Changes at California Greening

Over the next week or so, we will be adding a new author to California Greening: Martin Zehr (a.k.a. Mato Ska). He will be keeping you up to date on water issues and I will focus more of my time on Global Warming. I need to take a day or so to set things up correctly, but I am sure that you will find his posts to be right on target.

However, there is one today that I want to bring to everyone's attention. It started with a Twitter update from Matt Weiser of the Sacramento Bee. He noted that the Big 5 was meeting on water.

Then, thanks to Aquafornia, I was pointed to story of that meeting as told by the LA Times.

So as the clock ticks toward a Sunday deadline for signing or rejecting more than 700 bills on his desk, Schwarzenegger has engaged legislative leaders in a game of chicken, threatening a mass veto if lawmakers don't strike a deal to upgrade the state's water system.

Imagine that, almost every bill out of the Legislature left to rot on the Bill Terminator's desk. To think that I took the legislature to task for not passing what should have been a no brainer bill, AB 560.

Aside: At one time, I had hopes that the constitutional convention would help structure a way out of this mess. Now, I am not sure. Waiting for an update which I hope to get today.

Our friends at Restore the Delta did not let this go by without comment.

Where are the adults in Sacramento?

Yes, the Governor has told Legislative Leaders that he wants a water package on his desk by Friday night before he will act on the 700 bills sitting on his desk. But with a significant portion of the Legislature not in town, and members scattered all over the world presently, can that really happen?

I only see one legislator in Sacramento whom I trust to deal honestly with water, to require the type of regional water planning that Martin ardently and articulately champions. That is Lois Wolk. She may be the only adult that got elected.

If you have not signed up for the Delta Flow from Restore the Delta, please do. (Kalmran did.) They are not frequent but they do let you know how the politicians are failing us all. You can find a list of the back issues of Delta Flows here as well as a box where you can fill you email address to sign up. Better yet. Join.