California is in the midst of one of its many droughts. To combat the current drought, the otherwise do-nothings of the California Water Resources Board are proposing to fine citizens they call “water hogs” $500 per day. Instead of fining helpless consumers, California’s government should do its job for once and seriously increase water supplies.
It is well known that California is the most populated state in the Union, with more than 38 million people. Its population was just under 20 million in 1970, when the bulk of its current water storage and delivery systems were already built. In other words, the California governments have done very little to significantly increase water supplies in over 40 years, even though its population has doubled during that period of time....
Rather than face the reality that California is subject to drought, what has California government been doing? Not much beyond talking.
As we all know, the President and others are selling the canard that the current drought is the result of global warming or climate change. The fact that we had decades- long droughts years before industrialization doesn’t matter to them as they bloviate over a drought of several years.
Simply stated, California government has other priorities – priorities which to them are far more important that ensuring that 38 million people have water. They include:
A High Speed Rail project, mired in lawsuits and of uncertain costs – at least $68 billion but perhaps double that amount, andCalifornia legislators spend millions more on nonessential items like $2.7 million for a new swimming pool in Calexico near the Mexican border – during a drought. California is also spending an additional $46.6 million to build up to 54 hydrogen fuel stations to serve a state of 158,648 square miles. That is one station for every 2,938 square miles. Hope you don’t get stranded.
A 2004 $3 billion stem cell bond program ($6 billion with interest) that has produced no approved therapies but has, according to the AP, resulted in “the opening of sleek buildings and gleaming labs at a dozen private and public universities built with matching funds” without any cures in the pipeline. Of course, now they want more money.
Rather than waste money on such projects, which can’t possibly be more important than water, California should look to places like Singapore to learn what a responsible government should be doing.
◼ Emergency rationing in Rio Dell after state curtails junior water rights - Will Houston/Times-Standard
The board curtailed the rights of 129 junior water rights holders after finding river levels were "insufficient to meet the needs of senior water rights holders."
"This condition of curtailment will continue until water conditions improve," the board's notice states. "Even if there may be water physically available at your point of diversion, that water is necessary to meet senior water right holders' needs that you are not entitled to divert."
