will try to bypass public input in order to build the canal through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP).
The Bay Delta Conservation Plan and Delta Vision Process are thinly-veiled plans orchestrated by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the worst Governor for fish and the environment in California history, to build a peripheral canal and more dams. The advocates of both processes claim they are designed to attain the co-equal goals of "ecoystem restoration" and "water supply" - the failed goals of the CalFed process. However, in reality both processes are cynical attempts to push through a water grab for corporate agribusiness under the guise of "ecoystem restoration."
"We are amazed that our knife- wielding Governor can gut education and healthcare for children, while at the same time continuing to push for water projects that the state clearly cannot afford," said Barrigan-Parrilla.
It is mind boggling that the Governor and his allies in the Legislature continue to push for an obscenely expensive peripheral canal and budget-busting water storage facilities when the state cannot possibly afford, environmentally or financially, these proposed "monuments" to Schwarzenegger's gigantic ego. This is the same Governor that has just slashed $487.2 million from an already severely reduced budget through the line item veto.
"In all, the illegal cuts the governor made – beyond the already deep cuts agreed upon by both houses of the legislature with a 2/3rds vote – total $487.2 million," according to Assemblymember John A. Perez in an article on the California Progress Report, http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2009/07/caucus_chairs_c.html. "With his signature, Governor Schwarzenegger took $50 million from Healthy Families, which provides healthcare to children in low-income families, $50 million from services for developmentally delayed children under age 3, $52.2 million from the Office of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, $16.3 million from domestic-violence programs, $6.3 million from services for the elderly and nearly $80 million that pays for workers who help abused and neglected children. The governor also cut an additional $6.2 million from state parks, that will likely result in the closure of 100, rather than 50, state parks."
How can Schwarzenegger, Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman, Department of Water Resources Director Lester Snow and their Republican and Democratic allies in the Legislature find the $10 to $20 billion dollars, before environmental mitigation costs, to build a peripheral canal and more dams when the Governor is axing health care for children and other essential services and threatening 100 state parks with closure? What sort of demented parallel universe do the Governor and his allies exist in?
This plan to implement the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and the peripheral canal to export more northern California water to the Westlands Water District and southern California must be stopped! This makes your attendance at the Million Boat Float from Antioch to Sacramento on August 16-17 even more urgent. For more information, go to http://www.millionboatfloat.org/index.htm.
Photo: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has helped to engineer the collapse of Central valley Chinook, salmon, delta smelt, longfin smelt, green sturgeon, striped bass and other Delta fish populations, signs the eviscerated California budget in Sacramento.
by Dan Bacher
Language for water bill legislation in the California Legislature will finally be released tomorrow, July 31, 2009, according to Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, campaign director of Restore the Delta. Rather than authorizing a canal directly, the proposed legislation will authorize a "water council" that will try to bypass public input in order to build the canal through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP).
The Bay Delta Conservation Plan and Delta Vision Process are thinly-veiled plans orchestrated by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the worst Governor for fish and the environment in California history, to build a peripheral canal and more dams. The advocates of both processes claim they are designed to attain the co-equal goals of "ecoystem restoration" and "water supply" - the failed goals of the CalFed process. However, in reality both processes are cynical attempts to push through a water grab for corporate agribusiness under the guise of "ecoystem restoration."
"We are amazed that our knife- wielding Governor can gut education and healthcare for children, while at the same time continuing to push for water projects that the state clearly cannot afford," said Barrigan-Parrilla.
It is mind boggling that the Governor and his allies in the Legislature continue to push for an obscenely expensive peripheral canal and budget-busting water storage facilities when the state cannot possibly afford, environmentally or financially, these proposed "monuments" to Schwarzenegger's gigantic ego. This is the same Governor that has just slashed $487.2 million from an already severely reduced budget through the line item veto.
"In all, the illegal cuts the governor made – beyond the already deep cuts agreed upon by both houses of the legislature with a 2/3rds vote – total $487.2 million," according to Assemblymember John A. Perez in an article on the California Progress Report, http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2009/07/caucus_chairs_c.html. "With his signature, Governor Schwarzenegger took $50 million from Healthy Families, which provides healthcare to children in low-income families, $50 million from services for developmentally delayed children under age 3, $52.2 million from the Office of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, $16.3 million from domestic-violence programs, $6.3 million from services for the elderly and nearly $80 million that pays for workers who help abused and neglected children. The governor also cut an additional $6.2 million from state parks, that will likely result in the closure of 100, rather than 50, state parks."
How can Schwarzenegger, Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman, Department of Water Resources Director Lester Snow and their Republican and Democratic allies in the Legislature find the $10 to $20 billion dollars, before environmental mitigation costs, to build a peripheral canal and more dams when the Governor is axing health care for children and other essential services and threatening 100 state parks with closure? What sort of demented parallel universe do the Governor and his allies exist in?
This plan to implement the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and the peripheral canal to export more northern California water to the Westlands Water District and southern California must be stopped! This makes your attendance at the Million Boat Float from Antioch to Sacramento on August 16-17 even more urgent. For more information, go to http://www.millionboatfloat.org/index.htm.
Photo: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has helped to engineer the collapse of Central valley Chinook, salmon, delta smelt, longfin smelt, green sturgeon, striped bass and other Delta fish populations, signs the eviscerated California budget in Sacramento.
Here is the complete report on this breaking news from Barrigan-Parrilla:
Legislature will authorize council, try to bypass public input for canal construction!
by Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, campaign director, Restore the Delta
July 30, 2009 -- Restore the Delta has heard that language for water bill legislation will finally be released tomorrow, July 31, 2009. We also understand that rather than authorizing a peripheral canal directly, the proposed legislation will call for the creation of a water council, which will have the authority to implement the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, which in turn is calling for the construction of the peripheral canal (also known in politically correct terms as new conveyance).
This proposed water council would then be able to operate without any legislative oversight and without any public input. Theoretically, it could become one of the most powerful political bodies in the State, yet it would not be held accountable for its decisions to voters or their representatives.
While the legislature is working out the details of this legislative shell game, public hearings have been brushed aside, as the bill is slated to move to a conference committee. Traditionally, conference committees are utilized for fiscal matters. However, as reported by John Howard in this week's Capitol Weekly, "There are exceptions, such as the 1990s committees that deregulated California's workers compensation insurance and electricity markets." Not exactly reassuring examples of what conference committees produce for the public good.
This type of legislative process is not transparent, and from what we know today (prior to being able to read any specific bill), this proposed legislation is offering up a governance system that leaves Delta communities and fishery representatives out of future governance decisions.
Meanwhile, Governor Schwarzenegger continues in his leading role as the primary proponent of the peripheral canal - a project that will end up costing $10 to $20 billion dollars before environmental mitigation costs and that will fail to make any more water for California. We are amazed that our knife- wielding Governor can gut education and healthcare for children, while at the same time continuing to push for water projects that the state clearly cannot afford.
This is not a simple case of misguided priorities. Clearly Governor Schwarzenegger is so beholden to his corporate agribusiness supporters on the Westside of the Central Valley that he will use whatever political capital he has left to try to bring about the most expensive water grab in history - whatever the cost to Californians.
Restore the Delta Community Meeting
Restore the Delta will be holding a community meeting on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and the Governor's plans for construction of the peripheral canal on August 11, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. This meeting is only open to Restore the Delta supporters and community friends. It will be held at the Best Western in Lathrop. The Best Western is at I-5 and Old Harlan Road.
Make a Donation
Restore the Delta is working everyday through public education and citizen activism to ensure the restoration and future sustainability of the California Delta. Your general contribution can help us sponsor outreach events, enable us to educate Californians on what makes the Delta so special, and assist us in building a coalition that will be recognized by government water agencies as they make water management decisions.
Restore the Delta is a charitable 501(c)3 organization. Donations are tax deductible.
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla
Campaign Director
Restore the Delta
PO Box 691088
Stockton, CA 95260
209.479.2053
Barbara [at] restorethedelta.org
http://www.restorethedelta.org
Legislature will authorize council, try to bypass public input for canal construction!
by Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, campaign director, Restore the Delta
July 30, 2009 -- Restore the Delta has heard that language for water bill legislation will finally be released tomorrow, July 31, 2009. We also understand that rather than authorizing a peripheral canal directly, the proposed legislation will call for the creation of a water council, which will have the authority to implement the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, which in turn is calling for the construction of the peripheral canal (also known in politically correct terms as new conveyance).
This proposed water council would then be able to operate without any legislative oversight and without any public input. Theoretically, it could become one of the most powerful political bodies in the State, yet it would not be held accountable for its decisions to voters or their representatives.
While the legislature is working out the details of this legislative shell game, public hearings have been brushed aside, as the bill is slated to move to a conference committee. Traditionally, conference committees are utilized for fiscal matters. However, as reported by John Howard in this week's Capitol Weekly, "There are exceptions, such as the 1990s committees that deregulated California's workers compensation insurance and electricity markets." Not exactly reassuring examples of what conference committees produce for the public good.
This type of legislative process is not transparent, and from what we know today (prior to being able to read any specific bill), this proposed legislation is offering up a governance system that leaves Delta communities and fishery representatives out of future governance decisions.
Meanwhile, Governor Schwarzenegger continues in his leading role as the primary proponent of the peripheral canal - a project that will end up costing $10 to $20 billion dollars before environmental mitigation costs and that will fail to make any more water for California. We are amazed that our knife- wielding Governor can gut education and healthcare for children, while at the same time continuing to push for water projects that the state clearly cannot afford.
This is not a simple case of misguided priorities. Clearly Governor Schwarzenegger is so beholden to his corporate agribusiness supporters on the Westside of the Central Valley that he will use whatever political capital he has left to try to bring about the most expensive water grab in history - whatever the cost to Californians.
Restore the Delta Community Meeting
Restore the Delta will be holding a community meeting on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and the Governor's plans for construction of the peripheral canal on August 11, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. This meeting is only open to Restore the Delta supporters and community friends. It will be held at the Best Western in Lathrop. The Best Western is at I-5 and Old Harlan Road.
Make a Donation
Restore the Delta is working everyday through public education and citizen activism to ensure the restoration and future sustainability of the California Delta. Your general contribution can help us sponsor outreach events, enable us to educate Californians on what makes the Delta so special, and assist us in building a coalition that will be recognized by government water agencies as they make water management decisions.
Restore the Delta is a charitable 501(c)3 organization. Donations are tax deductible.
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla
Campaign Director
Restore the Delta
PO Box 691088
Stockton, CA 95260
209.479.2053
Barbara [at] restorethedelta.org
http://www.restorethedelta.org
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