Why Trump Should Not Fund an Oroville Dam Fix

MasterResource - free market energy blog ^ | February 15, 2017 | Wayne Lusvardi

[WayneLusvardi]

“California’s $7.545 billion Water Bond (2015), “Proposition 1, has seven funding categories, with a pot of money allocated to each. The bond language preauthorized spending in the largest area—$2.7 billion (36%) for water storage projects. For the other six areas, spending must be appropriated in the state budget. With the passage of the most recent budget, nearly 80 percent of the bond has now been appropriated. The only category with no funds appropriated is flood management, which is still spending down money from earlier bonds " - – Public Policy Institute of California, “How is California Spending the Water Bond?” – June 2016.

As of the writing of this article, California has had to evacuate some some180,000 people in the Dam Inundation Pathway of Oroville Dam in Northern California due to at one point in time the reported threat of an “imminent” dam failure. Under a worse case scenario, however remote, there is the possible specter of their being displaced until summer. The spillways to the dam still are at risk of failure over the next few days and months, as new rainstorms are forecast for Northern California

California Governor Jerry Brown has requested President Donald Trump declare California a major disaster area in the hope of defraying $162 million in projected disaster related expenses. Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a number of programs for disaster relief of households and government entities, federal funding for a fix of the eroded and damaged portions of spillways on the dam should not be considered.

[Jimmy Valentine]

Is California bond money still there, or has it been “repurposed “ for other things like say, a railroad?

[ColdOne]

“repurposed “ for the people who are in charge of the train to nowhere is more like it. I forget what their offical title is.

Jerry Browns family and friends?????? His sister is on the board of directors for the company that caused Porter Ranch leak..

Jerry Brown still gets money from dads deal from a oil company that was took over by a coup.

[The Great RJ]

If calexit had happened who would the People’s Socialist Republic of California be begging for money... the UN?

[WayneLusvardi]

the water bonds monies are still in place and not diverted.

Go to California Bond Accountability Water Bond

[DIRTYSECRET]

Offer help on the condition they resign.

[Sivad]

Some good information here. Your article will attract
some of the usual Cali haters who only care about the
political angle, that is, how Trump can poke his finger
in the eye of the state. An important aspect on the
political side is to treat California like other states
have been treated, no better, no worse. If the dam
fails then perhaps where the feds can help best is to
aid homeowners and farmers who will be effected.

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[EVO X]

Seems to me California may not want to take federal funds to fix the dam. If they do, they are likely to lose control of the dam to feds. That may not be such a bad idea considering recent events.

[miss marmelstein]

This is what I’ve been thinking all week. I’ll bet they used earmarked money for something stupid - railroads, illegals, etc.

But I keep getting told it is the richest state in the nation. So where’s the cold hard cash? (Probably in private hands.)

[jiggyboy]

Articles here on FR in the past week said that The Sierra Club and others petitioned the state and the feds in 2005 about the Oroville Damn. That eliminates “emergency” as a descriptor for the current situation, and therefore removes FEMA from the list of players.

[Karl Spooner]

I got a feeling it's a gonner.

=====================================================

[NorthMountain]

So where’s the cold hard cash? (Probably in private hands.)

All the gold in California is in a bank in the middle of Beverly Hills, in somebody else's name.

I thought everybody knew that.

[Howie66]

California’s problem is California’s problem. Let them deal with it.

[TexasFreeper2009]

I say, fix the damn, and then send California the bill!

[Rusty0604]

I read somewhere earlier that federal funds were already approved.

[WayneLusvardi]

FEMA has a number of disaster relief programs, none of them dealing with repairing dams or bridges, etc. What they do is refund local government for the cost of policemen, firemen and public shelters who were involved with the evacuation and with those who were displaced due to floods. So yes federal money has been authorized but not for fixing the dam. There is billions of dollars of state bond money available to fix the dam, no federal funding necessary.

[Rusty0604]

Thanks. CA has the money but has not spent it, most likely spent it on other things. Taxpayers from other states should not have to pay.

[GreyFriar]

Trump having the federal government providing the funds due to this emergency is the correct thing to do. This is not the time to play “gotcha” or “in your eye” political games. And it will demonstrate to California voters that as much as Trump is considered State of California enemy # 1, that he is doing what is right and NOT playing politics. And he is showing that he’s leaving it to the Dems and Gov Moonbeam to ignore their dams to build their bullet trains in order to get to the gambling tables in Los Vegas quicker than driving.

[WayneLusvardi]

Friar — Trump has now authorized FEMA funds to defray state and local costs associated with the evacuation and flooding as is customary. My article is not a “gotcha” article and is only focused on funding of dam repairs. Thanks for your comment.