It’s the latest trend among those in power – circumventing the normal political process with urgency replacing the painstaking scientific work, and when called to task for the crime, blame the other fellow for not thinking for you.
The financial crisis in Washington has emboldening every political hack with a year or less on his term to “fast track” legislation, but there’s still no surrogate for careful planning and research, especially when it comes to Mother Nature.
Now them idiot cabinet secretaries appointed by Schwarznegger insist they can build the peripheral canal without asking the legislature or voters. For those out of state, the peripheral canal is California’s answer to keeping the desert in full bloom, tapping the Sacramento River in Northern California and swinging the water around the Delta to fill the faucets of Los Angeles.
It was soundly defeated by voters in 1982.
The bad news is that the move will continue the orderly destruction of the Sacramento river delta, and what little remains of the Chinook salmon run.
It’s only 15 Billion dollars, and since Schwarzenegger is already in Washington with hat in hand, and his state controller issuing proclamations of the state running out of money in 45 days, might as well “double down” on the handout. How else can they fund the project without asking voters?
I assume they figure no one will ask what was done with the cash, so what’s the worry.
I can’t make the case that urgency warrants bad legislation. The fact that “everyone else is doing it” sets a precedent, but it’s a shameful one. We’d hoped we were electing our best and brightest, instead we got another set of clowns that copied someone else’s homework.
This topic is so hot, it just smelted my screen.
If I see Mikey C. on the elevator on Monday, want me to hand him this post?
“No, sir, I have no idea who wrote it…”
No need, I’ll tell him when I see him. The guy is a first class tool, how does he figure he can commit the state to a 45 Billion dollar project without asking anyone?
(I’ve seen estimates that purchasing the right of way costs more than construction, somewhere near 30 Billion – and 15 Billion more to construct it.)
…right in the middle of an economic tsunami.
Someone ties his shoes in the morning.
Making it all better is what they left out (they cribbed almost all their recommendations from the Delta Vision report).
They’ve eliminated the separate Delta governance group and the constitutional amendment protecting the Delta from the gig – any guesses as to why?
Fuckers.
I suspect the lawyers are licking their chops over this one. Trying to circumnavigate the voters and the legislature will undoubtedly spawn the mother of all lawsuits. Another fine use of state funds.
I find this horribly disheartening. Dimwit politicians have 4 or more years to effect change, then they cite some loophole in the waning moments in office and commit the taxpayer to another decade of honerous taxes.
It’s the bailout mentality as interpreted by dummies, “I didn’t get what I wanted so I’ll make it someone else’s problem.”
It’s time to employ the “adobe wall” method of natural selection.