In this editorial from the Bee Monday, the legislature is urged to focus any bond creating legislation towards solving the flooding issue and we couldn’t agree more.
The attention being paid to flooding issues, locally and nationally, has created a window of opportunity flood threatened cities like Sacramento need legislative leaders to act on.
While we can never underestimate the ability of the state legislature to become bogged down in its own self-interest, even when public interest is so glaringly obvious, we remain hopeful leadership will arise to compel action.
Here is an excerpt.
Editorial: Bonds or bust?
Legislature: Focus on flood control, schools
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, March 6, 2006
The Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have until March 10 to agree on any bond proposals for voters to consider on the June ballot.
There is no shortage of bond proposals, from prison construction to coastal preservation. There is a shortage of time, however. And there is a shortage of political ability - among both the Democrats who lead the Legislature and the Republican governor - when it comes to quickly finding common ground.
The only chance of success lies in narrowing the playing field. In the time remaining, the governor and lawmakers must focus on the one or two issues that seem doable. One is flood control. The other is education.
Chances are very high that the state could easily and wisely spend $2 billion or even more on flood control, based on established needs. The state needs matching funds for federal projects that are already authorized, particularly throughout the Sacramento region. And the backlog of levee maintenance problems is growing with every new discovery, such as a worrisome seepage problem along the Sacramento River near the fast-growing Natomas community.
Democrats in the Legislature are second-guessing why Schwarzenegger in recent days has switched his financial strategy on flood control, abandoned expectations of huge federal support and proposed that the state front $6 billion in flood control funds. The ground is shifting here because the facts on the ground are shifting; the Bush administration has indicated no interest in meaningful help for California. This is enough reason to redouble efforts here in California for a state flood control bond; it is no reason to waste time pointing fingers.
