Perata Makes His Case That the Time is Now to Get California's Water Plans Set From a Policy and Political Perspective

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

Don Perata, the President pro Tem of the California State Senate, articulated at a packed press conference yesterday why his approach, as outlined in Senate Bill 2 in the special session on water is the right approach from both a political and good public policy standpoint and why it is better than the Republican alternative being proposed.. He also explained why, in his opinion, if an agreement is not reached in the next week or so, it will probably need to go on the ballot, why it will win, and why trying to pass a legislative solution next year is fraught with peril. You can read this text of what he had to say or view the entire press conference on the California Channel archives. Perata was masterful at the press conference, speaking without notes and then answering reporters' questions.

Here is what he had to say:

"First of all, let me point out that this is a historic meeting, not because we're working on an Italian holiday, although in my district it's called Indigenous People's Day--it's kind of new values.

We have today for the first time ever, on stage together--and I was really hoping that we would have lanyards that would show clearly--Friends of the River and the Metropolitan Water District are here together, supporting something without having chain mail on. So, I want to thank everybody that's here.

First of all, is George Skelton here? I read his column today, so we're going to cancel the special session.

[He wasn't, but Reporter Nancy Vogel of the LA Times spoke up and said she was recording it for her colleague.]

I really didn't need to be doing this right now, what's the rush?

Well, first of all, we are not rushing. We worked all year long on this. In March, we sent a letter to the Governor in anticipation of a decision that the judge was going to make about the pumps in the Delta. We gave him a progress report in July about how we were doing. And then the judge, in fact, made his decision.

And I've wondered since that decision was made, had we been talking about anchovies, as opposed to smelt, if more people wouldn't have seen this as a real problem--because there are people who eat anchovies. I don't know anybody that even knows what a smelt is.

So when the judge made his decision, the urgency of the moment became very clear. Many behind us [referencing the group of 20 or so representatives of groups supporting SB2X 2] already knew that the decision would come down and it would come down in a very negative way for those people who enjoy drinking water and bathing in it.