In this story from today’s Bee the changing attitude towards resolving the flood problem for Sacramento emerges more clearly as national congressional leadership, with an understanding of basic physics (you stop uncontrollable water by plugging the flow), reminds the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Capitol-to-Capitol trip of that fact.
The chamber, officially in support of the Auburn Dam on the American River, will soon return with ideas and plans gained from their annual spring trip to Washington, and we hope it will include this central concept as part of the long-term strategy, while embracing levee strengthening, spillway enhancement and the raising of Folsom Dam as short-term ones.
Here is an excerpt.
Sacramento Chamber hears pitch for dams
By David Whitney -- Bee Washington BureauPublished 2:00 pm PDT Monday, May 1, 2006
Editor's Note: The headline of this article has been changed to more accurately reflect the remarks of Rep. Jerry Lewis.
WASHINGTON -- The Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce had come to Washington to lobby for levee repairs.
What they got Monday instead was an earful from key Republicans who were pushing their own plan for flood protection - a new Auburn dam.
Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, never mentioned the Auburn dam by name in his luncheon remarks to the chamber's 416 delegates taking part in the annual Cap to Cap - or Capitol to Capitol - lobbying trip to Washington.
But Lewis said the Sacramento region is at a crossroads in long-range flood prevention, and that "we can get cheaper and longer range flood protection by building dams."
Lewis was invited to give the luncheon address by Rep. John Doolittle, R-Roseville, the leading congressional champion of an Auburn dam, who candidly acknowledged that he is trying to stir debate within the chamber over the dam's construction. Dam supporters so far include only a smattering of Republicans, albeit some in powerful committee positions like the one Lewis holds.
"In the past, Auburn was not really considered by this group," Doolittle said.
But John Lambeth, a real estate attorney serving as chair of the chamber's 80-member flood and water lobbying team, said the six-county business organization is still officially on record in support of an Auburn dam even though its construction is not part of the current agenda.
