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Politicians, Delta Advocates, Fishermen speak at Capitol Rally

CSPA's Bill Jennings calls  Delta Bill package, "Sons of Frankenstein"

by  Jerry Neuburger

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 -- Yesterday, just ahead of today's legislative hearings, a dozen speakers, joined by another 200 supporters, met for  a press conference and rally on the west steps of the capitol.

The rally, organized by Restore the Delta, was called to pressure the legislature into considering the needs of the delta residents, farmers and commercial and sport fishermen in the coming weeks when discussing the five Delta Bills.

While the unusual joint hearings and conferencing are billed as seeking a solution to the woes of the delta and the needs of the southern part of the state, many stakeholders believe the entire process is nothing more than whitewashing while giving the governor the go-ahead for the construction of a peripheral canal and a restructuring of water allocations favoring the major desert water districts over delta farmers and the flows necessary to restore the delta's fisheries including the once prolific runs of Sacramento River Chinook salmon.

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla was the first to speak. As host of the event, she welcomed the speakers and supporters. Barbara introduced a new report, "California Water Solutions now" by the Environmental Water Caucus.

According to Barbara, "The report is a game changing report. It is based on multiple scientific and engineering studies and it demonstrates how sustainable water management including ground water cleanup, water recycling, local storm water capture and cost effective water conservation will provide the water needed in California for our projected population through 2050 while breaking delta dependence."

 Joan Buchanan, Assemblywoman from the 15th District was the next to speak. Buchanan stated, "My staff and I spend about 20 to 25% of the time, meeting with groups and dealing with water issues."

On the canal, "The conveyance is not the answer. The conveyance as it is proposed to be built built will transfer 15,000 cubic feet of water per second around the delta from the Sacramento River."

Senator Mark DeSaulnier of the 7th Senate District stated, "As stewards of the delta, as people who live, work and recreate in the delta, we know the delta best and we know the responsibilities to the rest of California. And we're not against meeting those responsibilities but both Lois [Wolk] and I have been saying quite consistently, we have to have a voice in this decision making process."

Bill Jennings, Executive Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance spoke about the bills.

"We have promised more water than we can deliver.  Any first step in restoring the Delta and providing reliable supply must begin with bringing supply and water rights into balance - adjudication.

A 1951 Congressional Committee concluded that California water was over appropriated and failure to adjudicate would create (I quote) “a legal Frankenstein.”   These bills are the product of the sons-of-Frankenstein."

The next to speak was Nick DiCroce of the Environmental Water Caucus. The Environmental Water Caucus published the report, "California Water Solutions now"

On water, DiCroce stated, "We really do have enough. What we really need to do is to use it effectively. That's one of the two key points in the report. The second key point is that we must reduce exports from the delta."

Debbie Davis of the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water followed. Debbie pointed out that, "You all are being asked to sacrifice for state interests and so I think it's important to ask ourselves, what are those state interests that you all are being asked to sacrifice for?"

Debbie then asked the crowd a series of questions. The resounding answer to each question was a loud, "No!"

Assembly member Mariko Yamada of the 8th Assembly District apologized to the crowd saying, "I wish we didn't have to keep meeting like this but until the voices of the delta are heard and respected in all levels in this discussion we will need to keep coming  back over and over again until we insure that all of the local communities and all livelihood and all of the wonderful resources that are already in existence are protected, preserved and respected."

Jonas Minton of the Planning and Conservation League addressed the deficiencies of the current bill package. "They say they need to approve a bill that approves a politically appointed group to pump more water from the delta. Does that make sense to anybody here?' [crowd, "NO!"]

"What don't these bills have in them. Well they don't have the progressive 21st century solutions in the new report by the Environmental Water Caucus."

Mintno went on to describe the tunnel alternative, in graphic terms. A tunnel longer and twice the size of the "Chunnel" the tube between England and France, capable of shuttling two full sized trains.

Collins was followed by Mike Hudson, president of the

Small Boat Commercial Salmon Fishermen’s Association. Mike spoke of salmon fishermen unemployment saying, "Thousands of families all the way from California up to the Oregon coast are out of work, not only fisherman but all the related businesses, the fuel docks, the people that sell the tackle, the ice docks, even campgrounds, grocery stores are not doing well because the salmon are not on our coasts anymore."

Robert Johnson, a sport fisherman spoke next. Robert also manages a website, StopCanal.Org. Robert challenged Congressman Nunes of Fresno saying, "I call out Congressman Nunes for his slanderous attacks to make this a northern California vs. southern California fight. His misrepresentations of 50-80,000 farm jobs lost is insulting of elected officials who have been seeking sustainable win/win solutions for this issue for decades."

Finally, Bruce Connelly, a city councilman from Oakley, a delta community, and chairman of the Million Boat Float closed out the rally.

"Some people have made a joke about the Million Boat Float. I can't give you the exact number, obviously it wasn't a million but what we are doing is representing the million people who will be directly effected by the activities in the Capitol."

Connelly also pointed out, "And to the press and the media, no one got paid to be here! There's no corporate financing."

Thanks to all the supporters that floated the Million Boat Float, that attended the Delta King get together, who towed their boats and a tractor around the Capitol and who cheered the speakers on. You did a marvelous job!

Keep the faith!

The full text of Bill Jennings's speech is below.

CSPA Comments: Press Conference, State Capitol
Bill Jennings
209-464-5067; 209-938-9053 (cell); www.calsport.org

August 17, 2009

Good Morning;

Welcome to the steps of the Twilight Zone.

One of the great estuaries of the world is hemorrhaging.  Fisheries that God created and nurtured over millennia are being destroyed by greed in mere decades.  The public trust is on the scaffold and water speculators have seized the throne.

And after 30 years of failing to solve the problem, our lawmakers are rushing forth with a patchwork package of bills in the last three weeks of this legislative session. 

Bills that were developed in secrecy, are internally inconsistent, fiscally irresponsible and abandon any pretence of responsible oversight and due diligence. 

Bills that will not restore the Delta or provide reliable supply - but will devastate the Delta economy, send fisheries into oblivion and turn the estuary into a backwater cesspool.

The authors claim they're not authorizing a peripheral canal.   They're only giving a Governor who has declared his intent to build it - the majority of votes on a council that has the authority to fund and construct it.

The authors of these bills ask us to believe:
1.     You can best solve the Delta's problems by excluding the farmers, fishermen, businessmen and communities who live and work in the Delta from the process.

2.     Restoration is best achieved by placing the fate of the estuary in the hands of the architects of its destruction.

3.     More laws and additional bureaucracy are necessary because we can't bring ourselves to enforce and comply with existing law.

4.     Diverting the Sacramento River around the estuary can restore fisheries and improve water quality.

5.     The most junior water rights are co-equal with Delta restoration.

6.     Delta agriculture should be sacrificed so that we can continue to provide subsidized water to irrigate impaired lands in the desert that belch toxic wastes back to our rivers.

7.     A few hundred industrial farms in the south Valley deserve the same amount of Delta water as the 20 million people and the economic engines of the south coast and Santa Clara Valley.

8.     Urban areas must become 20% more water efficient but it is unacceptable to apply any targets to farmers, who use 80% of the water. 

Above all, they ask us to ignore the elephant in the room.  

We have promised more water than we can deliver.  Any first step in restoring the Delta and providing reliable supply must begin with bringing supply and water rights into balance - adjudication.

A 1951 Congressional Committee concluded that California water was over appropriated and failure to adjudicate would create (I quote) “a legal Frankenstein.”   These bills are the product of the sons-of-Frankenstein.

The last legislative Mad Hatter race to address a major issue in the waning hours of a session resulted in energy deregulation.  We all remember that 50 billion dollar fiasco.

It is time to stop this impending train wreck and go back to the drafting boards.  Solutions to our water crisis will only come through a thoughtful deliberative process that is open to public scrutiny and inclusive o