Posted on 04/19/2015 6:43:42 AM PDT by amnestynone
California has met the future, and it really doesn’t work. As the mounting panic surrounding the drought suggests, the Golden State, once renowned for meeting human and geographic challenges, is losing its ability to cope with crises. As a result, the great American land of opportunity is devolving into something that resembles feudalism, a society dominated by rich and poor, with little opportunity for upward mobility for the state’s middle- and working classes.
The water situation reflects this breakdown in the starkest way. Everyone who follows California knew it was inevitable we would suffer a long-term drought. Most of the state—including the Bay Area as well as greater Los Angeles—is semi-arid, and could barely support more than a tiny fraction of its current population. California’s response to aridity has always been primarily an engineering one that followed the old Roman model of siphoning water from the high country to service cities and farms.
The result will have tremendous effect on Congress, since California could lose many members in the House of Representatives--imagine going from 51 to 38 (or even less!) members. And the state's agriculture could change to growing mostly drought-resistant crops and even see a huge decline in the wine industry, too.
Great Post
We do not examine the oligarchy nearly enough, we conservatives. That's because we're talking about multi-billionaires who we assume have earned their riches. Well, maybe they earned some of them. But mostly they make their money running the politicians who are the means to oppress the rest of us. Ex--Buffett claiming to love the planet when he stifles the fuel pipelines, when he really wants to make money on the rail transport.
Likewise, we are intent on proving "bias"--as if we can prosper with a well-reasoned argument. They just laugh at that. It's all about the money, and money is power and power is money.
Nothing wrong with California that a Republican Assembly and Governor couldn’t fix in two years.
B4Ever
That's going to take some doing.
California has become Mehico’s broke cousin. The Gay Caballero With No Dinero.
Techno-narcissism: The concept that technology can save humans from all problems both natural and man-made.
Oh, I do not argue at all about the real reason - power. Most liberal movements are just whatever tactic work best to ensure power and control. That’s a given.
Calif already has that it’s called the Coastal Commission, takes years to get anything built
The solution is to continue to bring in millions more thirsty illegals from Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, China etc.
And keep that conga-line of legal Muslims and foreigners coming.
This will continue until America is completely divided and resembles some nasty market place in Ustinkistan.
>>Nothing wrong with California that a Republican Assembly and Governor couldn’t fix in two years.<<
Maybe not in two years, but I find myself wondering if the situation isn’t ripe for conservative politicians to make real inroads into the middle-class vote in the state. Or don’t they have any prominent enough to even get a foothold?
I have to agree with you. Take a look at the attached interactive graphic on Lake Shasta.
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/resapp/resDetailOrig.action?resid=SHA
This “drought” is nowhere near the one in 1977 as can be seen. And although Shasta is below the normal curve, It’s still 60% full when historically it’s at 71% of capacity right now. We unfortunately have a reservoir system that relies on snowpack, not rainfall. In addition, we haven’t built a storage facility since 1979 while the state has doubled its population. All thanks the the first two “Brown Administrations.” Our bigger problems are two: One, The LA Basin is loosing it’s “Colorado River water entitlement to AZ, and our government has allowed unbridled extension of farming.
I just love how some here on FR “cluck” incessantly about how terrible it is here in California. That we are on the road of no return, BS! Sure, we have a $hit government at present, but it has not always been so, and it will change back in the future. They all seem to forget that Ronald Reagan was governor here and that FR is headquartered here in Fresno. I’d be surprised if the Robinsons have any intention of moving, accustomed as they are to having indoor plumbing and nice weather. I guess our problem at the moment is that we’ve been seen as the best place in the US to live by too many of the wrong kind of people, because any number of our current “politicians,” came here from the Northeast dump states and are currently crapping in our nest having crapped up their nests from whence they came. Jerry Brown is one of the exceptions. We all wish now that his father (who was also one of our worthless governors) had used a condom.
you right, most of the CNA’s at the nursing home my wife is in are from El Salvador. must be here legal i am sure. when i get to retirement i will be leaving
In truth Ronald Reagan was not a ‘lib’ Democrat.
He was a conservative Democrat like my own dad back
in the old days when there was such an option. After
Reagan became a Republican he often stated that he
did not leave the Democrats, they left him.
Yes. It is socialism in California. Look at how they moved twenty poor families into Barbara Streisand’s ocean front mansion.
Hahahahahahaha!
Keep thinking it’s socialism that the Democrats want. It makes you easier for them to control.
If there were true socialists in California, Barbara Streisand would be hanging from a pole.
who’s grandather wpuld believe there would ever need to be endless environmental studies about seawater..but there will continue to be in California...
I would hope so!
That’s nearly everywhere now. Hard to escape unless you have big dollars/insurance for end of life care. Had an acquaintance like that who was insurance poor. He wound up dying instantly from an aneurism type thing at 58 and after paying for decades.
Those environmental studies take years and a lot of funding.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.