Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Another Example of Ungovernable California
The Los Angeles Times on Sunday, August 21, carried an article about the California Water War, about to start up again. According to the writer, California has a permanent water crisis. The northern part of the State has plenty of water. The water is needed for farming and for cities in the southern part. Governors Wilson and Davis and the Clinton Administration collaborated in a compromise that allocates available water between the needs of fish in the Sacramento Delta, farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, and residents of Los Angeles and San Diego counties.
That compromise is coming unglued. There just isn’t enough water to make everyone happy. The Bay Delta Authority, created by the Legislature to enforce the plan, has proposed charging user fees, so that the various users of the water would help pay for the operation of the plan. The Arnold, our celebrated “Governator,” has refused to support the recommendation for user fees. After all, such fees would constitute a tax increase, and The Arnold, being a faithful Republican, opposes any new taxes. He also has shied away from using his celebrity to persuade the various interested parties – environmentalists, fishermen, farmers, city dwellers – to agree on a compromise.
California government is so clogged that only a charismatic and persuasive governor can bring about a change in policy, especially one that will be universally unpopular. Our governor has the charm, the celebrity, and the charisma to accomplish such changes. He prefers to spend his time raising money to support a few goofy initiatives in the special election coming in November.
That compromise is coming unglued. There just isn’t enough water to make everyone happy. The Bay Delta Authority, created by the Legislature to enforce the plan, has proposed charging user fees, so that the various users of the water would help pay for the operation of the plan. The Arnold, our celebrated “Governator,” has refused to support the recommendation for user fees. After all, such fees would constitute a tax increase, and The Arnold, being a faithful Republican, opposes any new taxes. He also has shied away from using his celebrity to persuade the various interested parties – environmentalists, fishermen, farmers, city dwellers – to agree on a compromise.
California government is so clogged that only a charismatic and persuasive governor can bring about a change in policy, especially one that will be universally unpopular. Our governor has the charm, the celebrity, and the charisma to accomplish such changes. He prefers to spend his time raising money to support a few goofy initiatives in the special election coming in November.
