Delta Stewardship Council

[wjorg]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/26/MNB01E0QML.DTL

Nice to see there is a biologist or restorative ecologist on the council. Oh wait, there isnt...

[Darian]

Walter, Walter, Walter,.... What did you expect with all of the money interests at stake.... :question: :wink: The Council is nothing more than another place for elected officials (political hacks) who've been termed out of office but want to have their names out there in the public again for future campaigns for higher offices.... :mad: Sorry about the rant. :oops:

If the Chron is correct about Huffman's bill to provide financing for the latest iteration, money would be raised from those who benefit from the activities of the council. My concern about this would be how does the bill define benefit and how is the cost spread over beneficiaries.... :question: Interpreted on a broad scale, the associated costs could be spread evenly (regardless of the amount of water used) over anyone who lives, makes their living or recreates in/or around the delta (including north coast commercial/recreational Salmon fisherman). The same would apply to everyone who benefits from use of Delta water (e.g. everything from the Delta south including the Antelope Valley). On the surface, this method would appear to be the easiest to implement but would have a disproportionately large impact on minimal water users and would not encourage conservation. :neutral:

On the other hand, fees could be spread (targeted) proportionately to water users by the amount of water used per entity. Under this idea, a higher proportion of costs would be paid by those users who're developers/growers and who sell their excess water rights, municipal and industrial water users and those who receive water through purchases for speculation as they are the major beneficiaries over water removed from the Delta. This option would appear to encourage reduced usage and promote conservation of resources. However, it might be the mots difficult to implement/administer. :-k

At any rate, anything we say won't have a lot to do with the actual outcome.... ](*,) ](*,)