Dan Walters: Jerry Brown's next big issue is water

Sacramento Bee ^ | 2/15/11 | Dan Walters

[SmithL]

Just for grins, let's assume that Jerry Brown beats the long political odds and persuades the Legislature and voters to enact his tough-love plan to close the state budget gap.

What's next for the septuagenarian retread? Walking on water?

Yes, in a manner of speaking. If Brown can put the budget crisis behind him, at least for a few years, California's other long- festering political sore will almost certainly move to the top of his agenda.

Predecessor Arnold Schwarzenegger supposedly settled California's water wars before leaving office. In fact, he didn't. He merely put in place a complex mechanism to forge plans for the "coequal goals" of saving the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta from environmental disaster while improving the reliability of shipments of water through or around the Delta to Southern California.

That complex process is under way, but the warring political, economic and cultural factions have not yet been reconciled. They merely have been provided with a new battleground.

Brown must get involved soon because a key piece of the Schwarzenegger water package, an $11.1 billion bond issue, is on the 2012 ballot after being shifted from 2010 because of fears it would be rejected.

Brown pointedly did not endorse the bond issue during his campaign and criticized using general obligation bonds, which are repaid by taxpayers, for water projects rather than making water users shoulder the financial burden.

That problem is compounded by the bond's untold millions of dollars in pork barrel spending, including projects that have absolutely nothing to do with enhancing California's water supply or fixing the Delta. It's potent ammunition for bond issue opponents to use in an election.

Brown, however, did endorse an "alternative conveyance" for water around, through or under the Delta. It's a new version of the "peripheral canal" ...

[pnh102]

California should be ashamed and embarassed over having a lack of drinking water. The state is blessed with a very long coastline and ready access to plenty of water that can simply be desalinated.

Instead of trying to find more creative ways to screw over farmers or squeeze more water from rivers in the desert, perhaps it is time to allow the private sector to build some desalinization plants.

[animal172]

As far as I’m concerned, the once great state of California can slide off into the Pacific. What a total waste that state has become.

[Cicero]

$11.1 billion bond issue

Typical Arnold. Solve the water problem by issuing more bonds. That was his "answer" for every problem. In fact, his first action on taking office was to "solve" the Gray Davis budget crisis by issuing a huge new batch of bonds.

[Rennes Templar]

Hey,I think FR is in California!

[Judges Gone Wild]

The Southern California developers will not be satisfied until they make the entire state look like the Owens River Valley. I agree with Jerry for once, if SoCal wants water so bad, let them tax themselves to get it. That will kill the idea right there. Or let them build desalination plants, (in Barbara Streisand’s front yard, Malibu).

[eyeamok]

They did it in Santa Barbara a few years back with taxpayer funds, they fired up the plant to make sure it worked as advertised, then dismantled it and sold it the CHICOMS. Santa Barbara residents still have no water and quite a lot of them are pissed off.

[Foolsgold]

Most of the water problems can be solved by eating smelt,
Recipe

1 to 2 lb. of cleaned smelt oil for deep-frying 2 cups flour

2 lemons, cut in half salt and pepper

Directions

1. Rinse smelt, and roll in a towel to dry. Spread Smelt on a large piece of wax paper.
2. Liberally salt and pepper them.
3. Pour one cup of flour over the fish; using both hands, gently toss the Smelt in the flour. Let stand for at least 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat at least 3 inches of oil to 375°.
5. Just before frying the Smelt, pour on more flour. The first coating of flour will appear sticky, so this second coating should give you a completely dry surface for frying.
6. Plunge the Smelt, a few at a time, into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan, or the temperature of the heat will reduce and cooking time will be increased, causing a greasy product.
7. When the Smelt turn a dark-golden color, remove and place in a baking dish lined with paper towels; keep in a warm oven while frying the remaining Smelt.
8. Sprinkle the Smelt with salt, and serve with spotted owl.

[SmithL]

Thank you for sharing that. It contributed so much to the conversation.

[fremont_steve]

Well - good in theory - really expensive in practice. Every Desalination process I’m aware of consumes HUGE amounts of energy. California is NOT blessed with abundant, cheap power. Rather we have barely enough power to get through our hot summers and it’s some of the most expensive energy in the country. (Yeah - I know a lot of these expenses are due to poor planning AND shooting ourselves in the foot via heavy regulation.) However - that environment is CA’s reality.

So desalinization doesn’t work. Further - it’s impractical to supply the largest single user of water in CA with desalinized water. The largest user is agriculture - who uses something like 80-90% of the water available in CA. The Ag use is enormous. Again - not practical because of cost and just the vast amount required.

[RinaseaofDs]

Building nuclear power plants with desalination plants colocated solves the energy issue. Waste steam is used to run the desalination process. Fresh water and sea salt are then just byproducts of the nuke plant.

[animal172]

Maybe I was being just a bit sarcastic.

[Godzilla]

Desalinization plants require a lot of power - this state refuses to allow power plants large enough to accomplish that to be built.

[east1234]

Visited CA for the first time in years last week. Sales tax is outrageous, gas is overpriced, hotels and rentals cars are overpriced. 4 miles east of San Diego it looks like a Barrio. I’ll stay out East I guess, good luck to the Freepers out there, unfortunately the left will drive CA to total collapse before you can change a damn thing. But you will have smelt.

[fremont_steve]

Well - good in theory - really expensive in practice. Every Desalination process I’m aware of consumes HUGE amounts of energy. California is NOT blessed with abundant, cheap power. Rather we have barely enough power to get through our hot summers and it’s some of the most expensive energy in the country. (Yeah - I know a lot of these expenses are due to poor planning AND shooting ourselves in the foot via heavy regulation.) However - that environment is CA’s reality.

So desalinization doesn’t work. Further - it’s impractical to supply the largest single user of water in CA with desalinized water. The largest user is agriculture - who uses something like 80-90% of the water available in CA. The Ag use is enormous. Again - not practical because of cost and just the vast amount required.

[Huck]

[calcowgirl]

...an $11.1 billion bond issue, is on the 2012 ballot after being shifted from 2010 because of fears it would be rejected.

Brown pointedly did not endorse the bond issue during his campaign and criticized using general obligation bonds, which are repaid by taxpayers, for water projects rather than making water users shoulder the financial burden. That problem is compounded by the bond's untold millions of dollars in pork barrel spending, including projects that have absolutely nothing to do with enhancing California's water supply or fixing the Delta.

The legislature needs to rescind this thing now and go back to the drawing board.