In the last few days there have been some major developments with regards to water. The first article reports the Schwarzenegger Administration's position, the second is the "push back" by environmentalists and Democrats in the California Legislatures and the last one is a "grassroots" protest by farm workers negatively impacted by the drought.
- The first was that Lester Snow, California's water chief announced that he is worried that 2009 will be worse than this year. He said that two of the state's largest reservoirs are at less than forty percent capacity.
- The second is an article goes over the skepticism of the Governor's $9 billion water bond in the Legislature. Legislators first want to know why the new bond is needed, when voters approved billions of funds for water projects in 2006. Darrell Steinberg the incoming Senate President Pro Tem is quoted as saying:
“But first we must address our immediate needs – fixing the Delta’s fragile eco-system, our deteriorating levees and our stressed water supply. Californians approved billions of dollars in 2006 to fix these and other problems. We owe it to voters to put these funds to work now.
In order for the ballot measure to make it to the voters it must pass a both houses by a two thirds majority. This will be difficult to get to the voters, if the Democrats, do not want this to pass.
- The final article is reports about a rally that was held at the Capitol Wednesday. About 300 farm workers came to tell the governor that they need water.
Wednesday's rally was designed to give a human face to the state's water woes. At least 300 farm workers, most from the Valley's parched west side, marched and carried homemade signs declaring "agua es vida," or water is life, and "agua = trabajo," water equals work.
It is going to be interesting how this all plays it self out. There are around 150 days until election day. The major deadline will be August 16th when the approved measure must be sent to the Secretary of State, Deborah Bowen.
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