Infrastructure

Drought Wars: Where did the farm water go?

Where did that farm water go? That’s a major question stalking California during its record drought. The finger-pointing sure is under way. On Feb. 4, environmental writer Dan Bacher pointed at state water managers, claiming they made the California drought worse by

San Diego leaders embrace failed affordable-housing approach

Chris Reed February 5, 2014

As Eric Stratton so memorably put it in 1978 — or was it 1962? — sometimes a situation “requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody’s part.” Which brings us to the affordable-housing policies of the majority faction of

Sen. Steinberg advances drought bill

Wayne Lusvardi February 4, 2014

Yesterday state Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, released an outline of a drought reduction bill. Steinberg does not want to be outdone by Republican congressmen grabbing all the media attention for being the first to float an anti-drought

Water bill in Congress ‘puts families before fish’

Katy Grimes February 4, 2014

A bill to address California’s drought and future water supply in the House of Representatives has Gov. Jerry Brown angry. Brown said the water bill is “an unwelcome and divisive intrusion” into California’s effort to manage the state’s drought, the

Drought Wars: Dueling bills seek to balance fish and farmers

Wayne Lusvardi February 3, 2014

The sprinkles some areas of California have enjoyed the last couple of days have done almost nothing to alleviate the state’s severe drought. So the Drought Wars between Democrats and Republicans have continued. In several recent articles CalWatchdog.com has covered

Central Valley farm drought disaster might have been mitigated

Wayne Lusvardi January 31, 2014

The ongoing 100-year drought didn’t have to be a disaster for California farmers. The tragedy could have been predicted — and was. A little-known 2008 study by four graduate students at the University of California, Santa Barbara warned that farmers first

Will appeals court notice AG’s flip-flop on bullet train?

Chris Reed January 30, 2014

It took the California Supreme Court five days to unanimously reject Gov. Jerry Brown’s request that justices immediately consider a Superior Court ruling that the state’s bullet train project had an illegal business plan and lacked proper environmental reviews to

Drought War: GOP and Dems in fight over CA water policy

Wayne Lusvardi January 29, 2014

Call it the Drought War. Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is fighting with three Republican U.S. representatives over water policy in this parched state. On Jan. 17, Minority Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, Rep. Devin Nunes of Tulare and

CA ports and trade busy, but could be more competitive

Katy Grimes January 29, 2014

California is home to 11 major ports spanning the 1,000 miles of coast between the North Coast near Oregon, and San Diego County. California has not fully analyzed the state’s current trade system needs, nor are the port facilities fully

AG’s bullet-train appeal: Judges should know their place. LOL!

Chris Reed January 28, 2014

After rereading Attorney General Kamala Harris’ court filings from October and last week regarding the bullet train, I’m more convinced than ever that what we’re seeing from Harris and Gov. Jerry Brown is an elaborate charade to mask the fact