Comments on Aguanomics: Some more comments on the water bill (aka FAIL)

@Eric(1) -- no, I have not spoken with them, but I...

2009-11-16T13:47:52.957-08:00

@Eric(1) -- no, I have not spoken with them, but I have offered to "help" (Huffman, Schwarzenegger, Snow) -- about 5 times -- and never heard back...

@Eric(2) -- yes, that's right, but let's not have hypocrisy about "helping everyone."

This is the tragedy of the commons or the multiper...

2009-11-16T12:09:27.813-08:00

This is the tragedy of the commons or the multiperson prisoners' dilemma all over again.

If I were a farmer, I would try to get the bond passed because I would make money from it. I would feel that if the rest of the state wanted some other outcome then, since they had all the people, they could elect legislators who would represent them well. If they chose not to elect such people and the people that they elected chose to give money to me.

A. That is not my problem. I am just trying to get my farm to work.
B. I, as a farmer, can't do anything about the behavior of legislators from LA anyway.

Some of the water rights situations are interesting if I try to look at them from each person's point of view.

Good post. Millions will be wasted by all sides c...

2009-11-16T12:04:23.866-08:00

Good post.

Millions will be wasted by all sides campaigning on this bond. All of it money and energy that could go to something beneficial.

ps/The state, DWR, MWD and Westlands, along with t...

2009-11-16T09:33:57.053-08:00

ps/The state, DWR, MWD and Westlands, along with the billionaire boy farmers in the Central Valley will spend millions on ads to get the bonds to pass.

Across the state, taxpayers will pay an additional...

2009-11-16T09:33:16.344-08:00

Across the state, taxpayers will pay an additional $20 billion + (when you include the interest payments the state will have to make on the bonds).

Then as water ratepayers SoCal customers will end up paying another $12-15 billion to cover the projected costs of the new peripheral canal. The manager of the Otay Water District says that would double existing water rates in his district...

So the estimated tab for this bond and the canal it enables will end up somewhere north of $35 billion, not counting years of litigation which will probably double that estimate.

This proposal is poison for northern Californians. Otherwise MWD and Westlands wouldn't be so happy with it. The Governor will stack the new Delta board with appointees who won't buck MWD or Westlands, and will approve the new canal, even if the enviros figure out what's going on and fight it. Then the lawsuits will begin to fly.

New water projects have been built to subsidize more Southern California growth, not to meet the needs of existing customers. So the canal would enable more housing subdivisions in the hottest areas of southern California. Just what we don't need.

The best thing to happen to water policy would be ...

2009-11-16T08:39:03.487-08:00

The best thing to happen to water policy would be if the Central Valley would vote out its Democrats, while the Democratic Party maintains a controlling majority at the fed. and state levels. The Blue Dogs' clout on this one issue is disproportionately great.

Unfortunately, Truman's adage no longer holds true.

Have you spoken with any of the offending pols in ...

2009-11-16T06:48:30.895-08:00

Have you spoken with any of the offending pols in a way that has gotten them to listen and/or change?