Agriculture is a powerful economic engine in California, employing millions of people directly and indirectly in a climate that is nearly perfect for growing and shipping. Yet we do not have to seem to have an overall policy for or actual control of the single most important resource necessary to ensure cost effective productivity. However, we also have to acknowledge that there are “micro-regions” that each of significant differences in water issues even though they are geographically very near each other. For example, the 28th Assembly District includes parts of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties, and all of San Benito County. Monterey County’s water supply is self-contained and deals with significant issues such as salt water intrusion while San Benito County benefits from the Federal Reclamation program which has been subject to cut-off due to judicial interference. Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties are affected by similar issues and ones that are unique to them.
That said, the legislature needs to take action. Overall, regulations on business must be reduced , which in turn will increase productivity in California. For agriculture, that means reviewing any regulations that were put in place based on “junk science” and/or did not take the economic costs to agriculture and the people into account. We also have to demand leadership in the executive and legislative branches to take back control of state resources where the federal government has intruded.
My plan includes:
· The legislature needs to direct the executive branch to take steps to gain back control of water from the federal government. We are at the mercy of Federal regulations and the judiciary system whose rulings and actions may have been primarily based on imperfect science and analysis conducted by special interest groups.
· Having the economic impact of water diversion from agriculture well understood. We then need to reassess the impact of existing regulations on the economic engines of California and reduce, repeal, and replace laws that are counter-productive.
· The legislature must adopt an overall policy which results in a balance both recognizing a water shortage throughout all western states and allowing growers the ability to maximize their production efficiency.
There is no doubt that water is always going to be a contentious issue in California. However, instead of over reacting and shutting down economic activity, we need to work on solutions that make sense and are fair to all concerned parties.
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