"We were completely rolled" said one Contra Costa County Supervisor, and that pretty much says it all. Bay Area and Delta Counties are none too happy with the new water deal, and taxpayers may soon join that sentiment... here's the situation as we see it:
The legislature has passed a sweeping water bill that will shore up the Delta, enact truly needed environmental and some seismic fixes, while not completely guaranteeing a canal or more volume for Southern California. On the other end, Delta Counties are going to have to give up some land use authority over to a new state agency, which itself will likely become the target of some distress for its "Coastal Commission" like authority. Also, though the environment is a clear winner in the deal, the environmental community is fairly split on the deal as-is.
We're actually seeing some parallels to the current healthcare debate in Washington -- a deal that may well pass, but with plenty for everyone to hate in it and the added bonus of both political divides and geographic loyalties. It's a recipe for an epic throwdown...
The package itself is replete with the typical questions over accountability, and it may sound crazy, but even the enviros are criticizing the package for pie-in-the-sky economics. And moreover, $11 billion is a heck of a lot for taxpayers to swallow if it doesn't guarantee more water to Southern California. A canal (or more likely, a tunnel) would cost another $13 billion (at least), though that money would come directly out of SoCal water districts (i.e. ratepayers).
That said, the alternative to the bond is pretty bleak. Whatever your thoughts on the pumping restrictions ("Delta Smelt" has become pretty much code for SoCal and Conservative animus towards green policies and hippie/vegan/49er loving NorCal), the habitat protections aren't going anywhere without broad environmental fixes for the Delta. On the other hand "Canal" is NorCal and Green community shorthand for a toxic ditch sucking Calfiornia's soul to Real Housewives and Dodger fans.
Also, anyone who's ever seen projections of even a mild earthquake in or near the Delta can tell you it makes Katrina look like a broken sprinkler. The loss of life and property would be horrific, and the main hub of the state's water supply would turn to saltwater within about a day. Oh, and geologists say NorCal is due for a 1906-scale quake sometime int he next 20 years.
Even absent a quake, heavy rains have the potential to overflow levies more or less at-will. So while the politics of this are sure to get ugly, the necesity of action may win out.
Comments