Front Page  »  

Water district bill escapes Assembly

May 28, 2014

vineyardsA bill to create a water district managing the Paso Robles water basin easily passed the state Assembly today on a 41-8 vote, and now goes to committees of the Upper House for consideration.

Sponsored by Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian (R-San Luis Obispo), AB 2453 is a response to efforts of about a dozen advocates of a district to regulate a basin that has been impacted by heavy agricultural irrigation.

When Achadjian’s bill was in its initial test before his own Local Government Committee, there were 10 letters of support, and more than 150 expressing opposition. Advocates, however, claim “widespread support” among community members.

The bill would allow formation of a “hybrid” California water district using a one-acre, one-vote concept. Ultimately the district’s management would be decided in the same manner, critics contend, allowing large landowners primary control.

Opposition to the bill and the water district as presently conceived centers around  voting procedures. Diverse groups from the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations to Teamsters of California are lobbying against it.

 


Loading...
Subjects:                 
Related:


22 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

It would have been easier to just say that the largest vineyards shall be in charge of all water decisions. The fun will be when the new water board assesses fees on a per parcel basis instead of per acre. Another step towards revolution.


0

The problem is the fat land pig Katcho. Just look at his campaign sponsors. He got money from the biggest murderer of all being Monsanto. Please people, vote this idiot out of office. He is a complete disgrace to even be service us. The people of North County need to go to war with the likes of the water pig Resnicks and company.


0

Now we know what Katcho actually stands for. Hopefully the Senate will be more intelligent than Katcho and his Democrat friends in the Assembly.


0

Money????


0

I guess me and my fellow serfs will have to get used to our new feudal reality. I now have new empathy for William Wallace in Braveheart.


0

Nice to see that the elected officials are responsive not to the majority but to whoever pays more for their vote.


0

“Easily passed” the Assembly on a 41 – 8 vote. I thought there were 80 members in the Assembly. This doesn’t sound like a huge win in any manner and it is a travesty that Katcho would promote this. He likes to imagine himself as a broker or peacemaker who brings everyone together. In reality he is being conned over and over again, by Governor Brown who calls him when he needs his vote, and now by big landowners. What a fool. Too bad we have to suffer him for another decade.


0

Even suffering is better in SLO County. Again if you want more fish, buy a bigger pond and if you want a bigger pond, buy a bigger farm. Commies hate that ability.


0

As long as the pricks wanting that “bigger pond” aren’t running around sucking the little guys ponds dry, sure why not.


0

The little guy’s little pond, agreed.


0

Jorge,


Do you not understand that in an aquafer, without some means of fair regulation, the guy who can drill the deepest can take all the water no matter who’s land it sits under? It doesn’t matter how much land he owns above — it is only whether or not he can afford to drill deep enough to drain the basin more than his neighbors.


This is what people are afraid of. It is not that the little guy wants more than his fair share of water (in most cases), it is that he is afraid that the big ag corporations will not only take their fair share but his as well. If the big ag corporations use their financial strength to get equally strong political strength via a water board, how can the little guy expect to fight when they enact rules that favor their interests? This is what they do in DC and there is no reason to think that they won’t apply the same methods locally if they can get away with it.


I suspect that fewer people would object if the big landowners were primarily ranching and farming families with a long local history and an attitude of preserving their operations far into the future. But when people like the Resnicks (or Gallos or ?) have a big say, watch how quickly they and their legal teams figure out how to manipulate local rules to benefit their short-term bottom line with no regard for anyone else.


0

Yeah baby more govt. More regulations. More bureaucracy. More fees and fines. I want to be in charge of this new water district. I’d give myself $196,000 per year like that guy in Oceano. Hire dozens of helpers and accomplish NOTHING. Please let me know where to apply.


0

Nothing new here. Local politicians continuing to ram whatever they want down the citizens throat. Until folks open their eyes to the cronyism going on in San Luis Obispo County, unwanted and illegal laws will be the norm here on the Central Coast.


I will note that there are strange bedfellows here with leftist organizations like Sierra Club and Unions alongside constitutionalists and property rights advocates.


0

What a shame, you own 5 acres you get 5 votes, you own 1000 acres you get 1000 votes, that is not democratic at all.


0

This is an old concept equally afforded to all, put you money where your mouth is.


0

Jorge’s right, it is an old concept. It’s called “feudalism”. See also “tyranny” and “oligarchy”.


0

You mean to say the guy with $5 gets 5 votes etc,etc. That is SLO democracy.


0

Not “SLO democracy”, Paso democracy!


0

If you are only speaking to money, absolutely yes. For ownership in tax liabiliy, why would a guy who pays $5 have the same vote as the party who pay $1000. So you think it’s fair to have 6 sluggards vote down 5 farmers? I say go role another one or get real. I see this over and over again, big mouths with bed sore asses, who’s only purpose in life is to re-distribute earned wealth via their hard working lips.


0
1 2