DebD
05-06-2010, 04:47 PM
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CMARKSW%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:1705445963; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-82824446 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:39.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; margin-left:39.0pt; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} @list l1 {mso-list-id:1801454769; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:1321478216 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;} @list l1:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> As one of your representatives to the State Democratic Convention from Assembly District 1, this is one of a number of posts to come from me reporting on the Convention which was held last month. First up is the WATER FORUM, which was sponsored by the Rural Caucus on day two. There can hardly be a topic more important to us on the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">North</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Coast</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
<o:p> </o:p>
The panel focused specifically on the water infrastructure bond measure that will be on the ballot in November. The legislators on the panel were Mariko Yamada, 8<sup>th</sup> Assembly District ( from the Delta, con) Anna Caballero, 28<sup>th</sup> Assembly District ( <st1:city w:st="on">Salinas</st1:city>, pro) and Dean Florez, Senator, 16<sup>th</sup> district ( <st1:city w:st="on">Bakersfield</st1:city> and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Fresno</st1:place></st1:city>, pro). The other panelists were Steve Evans, Friends of the Earth (con) Debbie Davis, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Environmental</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Justice</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> (con) and Conner Everts, from the Southern California Watershed Alliance. (con).
<o:p> </o:p>
Just reading the list of participants and their positions can give you a good idea of how the interests are lining up. Florez was one of the architects of the measure. In its defense, he said:
<o:p> </o:p>
that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state></st1:place>’s plumbing system is outdated and needs an overhaul
that we are losing most of our water to the ocean
that we, as good Democrats, should back the measure, which, in his opinion, is good for the whole state and will help <st1:place w:st="on">Central Valley</st1:place> unemployment. <o:p> </o:p>
Despite his denials that the measure pits parts of the state against each other, once the forum went into the issues in depth, the conflicts were clear. There are issues of transfer, on a very large scale, from the rural north to the rural south, and from the rural coast to the <st1:place w:st="on">Central Valley</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
In contrast, the measure does not set up many urban versus rural issues. Here the problem is that municipalities up and down the state have already been conserving and recycling. In fact, the measure does not sufficiently reward urban areas for future improvement and it sets targets that many urban areas are already meeting.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Further,
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->there are governance questions with regard to the water commission and the Delta Stewardship council.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->The energy costs of moving water around the state are not addressed.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->The measure favors reservoirs over ground water storage.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->The cost of the measure will be a huge burden on the state at a time when there are so many unfunded needs.
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
We, on the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">North</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Coast</st1:placetype></st1:place>, must work against this bond measure in November. The reactions of rural caucus members from the Northeast parts of state, show that they are alarmed too. Agriculture in the <st1:place w:st="on">Central Valley</st1:place> needs serious reform on many, many levels. This is not to say that we should turn a blind eye to the <st1:place w:st="on">Central Valley</st1:place> unemployment, which I think is the driver of the politics around the bond measure, but the status quo is unsustainable.
<o:p> </o:p>
Deborah Dobish
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
The panel focused specifically on the water infrastructure bond measure that will be on the ballot in November. The legislators on the panel were Mariko Yamada, 8<sup>th</sup> Assembly District ( from the Delta, con) Anna Caballero, 28<sup>th</sup> Assembly District ( <st1:city w:st="on">Salinas</st1:city>, pro) and Dean Florez, Senator, 16<sup>th</sup> district ( <st1:city w:st="on">Bakersfield</st1:city> and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Fresno</st1:place></st1:city>, pro). The other panelists were Steve Evans, Friends of the Earth (con) Debbie Davis, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Environmental</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Justice</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> (con) and Conner Everts, from the Southern California Watershed Alliance. (con).
<o:p> </o:p>
Just reading the list of participants and their positions can give you a good idea of how the interests are lining up. Florez was one of the architects of the measure. In its defense, he said:
<o:p> </o:p>
that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state></st1:place>’s plumbing system is outdated and needs an overhaul
that we are losing most of our water to the ocean
that we, as good Democrats, should back the measure, which, in his opinion, is good for the whole state and will help <st1:place w:st="on">Central Valley</st1:place> unemployment. <o:p> </o:p>
Despite his denials that the measure pits parts of the state against each other, once the forum went into the issues in depth, the conflicts were clear. There are issues of transfer, on a very large scale, from the rural north to the rural south, and from the rural coast to the <st1:place w:st="on">Central Valley</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
In contrast, the measure does not set up many urban versus rural issues. Here the problem is that municipalities up and down the state have already been conserving and recycling. In fact, the measure does not sufficiently reward urban areas for future improvement and it sets targets that many urban areas are already meeting.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Further,
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->there are governance questions with regard to the water commission and the Delta Stewardship council.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->The energy costs of moving water around the state are not addressed.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->The measure favors reservoirs over ground water storage.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->The cost of the measure will be a huge burden on the state at a time when there are so many unfunded needs.
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
We, on the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">North</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Coast</st1:placetype></st1:place>, must work against this bond measure in November. The reactions of rural caucus members from the Northeast parts of state, show that they are alarmed too. Agriculture in the <st1:place w:st="on">Central Valley</st1:place> needs serious reform on many, many levels. This is not to say that we should turn a blind eye to the <st1:place w:st="on">Central Valley</st1:place> unemployment, which I think is the driver of the politics around the bond measure, but the status quo is unsustainable.
<o:p> </o:p>
Deborah Dobish
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>