Post Election Outlook....????

[Darian]

OK,.... The mid-term elections are over, altho some vote counts are not yet complete, and it looks like we'll be seeing some changes in the area of the environment and conservation of resources. For example, the media has reported that there is a renewed push to approve the Keystone Pipeline. Since there're several major projects on the drawing board around the country with politicians lining up to make themselves over to be perceived as "doers", it follows that we can look forward to the Delta tunnels, more dams, mining on the Smith River more development and ever increasing demands on our natural resources could/will become a part of our reality. All of these projects are two edged swords as they have potential negative effects on conservation/environment but create new economic opportunities in the form of growth/jobs. Depending on which side of the fence you're on, all of this could be good or bad.

[Lew Riffle]

And McClintock climbs into the saddle with rope in hand, ready to pull down everything but dams....at least we know what we got ....Wah Huh.

[Larry S]

With apologies to my friends on the right and all others,


The election is over,
the vote counting is done.
My side has lost,
your side has won.
Now let's all pull together
and let the bitterness pass.
I'll hug your Elephant,
and you kiss my Ass.


Best to all,
Larry S

[Darian]

Lol, lol, lol!!!!....

[JasonB]

All valid questions/concerns for sure. I've been trying not to get too worked up over what may potentially come to pass, but unfortunately I think that the timing of a lot of factors (some political, others like a running drought, not so much) could not have been much worse. It seems that we the people can only hold in our focus of interests so many things, and only for so long, moving from one concern to the next. I hope I'm wrong, but it doesn't seem that the concern for fisheries (or other environmental issues) is quite as high up on the list at the moment in the hearts and minds of the public. Luckily we do have a political system that does slow the tidal shifts from one extreme to the next a little bit, but the current outlook isn't so great along the conservation lines of thinking. The interesting thing here in California is that it really hasn't followed the more typical party line thinking, many Democrat and Republican politicians have been pretty much in favor of "progress" and "development" with environmental concerns (if any) taking a decidedly back seat position
JB

[Frank Alessio]

How are they going to regulate the flow through the twin tunnels....

[Darian]

According to the EIR/EIS, flows thru the tunnels will be regulated by requirements included in the permits issued by the regulating agency (DWR???). Other than that, flows are limited by the design of the intakes. When last I read it, each intake would supposedly allow 3,000 cfs to flow thru it and there are/were three proposed intakes. Of course, there are two tunnels proposed, one for water transport, the other for redundancy and maintenance capability (e.g. when the primary tunnel needs to be de-watered for whatever reason the second tunnel would take its place). Proposed regulations would divert/transport less volume than the design capacity of the proposed tunnels.

[Frank Alessio]

"If Voting made any difference they would not let us do it". Mark Twain