Well, I blew a great opportunity for a picture. We went to a wine grape stomp this evening. Sheryl and I got into the vat and stomped. Don't worry, we washed our feet. What I forgot was to take a picture of my meet in the grapes. Doggone it. You'll have to use your imagination.
On the farm- we are waiting for the cotton to defoliate. It is waaaay ahead of schedule. I set the schedule for October 15th. It is turning so fast I told Ruben that we need to get the equipment ready for the 8th. We will take a good look at the fields Monday and see if we are ready to go.
I'll tell you how that goes next week. Meanwhile I will share my two cents on the Water Bond on next month's ballot. Spoiler alert- I am not impressed with the choices our friends in Sacramento have left us with. OK, that is not a real big surprise is it?
2014 Water Bond: Hold
Your Nose and Vote
by Paul H. Betancourt
Copyright October 2014
“The big idea is that the future of California needs a lot of
water”
Gov.
Jerry Brown
August
8, 2014
Because of the
failure of our friends in Sacramento ‘We the People’ get to vote on a water
bond in November. Instead of doing their job they have left us with a tough
decision: Do we borrow even more money to expand the state water system? Or, do we continue to strangle our farms and
cities?
Conservation Will Never Be
Enough-
There are those who say we can conserve our way out of
our problems. There is no doubt we must always be careful with our natural
resources, such as water. The fact that or cities lose 10% of their water
supply due to leaky pipes and infrastructure is, at the very least, an
embarrassment. You would consider me a poor farmer if I wasted ten percent of
my water. That being said, we can never conserve our way out of this problem.
As the governor says, “the big idea is that
the future of California needs a lot of water.” There are more people in
California every year. While we can use more climate appropriate landscaping
there are still basic food and sanitation needs for our population.
Storage, Finally-
In the new water bond there is $2.5
Billion for water new reservoirs-finally. Please see my previous comments on
population growth. There are those who fight new reservoir construction. They
have their heads in the sand. As Governor Brown says, “The big
idea is that the future of California needs a lot of water.” There are people in California every year. Our
farms and our cities need a stable water supply.
Water Pork? Probably.
Assemblyman, and former gubernatorial candidate, Tim
Donnelly of Southern California calls the water bond, “Gov. Brown’s Payoff to the Enviro-extremists.” Perhaps. He adds, “Proposition #1 isn’t a water infrastructure bond, it’s
nothing more than a $7.12 Billion payoff to the enviro-extremists who control
natural resources in California. What else do you call it when over 50% of the
money is being used to fund the daily operations of those agencies whose goal
is deny every drop of water to agriculture and industry in our state so that
the fish can flourish while the farmers die?” That’s a fair question. But, this is the choice we have to
make.
Is this
bond that bad? Well, there is a lot of money that does not go to storage and
does go to pet projects. Not all of these projects are pork. We can improve
conservation, and that is a good thing, even
if it will not solve all of our problems.
But, the reality is that this is the best
deal we are going to get. There is $3.5 Billion less pork than the water bond
Schwarzenegger was able to negotiate. There is $2.5 Billion for new water
storage. In the midst of an epic drought folks in our cities and in Southern
California are finally paying attention. If we do not pass this bond we will
have lost the opportunity of a generation.
We Are Left with an Imperfect Choice
This is another example of why we are warned not to watch
legislation or sausage being made. It is an ugly process. I am not 100% happy
with the water bond. But, I figured out a long time ago it is not a perfect
world. I have gotten to the point where I don’t vote for many bonds because I
am concerned about debt. To paraphrase P.J. O’Rourke, “Giving more money and
power to politicians is like giving alcohol and car keys to teenagers.” But,
now is the time and this is our choice. If we do not pass this bond what we
have seen this year will become the new normal: farm land fallow and dried up
yards. We deserve better. California deserves better.
Brown, Jerry http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/08/14/4069385/75-billion-water-bond-headed-to.html#storylink=cpy
Donnely, Tim http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-California/2014/09/19/The-Water-Bond
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