It’s here. The Joint Legislative Budget Committee hearing on the State Water Project contract extension and Delta tunnels amendments has been scheduled for THIS THURSDAY, August 30 at 8 AM. Their decision to schedule this meeting at the eleventh hour with no public notice has transformed a public meeting into a backroom deal.
We cannot let the JLBC play dirty and win—we need a strong turnout of Delta advocates at the hearing to stand up for the Delta, sane water management practices, and honest public process
Currently, we are unaware of where the hearing will take place. Please keep an eye on your email for the exact hearing location and address over the next two days.
In the meantime, we must aggressively call three key state legislators: Senator Holly Mitchell, President pro Tempore of the State Senate Toni Atkins, and Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon. These legislators will decide if California should OK a 50-year blank check water contract that would clear yet another path for the Delta tunnels.
Your call could have an enormous impact. Staffers will be tallying the calls they receive.
Call key these state legislators making this decision today. Here’s how:
1. Call Senator Holly Mitchell, Chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee: (916) 651-4030 Sacramento Office; or (213) 745-6656 Los Angeles Office;
2. Call President pro Tempore of the State Senate Toni Atkins: (916)651-4039 Sacrmanto; or 619-645-3133 San Diego Office;
3. Call Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon: (916) 319-2063 Sacramento Office; or (562) 529-3250 Lakewood Office;
4. Tell these key decision makers:
“Your upcoming decision on the State Water Contract will impact taxpayers and our water throughout the entire State of California. I urge you to delay the informational hearing until all information regarding financing of the Delta tunnels has been provided to the legislature and public input can be given. It is completely irresponsible to give no notice of a public meeting, and by proxy discourage input from constituents. It is also irresponsible that legislators are expected to make an informed decision without access to contract amendments and no idea what the cost impacts would be for taxpayers and water ratepayers.”
BACKGROUND
Governor Brown is pushing to build two massive water tunnels in Northern California to send water primarily to large agribusinesses. The tunnels will destroy the SF Bay-Delta estuary, leaving urban ratepayers and property taxpayers with the bill. You would pay the $19.9 billion, plus interest and overruns for a total of $50 billion, but get none of the water, especially if water is rerouted to the Central Valley Project’s agricultural users.
Supporters of the tunnels do not have the full funding for the multibillion billion project approved yet, but they want the State Legislature to allow them to extend a key water contract for 50-years as a way to stick Californians with the project for good. But the legislature hasn’t even been provided a full copy of a proposed contract on the tunnels or a basic financial analysis!
Once they hold this final hearing, they give up ALL legislative oversight on changes to the state water contract that will be in effect for the next 50 years. This contract change provides state water contractors a virtual blank check with no Legislative oversight on future projects like the tunnels.
Thank you for your continued advocacy. It takes a team effort to ensure that the best water management decisions are made for Californians by our legislative leaders.
Yours in Service,
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla
Restore the Delta
This is an outrageous back room deal to cut the public and environmental experts out of the process. Californians need to work together to solve our water problem. The only reason the Rendon and Atkins are doing this is because there is so much opposition to the tunnel project. All the more reason to slow this down, not cram it down our throats. Thanks Barbara and Save the Delta for keeping us informed.
Stop the water grab….
Extinction is FOREVER! Rally around the celestially appointed planetary protectress’ furious and invincible effulgence.” Consider yourself part of the Family”…we are in this struggle in alliance with our non -human relatives in the Delta…that like the elders of California First nations people declare: “Depend on us for WISE stewardship!” The Green sturgeon nation , the Delta Smelta nation , the endemic native Salmon nations barely holding on in the California homelands from thee anthropocentric effects of Industrial Civiliziation; appropriating to much of every thing in cluding the state free running water resources now DAMMED , overDAMMED and mega DAMMED! It imperative when we move out and appear on these Sacred nation behalf at the meeting Tomorrow; we invite outselves into HER domain, and consiously realize we are in solidarity with a mytholgical being much large, much much much more lasting than ourselves>Victory to these riverlife defenders ! Phuro! Phuro! Phuro! BE INSPIRED! as we assemble at the bogusly convened state water resource board orbital meetings in Sac” on the 30th!
Please save Northern California
The cartels and mobsters held back door meetings such as this to hide what they were doing against the law and the people . These legislatures are doing the same thing, to hide from the voters their barbaric and illegal actions. There are no voters in this state who want these tunnels. No Tunnels!!!!!
When you serve the people, you must have the people’s input. When you bypass the people’s input, it becomes apparent that you only serve yourself. By the eay, the people don’t consider corporations to be the people, in case you haven’t hotten that memo.