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April 28, 2010
If someone tells you he is
going to make a "realistic decision," you immediately understand that
he has resolved to do something bad. --Mary McCarthy
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They're keeping their
heads down at Water, Parks, and Wildlife
The non-Delta legislators and other interests who passed
last year's comprehensive water package don't think it can be improved upon
with unimportant additions like legislative oversight or cost analysis for a
peripheral canal. So they weren't
interested in AB 2304, introduced by Assemblymember Alyson Huber. On April 27, the Assembly Water, Parks, and
Wildlife Committee couldn't even come up with a second to Assemblymember Mariko
Yamada's motion to at least vote on the measure. No one had to take a stand.
Committee chair Jared Huffman thinks Huber's proposal would
have made it harder to block a large conveyance facility before the full
legislature, which he insists that he intends to do. He described the measure as "too broad," "too
blunt," and "unwise." Yamada, the
Committee's only Delta representative, countered that the legislature had
abdicated important responsibilities with regard to conveyance to the Delta
Stewardship Council. She noted that if
there is nothing to hide, then no one should object to continuing the
discussion in a transparent way.
The most telling remark came from Assemblymember Juan
Arambula of Fresno, who said he was reluctant to give the Legislature any more
authority.
Yes, he really did say that.
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We're keeping an eye
on the Delta Stewardship Council
Restore the Delta has filed a conflict-of-interest complaint
with the Attorney General's office regarding DSC appointees Gloria D. Gray and
Richard Roos-Collins. As we reported
last week, Gray is a board member for the West Basin Municipal Water District
in Los Angeles, a position which also places her on the board of MWD. So she represents interests that rely on
Delta water exports. Roos-Collins serves
on the BDCP steering committee, an entity whose recommendations the Stewardship
Council is supposed to review.
RTD has also learned that the DSC staff is
recommending that CH2MHill be chosen to provide the primary support for
developing the Delta Plan. CH2MHill is
already heavily involved in the BDCP. This whole process is looking more and more like a game of musical
chairs, with no chairs actually removed.
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Magic Kingdom meets
water sleight-of-hand
A trip to Disneyland is always fun, right? On May 14, you could take a working vacation
to attend the 3rd Annual OC (Orange County) Water Summit at the
Grand Californian Hotel at the Disneyland Resort. The title: "Capture the Flow."
The speakers: Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez; Paul Rodriguez
("actor, comedian, and water activist"); Joel Kotkin, author of "The Next
Hundred Million: America in 2050"; Robert Boller, Vice President of
Sustainability for Kendall-Jackson Winery; and Curt Schmute ("expert on the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta").
(Mr. Schmute acquired his expertise on the Delta as the
Principal Engineer and Water Resources Manager for Metropolitan Water
District.)
The cost is $125. Of
course, you might not want to pay $125 to hear Paul Rodriguez tell you why
agri-business needs more water.
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Donate Now
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.
Click on the button below to go to our secure PayPal account.
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Restore the Delta is a grassroots campaign committed to making the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta fishable, swimmable, drinkable, and farmable to benefit all of California. Restore the Delta - a coalition of Delta residents, business leaders, civic organizations, community groups, faith-based communities, union locals, farmers, fishermen, and environmentalists - seeks to strengthen the health of the estuary and the well-being of Delta communities. Restore the Delta works to improve water quality so that fisheries and farming can thrive together again in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Sincerely,
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla
Restore the Delta
Email: barbara@restorethedelta.org
Web: http://www.restorethedelta.org
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