Papan putting water in focus

Mr. Water here with a catch-up post on newly minted Assemblywoman Diane Papan's early attention to.....water.  She had a Guest Perspective in the DJ a week ago and it merits some additional coverage as we see how the proposed legislation progresses.  First and foremost, I give her kudos for focusing on something important and suitable for Sacramento to deal with.  I wish some of our other representatives had the same approach.  After the dutiful bow to climate change, we learn from her piece:

That’s why I have made water — the adequacy of supply, equitable distribution, cleanliness and availability — one of my top legislative priorities.

As such, one of my bills, Assembly Bill 753, will ensure that communities harmed by pollution receive state funding to clean up local waters. The bill reforms the State Water Board’s Cleanup and Abatement Fund to require half of these funds be dedicated to cleaning up the most polluted waterways, improving monitoring and developing community capacity so disadvantaged communities can participate fully in addressing water quality.

I'm left wondering what we have been doing with the other half all this time? 

I have also introduced two bills to help ensure reliable, affordable water supplies. Assembly Bill 754 would improve conservation planning by urban and agricultural water agencies by establishing localized conservation measures if water storage falls below specified levels. With the likelihood of more severe droughts, we need to ensure that we’re ready to conserve during times of scarcity.

I'd love to see part of these bills address the reasonableness of cities Urban Water Management Plans as I noted here back in 2021.  Some important data and forecasts just don't pass the smell test.  Having BAWSCA do a roll-up of all of the forecasts from all of its agencies would also be useful.  Next is the bow to some sort of equity

Finally, Assembly Bill 755 addresses rising water rates that are often driven by those who use the most. The bill requires urban water agencies to evaluate what new water supply investments could be avoided if the largest — often most affluent — residential users were to reduce water use. These thirsty users can require an agency to make expensive investments to develop additional water supply and infrastructure, driving up costs for all, including low-income residents and residents who already conserve. This bill can help ensure fairness, encourage conservation and tackle high water costs.

Notice the assumptions embedded.  Affluent people don't conserve, but low-income people do.  Fact-check, please.  Additionally, what expensive investments are being made to develop additional supply around here?  I guess I missed that.  There is of course the big investment to send more NorCal water to SoCal, but I doubt that is what she's talking about.  The maintenace work on the pipe from Hetch Hetchy is needed but doesn't add capacity.  I get worried when I see the word "fairness" creep into legislation.  In a lot of places, its meaning has become inverted such that unfair treatment is masquerading as fair.  Let's not have water flow down the same pipe as the unfair proposals to base electricity prices on users' income.

Comments

[Joe]

You might ask yourself what he means by Sacto representatives focused on crazy stuff. Here is today's example courtesy of the Comicle:

The emergence of a college sports revenue-sharing bill has left Olympic and women’s sports advocates concerned for the future of their programs in California.

Assembly Bill 252, introduced by Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, would require each Division I school in California to establish a “degree completion fund” as a means of paying its head-count scholarship athletes their “fair-market value.” The bill defines the value as an equal share of half their team’s annual revenue, minus the cost of the athlete’s grant-in-aid.

The proposed law calls for the schools to share 50% of revenue to athletes considered “undervalued” because they would earn a higher market price than the value of their athletic scholarships. Most revenue sports at Division I schools are football, men’s basketball and a few women’s basketball or volleyball teams, but few Olympic and women’s sports.

Click through to see the full extent of what kind of an idiot we have from Pasadena in Sac:

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/college/article/college-revenue-bill-s-fallout-worries-advocates-18138753.php

[Paloma Ave]

I hope the Papan sisters are nothing like Assemblyman Lou Papan!

[Phinancier]

And ever more bond money for infrastructure even when we just had a Hundred Billion Dollar budget surplus last year.