“Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over” – Mark Twain
Make no mistake, California’s water supply and infrastructure is in perilous condition and needs a major upgrade – sooner rather than later. The Sacramento Delta, which supplies an enormous amount of water throughout California, among other problems, has aging earthen levees, and needs major work. Were the levees to fail due to earthquake, it would be catastrophic. Statewide, water supplies are limited, groundwater is becoming contaminated, and it’s clear that the water system, which was designed 30 years ago for 16 million people, is inadequate for our current population of 38 million.
Everyone knows what the problems are. But when it comes to solutions, well, Mark Twain was right. The Safe, Clean and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010, sponsored by the legislature, may be on the ballot in November and if so, promises to be among the most bitterly fought propositions. There is no middle ground on some of its provisions. In breaking news, Gov. Schwarzenegger now opposes having the proposition on the November ballot, even though he sponsored it, saying it would be a distraction from other propositions, and that the voters aren’t in the mood for more debt.
That the proposition is filled with pork is another major problem.