Posts From Wayne Lusvardi
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Water deal turnoff helped parch L.A.
Los Angeles sure could use extra water right now. But in 2002 the water-locked city forfeited a Golden State opportunity to buy drought-relief water from the Cadiz Inc. water company, mainly due to political pressure from environmental organizations. Other more nimble public water agencies and
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In fighting drought, San Antonio leaves L.A. in the dust
Could cities such as drought-vulnerable Los Angeles come to regret that a “privatization” provision in the old $11.1 billion state water bond was removed? Back in 2009, there was an outcry against language in the original version of a
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After gamble backfires, L.A. demands refund from banks
In the San Francisco Bay area, public transit riders are paying $104 million in higher rider fees to cover the cost of exotic financial insurance known as an interest rate swap. In Detroit, the inability of the city to
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Expert says drought did not cause Napa quake
Natural disasters predictably bring up speculation about causes. On radio shows, callers have been wondering whether the ongoing drought or fracking caused the 6.0 Richter scale South Napa Earthquake on Aug. 24. It’s true that, just before the quake, scientists reported that a
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Appeals court backs property rights
Pasadena is known for its famous tree-lined streets. It now also may be known for the trees becoming the key in the first case in California to establish that a city’s urban forestry programs can be subject to “inverse condemnation”
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Fed bills could be key to CA water storage
There was a lot of hoopla last week over the California Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown putting a bipartisan water bond on the Nov. 4 ballot that, for the first time in nearly 50 years, actually includes storage. Proposition 1 would
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Prop. 1 bond funds non-water bureaucracy
Proposition 1, the new $7.5 billion water bond just passed by the Legislature, contains water storage in an statewide bond for the first time since 1965. It will go before voters on Nov. 4. The previous 21 water bonds
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Legislature passes first water storage bond in 50 years
With the drought still drying up the state, the California Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown Wednesday poured out a $7.5 billion water bond that includes $2.7 billion for water storage. If voters give their approval this November, this will
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Switch to almond farming hits water policy
Got almonds? California rice farmers are shifting to growing higher-priced almonds, whose acreage jumped by more than 50 percent last year, to offset the high price of water during the drought. But there will be many unforeseen consequences, especially as
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$1 billion difference splits bond measures
It’s becoming clear the main difference between the four major water bonds being floated is $1 billion. The $1 billion is the difference between the $3 billion Republicans say is needed for water storage, and the $2 billion in
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