CA: Schwarzenegger Fires Flood Control Panel

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday fired all six members of the state Reclamation Board, an agency that oversees flood control along California's two biggest rivers and had recently become more aggressive about slowing development on flood plains.

The Republican governor replaced the members — who serve indefinite terms at the governor's pleasure — with seven of his own appointees, most with ties to agriculture and the engineering profession. One board seat had been vacant since spring.

Five of the fired members had been appointed by Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, and one had first been appointed by Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican, then reappointed by Davis.

When Hurricane Katrina breached levees and flooded New Orleans a month ago, the board voted to review all urban development plans proposed for Central Valley flood plains — a power it has long held but only occasionally used. --snip--

In a prepared statement earlier Tuesday, the governor made no mention of the former board members but praised their replacements.

"California faces significant flood challenges," Schwarzenegger said. "To protect our communities, economy and keep Californians safe we need a comprehensive and ongoing effort to reduce these risks with better planning, new investments and improved flood infrastructure." He added that "each one of these individuals shares my commitment to ensuring these lifesaving efforts are not ignored or postponed."

Mount and other members of the fired board have argued for tougher restrictions on home building near levees.

Also, he said, a mechanism is needed to pay for strengthening existing levees, and flood insurance should be mandatory.

"Everything I'm saying, of course," Mount said, "will be violently resisted by the building industry."

More like:
build build build... despite the risk of flood flood flood.

Those fired were getting tough on new building without strengthening levees. I guess they'll just build build build now and then can push for Perata's new bonds. That way we can all pay more taxes for the levees while developers and landowners reap their profits (from otherwise unsafe land).

I'm sure the fact that 23% of Arnold's donors are from the building industry has nothing to do with this. /s

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/13636269p-14478776c.html

(snip)

The board recently had taken a more aggressive stance to challenge urban development behind levees, warning that existing levees were built to protect farms, not people. The position was unpopular with developers and local governments.

"I feel we were just beginning to really awaken concern about the dangers that await people who build and live in floodplains behind levees," ousted board chairwoman Betsy Marchand said. She called the replacements "perhaps not unexpected because of some of the bold steps that we've been taking to try to fulfill our responsibilities."

The deposed board's action earlier this month meant it was assuming powers it had sporadically exercised over the years under the California Environmental Quality Act to review and submit comments on major development projects.

(snip)

The seven people appointed to the unpaid board by Schwarzenegger, a Republican, assume their roles immediately. They largely represent land owners and business interests.

(snip)

The Reclamation Board holds enormous sway in the flood-prone Central Valley. It can approve or reject development plans that require modification of levees, it can designate flood-prone areas for special development oversight, and it can make recommendations to promote public safety on other projects.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-levees28sep28,1,671480.story?coll=la-headlines-california

In the recently ended Legislative session, the Schwarzenegger administration sponsored a bill that would have created a new Central Valley authority to assess property owners for better flood control. The bill was amended to require simply a study of levee strength and repair priorities, but it still failed, in part for lack of GOP support.

Schwarzenegger's budget this year boosted levee maintenance by $26 million, reversing cuts made in the last several years. This month, he called on California's congressional delegation to seek more than $90 million to pay for strengthening Central Valley levees.

But the governor also has strong ties to the building industry. A Times analysis of Schwarzenegger's donors shows that at least 23% of the $75 million he has raised since 2002 has come from businesses or individuals involved in residential or industrial construction, development and real estate.

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< /sarcasm>