Water for 174,301 people or Water For 6 fish

Up-date to this Article Published 4-18-15 Earth Day

The reality of the water situation in California can be best explained in documents produced by the LAO (Legislative Analyst’s Office and more currently the Public Policy Institute.

In October of 2008 the LAO wrote a Primer on California’s Water: http://lao.ca.gov/2008/rsrc/water_primer/water_primer_102208.aspx

The document provides a brilliant overview of California’s water governance.

More recently the LAO wrote a report on the economic effect of the Drought on California’s economy:

http://www.lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/86

As did the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center:

Managing Trade-offs in the Delta: http://www.ppic.org/main/blog_detail.asp?i=1744

Californians Can Save Water and Preserve Quality of Life: http://www.ppic.org/main/blog_detail.asp?i=1743

Nine Policy Challenges for California Water: http://www.ppic.org/main/blog_detail.asp?i=1741

The following should be considered in any discussion of how to allocate water resources:

Urban water usage (depending on your resource is 10% - 20% of California’s total water usage) so even if that usage was cut by 25% the total water conservation would be 25% of 10% (a total of 4% savings on the low side and a 5% savings on the high side). That will not materially affect the water issues facing California. You have to look at cutting the 80-90% that uses most of California’s water to make any real difference. As is usually the case in the State of California, it is always easiest to make cuts from the individual taxpayers, and not touch the large corporate farmers and environmentalists who heavily contribute to both political parties. The glaring example on the environmental side is using 15,000 acre feet of water to flush 6 trout down a river, especially after they already flushed the river once this year to save an estimated 29 steelhead trout. On the flip side - farmers are growing crops that take so much water (a single almond takes 1 gallon of water to produce) that everyone needs to be part of the solution to California’s water problems. The burden should not fall solely on the individual tax payer simply because that is the path of least representation and therefore resistance.

If Urban usage is the real problem- then why is the State continuing to set policies that encourage more and more people to come to the State? Perhaps it is time to discourage new people from moving to the State if we do not have the resources to support them.

It is a problem facing EVERYONE and therefore EVERYONE should be a part of the solution.

Original Article-------------

Source: http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/1/article/122681/

The Bureau of Reclamation wants to flush as much as 15,000 acre feet of water down the Stanislaus River in order to “save” six endangered steelhead trout; at the same time, Governor Brown is mandating that Cities cut water usage by 25%.

One may want to ask why Cities... who use less than 10% of California’s water, should be asked to cut water usage by 25% when farmers and environmental causes (such as saving 6 steelhead trout) eat sup 90% of California’s water.

Just say no... in fact say hell no.

Even if every person living in the State of California cut their individual water usage by 25% it would have zero effect on the drought.

It is time for California tax payers to rise up and put an end to taxpayer abuse.

I pay my exorbitant taxes and yet I still have to fundraise for for my local school district to provide a basic (not great education with overcrowded classrooms in buildings that have not been maintained in years)... I pay taxes, yet I have to pay a $195 fee per year to enjoy the state Park that I live across the street from. I pay my taxes so that State legislators can provide exorbitant salaries to government workers, who provide little if any services...I pay my taxes so that elected representatives can give greater money and entitlements than I personally receive to people who are not even permitted to be in this country legally.

We have finally let the insane run the insane asylum.

Maybe everyone should take 5 minutes out of their day to elect some new people into office.