Rita Schmidt Sudman commentary: Are you well informed or using outdated information?

Posted by: Rita Schmidt Sudman on May 1, 2009 at 7:55 am

Every day I hear stories of the drought in California and water shortages throughout the West. Many of the stories are about the hardships imposed on San Joaquin Valley farmers and laid off farm workers because of the drastic water cutbacks. There also are stories of fishermen who can’t fish because the season has been closed for salmon protection. And a few urban water districts are considering actually banning outdoor watering which would cause a great expense in lost landscaping.

In California, a combination of dry weather, low reservoir levels and Delta water export cutbacks to protect endangered fish have left the state facing one of the worst droughts in history. The state’s two largest water projects are predicting record-low deliveries and communities are feeling the impacts.

Listening to the arguments around water issues, I notice that a lot of people who consider themselves well informed are operating on old information. Statements about farmers paying too little for water, about this being a battle between fish vs. people and about more storage being the only way to solve the problem are very simplistic and wrong – or at least wrong in part.

Some of the thoughts people have on water conservation is not up-to-date. In the last 15 years there have been great strides in farm and urban water conservation. It hasn’t always been voluntary on the part of farmers, such as when agricultural water prices went up under the federal system. But agricultural water conservation happened. Urban water districts also have made great strides in water conservation, pushing for lower water-use household appliances and moving to tiered pricing and water budgets. Even Central Valley cities like Sacramento are installing water meters in an effort to enforce water conservation. Meanwhile, cities and water agencies are struggling with equity issues regarding how to fairly charge customers who are asked to further cutback water use after previously reducing their water use.

But is all of this enough? Can the state keep growing in population while trying to keep a viable agriculture, fishing industry and save some of our environment?

We have to try. And we can look to other countries to learn how. We know that many people in developed countries use far less water than we Westerners and still have a good quality of life. Think of the small water fountain in an arid landscape in Spain or New Mexico that is just as refreshing to the mind as the large water feature.

The Governor has issued an executive order calling on all Californians to conserve water by 20 percent this year. Achieving that goal will only be possible if the public is motivated. And understanding the facts about water issues will help all of us work together to make this goal possible.

May 1, 2009 · Filed Under Commentary, Uncategorized

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Action Alert: Contact the Governor & your legislator and tell them to pass a budget already!!!

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 16, 2009 at 7:24 am

OK, here’s some rare Aqua Blog Maven commentary …

On last night’s newscast, our local political commentator was discussing Arnold’s speech and the budget problems, saying she doesn’t see any budget resolution in sight. When asked why she thought this was taking so long, she said that she didn’t think the legislators were feeling the pressure from the public to resolve the budget crisis.

How could that possibly be, I thought! State worker furloughs and projects halted - jobs being lost or put on hold at a time when those who are lucky enough to have a job need to hold on to it. With the unemployment rate in this state so high (8.4% and climbing) - higher than the national unemployment rate, the best stimulus package we could pass right now in California would be a budget - and put these people and projects back to work!

Remember, these are projects we have already voted for, projects that have already been funded. This is not new stuff, folks - these are works in progress, people who were contracted to do the work and have now been cut off. These are regular state workers that have real lives and real families having to take unpaid days off from work. These moves are affecting everyday working class people. They are being asked to take the hit for the legislators who aren’t doing or won’t do their jobs.

This is a statewide issue, affecting people north and south, in the big urban cities as well as the small rural communities. Some of these people are your neighbors. If you aren’t affected by it yet, you soon will be as state offices start closing. Some say the state will be out of money by February 1st. Your state income tax return could come in the form of an I.O.U.

Besides, I’m sick of practically the only news coming out of Sacramento being budget, budget, budget. By the time they pass this one, it will be time to start working on the next one. Which won’t be passed on time, either. If we all did our jobs like this, we’d be fired. Which is, of course, another discussion for another day.

So, I urge all of you to pick up the phone - TODAY - or write an email - and let’s tell these legislators to pass the budget and get back to work on the other issues facing the state.

Here’s how you can contact your legislator:

Governor:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Email via web: http://gov.ca.gov/interact

Legislators:

Find yours here: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

January 16, 2009 · Filed Under Commentary

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Will Water move uphill to money?

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 16, 2007 at 6:43 am

Here is a commentary written by Lynne Plambeck, local activist and member of the Newhall County Water District board, which appeared in the Santa Clarita Signal this weekend:

They say water moves uphill to money, so we don’t have to worry about whether there is really enough water for the thousands of new units approved by the City and County. The water will come to the money. But where is that money coming from and just exactly how much is there?

Well, haven’t you noticed all the water rates in the Valley going up? Valencia raised theirs last year without even a public hearing. Santa Clarita Water Co. rates will rise 37% in spite of the 1000 people that protested either by letter or through their homeowner’s associations and Newhall County Water District will hold hearings in July on yet another rate increase. Residents angry over rising rates somehow don’t seem to connect their increasing bills to the cost of reaching further and further to find water from ever diminishing finite sources. Read more

July 16, 2007 · Filed Under Commentary, General Water Issues