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New water bond is pork indulgence, says editorial

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 23, 2009 at 7:53 am

From the Riverside Press-Enterprise, this editorial:

“The $11.14 billion water bond the Legislature passed this month offers further proof that legislators live in an alternate reality, disconnected from the rest of the state. California faces years of daunting budget crises, yet legislators see nothing wrong with adding to the state’s already substantial public debt just to fund political pork.

Risking vital improvements to the state’s water system to pay for politicians’ pet projects is reckless nonsense, particularly given the state’s economic distress. Legislators should junk the pork and refocus the bond on projects necessary to ensure a reliable water supply for California.

The water bond started at $9.4 billion, but almost overnight expanded to more than $11 billion. Much of that money went to earmarks aimed at winning legislators’ votes for the bond. Apparently, a water shortage caused by drought and the collapse of the state’s primary water system is not enough to get legislators’ attention by itself.

But the $9.4 billion bond was already bloated, considering the state has more than $3 billion of already approved water bond money available for projects. … “

Read more of this editorial from the Riverside Press-Enterprise by clicking here.

November 23, 2009 · Filed Under Water Legislation

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