Save the California Delta Alliance (STCDA)

Here’s a summary of the latest info I’ve found regarding candidates and propositions for the Delta:

Candidates for Governor of California

Democrats:

• #1 Delaine Eastin (D) Strongly opposed: She had the best answer of all of the candidates: ”The tunnels are the Peripheral Canal with a lid on it. The state isn’t doing water planning. We’re just doing expensive things like tunnels — an old idea.” She has also stated she favors groundwater recharge and not more dams. That is the right direction. She’s strong and tough and not taking big money so wouldn’t be influenced by the L.A. Developers and big agribusiness owners.
• #2 Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Opposed to the tunnels: He wants to look at all the options first, like conservation, and the latest technologies and alternatives to the tunnels. (I put him #2 because he wants to “look at other options first” and didn’t say he would not go ahead with the tunnels. Plus he’s from L.A. and on the side of the Central Valley farmers, so it worries me things could change once elected).
• #3 John Chiang (D) Sounds like he is Opposed: He has stated “My first priority is to preserve the delta.” I haven’t seen him specifically state he is opposed to the tunnels. Gov. Brown claims the tunnels are good for the Delta, after all. I want to hear him state his opposition clearly.
• #4 Newsom (D) Thinks One Tunnel is Needed. That’s bad if it goes through the current though-Delta construction zone and unless operational constraints are mandated which hasn’t been successful in the past. On the good side, he wants to reduce reliance on the Delta by focusing on regional solutions, investing in recycling and ground water replacement, and conservation. But one tunnel through the Delta is bad.

Republicans – both are “Opposed” but …

• #1 – John Cox (R) Opposes the tunnels but doesn’t believe in climate change so it is unclear how/if he would address the problems in the Delta. On the other hand, he is against corporate money in politics, so maybe he’d be one to push back on Stewart Resnick and his big ag cronies.
• #2 – Travis Allen (R) is opposed (that’s good) but he has a total lack of understanding about water in California. He wants to build dams so every home can have green lawns and thinks we have more than enough water to send to the “enormously productive Central Valley that has lacked water for years, and Southern California”. Dams are not today’s solution. With climate change the Sierras will be having less water, not more. We need more regional self-sufficiency through new technologies and conservation. Most of California is a desert. Green lawns need to be replaced. We don’t need more “profitable” almonds.

Green Party

• #1 Josh Jones is Opposed and has a good understanding of the issues.
• #2 Chris Carlson seems opposed but all I found as his “statement” was a silly poem. So I can’t take him seriously.

Other Races

I haven’t researched the candidates in other races, but can comment about what our current incumbents have been doing for the Delta and they have been great:

• Jerry McNerney for U.S. Congress is an extremely strong advocate for the Delta and adamantly opposed to the tunnels. He helped stop the 2-Gates project – remember? That was where we almost lost our main navigation channel up Old River when they were going to dam it and Connection Slough. Since then he has continued to speak out and work on legislation that would be good for the Delta (like his W.E.S.T. Act) and oppose legislation that would harm the Delta.
• Jim Frazier, CA Assembly District 11, is an outspoken advocate for the Delta and continues to be a thorn in the Governor’s side. Frazier formed the Delta Legislative Caucus last year and brought the State Auditor out to the people where she slammed the cost/benefits analysis (or lack thereof) for the tunnels. Frazier pushed a bill to dissolve the Delta Stewardship Council (the group of thugs who are supposed to be protecting the Delta and instead we say they have become the “Tunnel Stewardship Council”). Jim’s bill got stopped by the big oil and big ag representatives who were the majority. Frazier’s Stop the Tunnels sign on his office balcony was annoying the Governor whenever he walked by it (haha). Frazier now lives in Discovery Bay. He feels the pain right with us. He’s always given us support and resources.

Propositions

Prop 68 – I’m trying to get more information on this one. The Sierra Club backs it but I want to make sure there isn’t anything in there that could be used to support the tunnels or if that is addressed anywhere in the measure to be sure they don’t sneak and shift money around.