This story from the Bee yesterday reveals that the governor appears to be asuming the leadership role needed to fix the levees and is asking for $6 billion to do so, and we heartily support moving into the big money range to fix what is a big time flooding danger.
Bigger levee bond urged
Failing to get U.S. pledge of help, governor wants voters to approve the full $6 billion.
By David Whitney and Amy Chance -- Bee Staff Writers Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, March 1, 2006
WASHINGTON - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, after lobbying the White House without immediate success Tuesday for help in fixing Central California levees, proposed asking voters to approve $6 billion for repairs rather than wait for federal help.
Schwarzenegger originally had proposed a state bond package that included raising $2.5 billion for flood control over 10 years. That plan would have relied on another $3 billion from the federal government and $500 million from local governments. In a letter late Tuesday to Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, he proposed that the state front the full $6 billion cost.
"I realize that by assuming responsibility for entire costs of levee repair up front we may lessen the pressure on the federal government to provide its share of the cost, but I believe the threat of levee failure in California is too great and we must take action," Schwarzenegger wrote. "We will continue to seek reimbursement by the federal government for its share of repair costs, but, in the meantime, we will not delay critical repairs."
Democrats said Schwarzenegger's change in plans is an admission that he was unable to secure any commitments from the Bush administration. They said it reduces pressure on the federal government to provide funds in the future, and will make it difficult to negotiate an overall bond package in time for the June statewide ballot.
"It's the administration's incredible-changing infrastructure plan," said Núñez spokesman Steve Maviglio. "Why would the feds give us a dime knowing we're going to put apparently unlimited funds into the issue?"
If approved by voters, the $6 billion would mean faster progress on levee repairs and bolster protection for urban areas, including Sacramento, said Les Harder, acting deputy director of public safety at the state Department of Water Resources.
The money would mean that projects outlined by the governor when he first detailed his bond package could be completed without languishing during battles for federal matching funds, Harder said.
"California has a flood crisis," he said, and one of the lessons of Hurricane Katrina is that repairs now could avert devastating losses. "Flood control is extremely expensive, but something has to be done."
