Posted on 11/04/2009 9:17:38 AM PST by freespirited
California lawmakers on Wednesday passed an $11 billion overhaul of the state's antiquated water system in a bid to supply a soaring population while preserving a fragile environment.
After a long night of debate, the state Assembly voted in favor of the comprehensive package of water bills and a bond measure to fund them. The Senate also approved.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was expected to sign the five-bill package.
The plan provides funding for new dams, groundwater cleanup, conservation and habitat restoration. It gives Schwarzenegger comprehensive tools to begin restoring the crucial Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and create a stable water supply for cities in Southern California and farmers in the Central Valley.
"Water is the lifeblood of everything we do in California. Without clean, reliable water, we cannot build, we cannot farm, we cannot grow, and we cannot prosper," Schwarzenegger said.
Lawmakers have wrangled for years over how to upgrade the water system. The problems became more acute this year when farmers faced a third dry year with less snowfall and new pumping restrictions to protect a delta fish.
Democrats and Republicans spent months hashing out a strategy intended to change how water is used in California and how to better manage the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The water plan includes creation of a seven-member governing council to oversee the delta that funnels fresh water from Northern to Southern California, where most of the state's population lives. The maze of earthen levees is susceptible to earthquakes that could halt pumping for months.
Federal courts and agencies have ordered reductions in pumping to protect he delta's collapsing ecosystem.
Legislators want to require California cities to use 20 percent less water by 2020, although large urban areas such as Los Angeles and San Francisco would not have to meet such a high threshold because per-capita water use is lower than other parts of the state.
At the center of the new water package is the bond that has grown over the past two days to more than $11 billion. The Senate had passed a $9.9 billion version earlier in the week but the Assembly added more money for water recycling and conservation programs.
“California lawmakers on Wednesday passed an $11 billion overhaul of the state’s antiquated water system in a bid to supply a soaring population while preserving a fragile environment.”
Why not...STOP PERMITTING NEW CONSTRUCTION...until they can get a grip on the infrastructure...
Wasn’t there a big article on FR just yesterday that said over 1,000 CA residents were leaving CA daily?
Wasn’t there a big article on FR just yesterday that said over 1,000 CA residents were leaving CA daily?
And pass up on all that tax $$ ?
“$11 billion overhaul of the state’s antiquated water system in a bid to supply a soaring population while preserving a fragile environment.”
Get rid of the illegal aliens and the envirofreak mercenaries in California, and you won’t have a problem!
California Broke, Thanks Mexico
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370681/posts
California citizens are fighting back trying to challenge ‘jackpot baby’ instant citizenship!
Get your petitions today!
Californians!
Get On the Bandwagon!
Taxpayer Protection Act of 2010
Get The Petitions Pronto!
http://www.taxpayerrevolution.org/
Not to mention the damage to the habitat..like 88,000 burned in California this summer by Mexican Drug cartels...and the ones we don’t know about.
And where are the enviromentals? Taking advantage of the poorly written ESA whereby their lawyers who run these schemes can collect atty. fees from the taxpayer by suing the government to protect listed ‘endangered species’...from farmers, private land owners...NEVER the illegal alien.
But WE should be using the same statute, sue the government for habitat of those very endangered species (spotted owl in the La Brea fire & much more) being destroyed because they refuse to enforce our borders to stop it. And by every precedent set, we would win.
Uh, how about reverse osmosis purification?
California is so frigging stupid.
Translation: Liberal areas of the state can do what they want. Conservative areas will have water rationing.
There is no such thing as a free lunch. Reverse Osmosis purification takes A LOT of power - so you would require multiple new power plants to make this practical, not to mention the cost of the plants.
One of these has been talked about in Santa Barbara for a decade plus. Last I heard - they still don’t have it.
There is no such thing as a free lunch. Reverse Osmosis purification takes A LOT of power - so you would require multiple new power plants to make this practical, not to mention the cost of the plants.
One of these has been talked about in Santa Barbara for a decade plus. Last I heard - they still don’t have it.
It’s expensive. But they’re building a plant in north San Diego county that’s supposed to supply 10% of the county’s needs when it goes on line in a few years.
I think I see some open space in the upper/central right; about 2:30. :)
How about a free market in water, so people pay the real cost for their water and there is an incentive to find ways to provide more?
The essence of government is force. All it does is ration, restrict, punish, and cause decline. Freedom produces just the opposite - innovation and increases in supply and quality. Water should not be any different from any other commodity, but it has become a “right”, like so many other things.
“There is no such thing as a free lunch. Reverse Osmosis purification takes A LOT of power - so you would require multiple new power plants to make this practical, not to mention the cost of the plants.”
It will be even harder when they take San Onofre off line...Zero just killed Yucca Mountain...
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