[Sosfbay-discuss] Platform Proposal at GA

[Wes Rolley]

I want to take this opportunity to ask all delegates attending the GA to 
vote for the water plank as it is presented for approval. If you are not 
going to attend yourselves, please contact your county's delegates and 
urge approval.

Three current events dictate that we need this to be passed now.

1) The one receiving the most press is the fact that Governor 
Schwarzenegger has threatened to allow 600 bills, passed by the 
legislature, to die for lack of his signature.  The issue?  The 
legislature has not passed a solution to California's Water crisis that 
the Governor likes... you know... one that would allow for new dams and 
a major new canal... both the be named as the Governor's legacy. Thus, 
the urgency to take some action now, not next spring.

2) A group of concerned organizations will providing an alternative to 
the Governor this week.  The recommendations will be discussed during a 
media teleconference call on Friday, October 9, at 11:00 am.   I quote 
from a release received last night.
> Restore the Delta, representatives of the Delta community, fishing 
> organizations, and environmental groups will unveil alternative water 
> policy recommendations they are submitting to Governor Arnold 
> Schwarzenegger, Senate Pro Tem Steinberg, and Assembly Speaker Bass 
> Friday as they consider solutions to the state’s eminent water problems.
> "These policies will put California on the right track toward a 
> resilient water system founded on a sense of stewardship and 
> responsibility for the precious water resources we are privileged to 
> have," according to a statement from the groups. 
The Green Party was instrumental in helping Restore the Delta get 
started.  The first open invitation public meeting of this grassroots 
organization was Co-Sponsored by the Green Party of California after 
approval through GIWG.  The solutions that will be brought forth are 
very much in line with the content of the water plank, especially as 
both deal with regional water planning the call for the inclusion of ALL 
affected parties. Restore the Delta includes developer, agricultural and 
local governmental interests along with environmental and fishing 
advocates.    Besides Restore the Delta, the groups that have joined to 
develop these new recommendations are: Planning and Conservation League, 
Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, Clean Water Action, Sierra 
Club California, California Water Impact Network, California 
Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Friends of the River and the Southern 
California Watershed Alliance.

Passage of the water plank will establish that the GPCA is on the right 
side of the battle lines here and offer an opportunity for additional 
state wide publicity.

3).  The most recent report from the UN concerning climate change 
(September, 2009)  makes it clear that the world is not doing enough to 
prevent further damage to life on earth.  In much of California, that 
will be felt as a change in the availability of water.  Both the amounts 
of precipitation and their timing will change, with the biggest losses 
coming from a decreased ability to store water as mountain snow.  In 
fact, the very changes that Schwarzenegger proposes are large scale, 
very expensive and will not solve the problems of continued drought.
Last night, I took a walk down to the reservoir that I can see from my 
deck.  When standing near the current water line, I was well over 20 
feet below the high water mark.  It is clear that in times like now, 
there is not enough available water to keep the current reservoirs 
full.  It makes little sense in the time of worsening droughts to build 
more dams to capture less water.

The way out of this is to develop and support the type of bio-regional 
planning that is put forward in the water plank.

I urge all to get this done this GA and not to let it drag on again.

-- 
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth" Roberto Clemente

Wes Rolley
17211 Quail Court, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
http://www.refpub.com/ -- Tel: 408.778.3024