Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
March 7, 2008
1. Top Item
Feinstein chastises
Associated Press – 3/6/08
By Samantha Young, staff writer
The move by Feinstein—the dean of California Democrats—comes two weeks after she and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that water talks had restarted.
In a letter obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, Feinstein said she was dismayed to learn that her party's leadership has refused to negotiate since then with the governor and legislative Republicans.
"I am deeply disappointed," she wrote. "This is not in keeping with the spirit of our agreement to try to find a way forward."
The letter was dated Wednesday and addressed to state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-
Lawmakers had been scheduled to meet several times over the past two weeks, but the gatherings were canceled except for one on Tuesday, which was not attended by any Senate Democrat. The reason: scheduling conflicts or miscommunication about meeting dates, said Lynda Gledhill, a spokeswoman for Perata.
Nunez dispatched Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis, to Tuesday's meeting with Schwarzenegger and legislative Republicans. She is one of the Assembly's leading experts on water, but Feinstein's letter said Wolk did not have the authority to negotiate.
Nunez's spokesman said Wolk's presence at that meeting was evidence that the speaker is serious about reaching an agreement on water policy.
In fact, the governor's aide on water issues, John Moffatt, sent a Feb. 25 e-mail to legislative staffers requesting that Perata, Nunez and their Republican counterparts send designees to negotiate a water bond, according to a copy of the e-mail obtained by the AP.
"Unlike in
Sen. Mike Machado, D-Linden, said Thursday that he had introduced a $6.8 billion bond proposal to jump-start legislative talks. The plan includes water storage and protection for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta but has failed to generate Republican support.
Feinstein came to
In her letter this week, Feinstein said she hoped both parties would return to negotiations and strike a compromise, but also warned that time is running out.
A coalition of business and agricultural groups has said it is prepared to place a water initiative on the November ballot and faces an April 28 deadline to turn in petition signatures.
Schwarzenegger has urged lawmakers to make water policy a priority. He said the state's half century-old system of reservoirs and canals is inadequate for the state's ever-growing population, especially with the lighter Sierra snowpack anticipated by global climate change.
The governor last year called a special session of the Legislature to try to get a water bond on the February ballot, but lawmakers failed to get it done.
Republicans and Democrats have been unable to reach a deal because of disagreements over whether to build new dams and a canal to move fresh water around the delta.
"We agree with Senator Feinstein that we need to close on a legislative solution very soon. And if that's not going to happen, we need to look at other options to get a comprehensive water package on the November ballot," Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said.
One of those options could be the $11.6 billion bond written by the business and farming coalition.
The California Chamber of Commerce, which is leading the coalition, said last week it would not gather the signatures to qualify the bond for the November ballot while the governor and Feinstein negotiated with state lawmakers.
But if negotiations sputter, the group could restart its effort.
The proposed ballot initiative is opposed by environmental groups and Democratic leaders, who object to new dams and a canal. Democrats prefer increased water conservation measures as way to meet the needs of
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8480238
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