California has big water problems, as do a number of other western states. There's a tension between population centers (especially San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego), farmers, environmentalists, and big project loving politicians. Teensy little fish are pitted against $10 billion in annual crop value. Decades of policy ambiguity has led to entrenched interests with billions of dollars at stake. The infrastructure supporting all this is old and crumbling. Ten years of drought is stressing the entire system.
What's the answer? Nobody really knows. Our personal answer: get the hell out of here – the water situation is just one more thing pressing on an state that seems to be run by people with little skulls that are only partially occupied by gray matter.
Speaking of which, the state's political pundits have decided that Jerry Brown is a shoe-in for another term as governor. They're also certain that the Democratic super-majority in the state legislature will hold. As I read those pronouncements, I heard the drums of doom in the background. They're getting closer...
No comments:
Post a Comment