by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Back in October the special session on water seemed dead. Republicans rejected Perata's water bond plan, which had no funding for dams in it and instead emphasized fixing the Delta and conservation projects. At the time the GOP's attitude was "it's our turn" - give us dams, dammit!

But just as the health care session, which also seemed to be dead, was revived when Democrats caved in to Republican demands for an individual mandate, the water session may be revived by the same means as well, as Perata has tentatively agreed to $3 billion in funding for new dams that Republicans have demanded. From the Visalia Times-Delta article:

No details of the meeting were immediately available. But going into the meeting, Senate leader Don Perata, D-Oakland, tentatively had agreed for the first time to set aside funds, perhaps $3 billion, for work on three reservoirs if there was benefit for the ailing San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta, according to the senator's office. But Perata has insisted on an annual legislative review of funding for the work, something that Republican lawmakers oppose because it could give legislative critics an opportunity to stall a project. GOP advocates of the dams want all the funding to be available once it is approved without further legislative oversight.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Gary A. Patton
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League

This week the Senate rejected SB 3XX (Cogdill), the $9 billion water bond with $5 billion for new, environmentally damaging dams. We applaud the Senate, and in particular Senator Perata and Senator Steinberg for their leadership in rejecting that wasteful proposal.

However, late yesterday the Governor's office sent a new proposal to key legislators, offering a "compromise" water package that would provide $3.5 billion for environmentally damaging dams.

While the legislative leadership has held strong in its opposition to dam funding thus far, the Governor's office is applying increased pressure to key legislators to accept his proposal and deliver a dam funding package in the next week.

Directing billions for dams will not address the crisis in the Delta, or provide increased water supply reliability to California. If advanced, this proposal threatens to derail the continued collaboration by all stakeholders in addressing these critical problems.

by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” - Joseph Goebbels

By Dan Bacher

In the tradition of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propagandist, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger keeps repeating at his press conferences and meetings the big lie that no dams or water storage facilities have been constructed in California in the past 20 to 30 years. Apparently, Scharzenegger is hoping that if he repeats it enough, people will come to believe this lie. This fallacy is being used to bolster his call for a Peripheral Canal and more dams in California, although the truth is that several major dams and other storage facilities have been constructed during the last 30 years.

On July 14 at a town meeting in Bakersfield, the Governor stated, "Do you know that for 20 years, well, actually since the late '70s, they have not built a dam? I mean, think about that. They have not built a dam.”

by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

One of the few constants in California history is fighting about water. And in this, the worst drought since recordkeeping began in the 1880s, the fight is shaping up to be a big one. On Tuesday Arnold went to San Luis Reservoir and announced plans for a $6 billion water bond for the November 2008 election. It is based on building 2 new dams in the Sierra and reviving the old Peripheral Canal, one of the most contentious infrastructure projects in our state's history, going down to defeat in the 1982 election.

Dems have blocked his bill so far, and Don Perata has offered a $5 billion bond plan that steers clear of either new dams or a Peripheral Canal. But Arnold's interest in new water storage is clear, and so it is worth examining for a moment exactly why this is not the best way to respond to a drought, to climate change.

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Working Californians blogs]

(photo from State Parks)
Arnold is trying to green over concrete in his push to build two new dams. Sorry, Arnold more money for conservation does not make up for the environmental destruction caused by building massive new dams. SacBee:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pledged Wednesday to continue pursuing his $5.9 billion water plan after it stalled last month in the state Senate, and he reiterated his desire to build new dams in California despite Democratic opposition.

In a nod to Democrats, the Republican governor emphasized his proposed $200 million in conservation grants at an Association of California Water Agencies luncheon in Sacramento. Yet he drew the most applause from 700 water officials when he called for two new dams in California.

The governor wanted the dams package to be part of the last year's bonds, but ran up against stiff Democratic opposition. It unclear what Arnold's thinks has changed this year. Meanwhile, the concrete lovers are talking about an independent ballot initiative.

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