[GPCA Updates] GP RELEASE: Greens slam late-night water deal

[Green Party of California Updates]

Greens slam late-night water deal as attempt to build controversial peripheral 
canal and a 'commodification' of water to benefit the wealthy, and hurts 
average taxpayer

GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS RELEASE

SACRAMENTO (November 3, 2009) - The Green Party of California today slammed a 
late-night vote by the state senate to overhaul the state's water system - and 
approve a longstanding controversial peripheral canal - as a "commodification 
of water" that doesn't benefit Californians, other than wealthy land-owners.

The State Senate Monday night approved a plan to create a council to oversee 
management of the Delta; but it was largely seen as the beginning of a 
legislation to approve $9.9 billion in bonds to build new dams and the 
peripheral canal.

"The packaged water legislation will be sold as a triumph, and will, in fact, 
be a failure. It repeats the failures of another Democratic Party-backed 
solution to the same set of problems, Sen. Diane Feinstein's infamous CALFED 
Bay Delta Program," said Wes Rolley, Co-Chair, EcoAction Committee, Green 
Party of the U.S.

He said the action further creates a "bureaucracy without authority...setting 
goals without funding their implementation and getting all of California to 
pay for benefits of the a few large scale farms on the West side of the San 
Joaquin Valley.

"Water flows toward money and the tax payers of California are already 
subsidizing those who have both. One Westland Water District farm recently 
sold its water rights for $77 million. That is not what we want happening with 
our taxes," said Rolley.

This is an effort to privatize the profits of the few and to socialize the 
costs of water distribution on the backs of the many - the average taxpayer 
who is already footing the bills for mistakes that big banks and big business 
have made, said the Greens.

"These large farms pay less than $100 per acre foot for water and can easily 
resell it to urban users for $300 per acre foot and not lose their water 
rights. It is time to stop allowing major users to profit from the 
commodification of water," said Rolley.


The Green Party of California
Web: http://www.cagreens.org
EMail: gpca at greens.org