Something Fishy about Trump’s Water War

It’s no secret that Donald Trump has declared war on the state that provided the largest numbers of voters for Hillary Clinton. He made sure his tax reform act would hurt many middleclass Californians by limiting the deductibility of state income and property taxes on federal returns. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the states with the biggest urban populations require the most in state services (inherent in the nature of big cities) and hence have the high state and local taxes. And it is equally clear that most states dominated by big cities usually vote Democratic.

With its legendary smog problems, particularly in Southern California, it is equally understandable why California is deeply concerned with air pollution and automotive engine efficiency. Something about making sure its citizens have breathable air. But in Trumpland, regulations to improve air quality are anti-business even if such regulations actually save lives… and anything that costs business has to be evil and bad. So away with California’s statutory right to impose its own stricter air quality/mileage requirements, if Trump can get away with it. Oh, and those wildfires and that nasty drought? Climate change, Senor Trump, climate change that you are making so much worse!

And so it is with Trump’s fury at California’s election to maintain its immigration sanctuary status, notwithstanding that California’s primary cultural background (and its very name) is Hispanic, that 35% of Los Angeles, its largest city is Hispanic, and we love our Latino brothers and sisters. Most are decent family member and hard workers. Leave our core cultural population alone. We’ll take care of our own. By the way, we are not a failed state or even close to a failing state… and our 21^st century technologically/agriculturally-driven economy would make us the fifth largest on earth if we were a separate nation. Up from sixth under our Democratic Governor Jerry Brown.

But “I really hate to read but hate facts even more” President and his “I never met a conflict of interest I didn’t like,” former Congressman (and Navy Seal), Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke have joined together to expand their war with California to water. Zinke, who was one of those “birther” kooks who derided Obama, also was a staunch advocate for King Coal, petrochemicals and Big Oil, equally anxious to open federal lands, including national parks, to developers, drillers and miners. To Californians who take their environmental reality very seriously, Zinke is almost as close to being the Anti-Christ as is now-departed EPA chief, Scott Pruitt.

Also, Donald Trump maximizes his “gives” to those who voted for him and loves to punish those who did not. He most certainly is not a president for every American. When the wildfires raged in California, without a shred of scientific evidence to support his claim, Trump blamed California’s water and environmental policies for an inability to put those fires out… because there wasn’t enough available water. Forget that every air tanker, every helicopter, used in the firefight always had enough nearby accessible water for their mission. Always! We can preserve our fish and wildlife with a little prudent use of water… and still have plenty to fight fires that have simply gotten so big because of climate change.

But this gave Trump the ability to reward a tiny group of Trumpers in central California who voted for him with his attempt to override California’s carefully thought-out water restrictions (particularly important to those big Democratic cities) to allow conservative farmers the huge water demands that they have been making for years. They plant signs like the ones above where their property abuts major highways. Who cares if that water usage would be wasteful, particularly for crops no longer suited to California’s changing climate (read: drought), and could make cities unlivable. Trump/Zinke had political favors to pass out… and enemies to punish.

The August 22^nd Los Angeles Times fills in this Trump/Zinke conspiracy: “Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, stepping up the Trump administration’s attack on California water policy, on Friday issued a memo to his staff demanding a ‘plan of action’ to circumvent state officials. He gave the staff 15 days to develop a proposal and present it to his deputy, a former lobbyist for big water users at odds with the state.

“Zinke’s memo represents the latest volley in a developing war between the Trump administration and the state over the distribution of water from state and federal projects. The administration has been pushing for more water deliveries to Central Valley farmers, many of whom are in districts that delivered votes to Trump in the last presidential election — even though the state as a whole voted for his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

“Zinke instructed the staff to produce an action plan aimed as ‘maximizing water supply deliveries,’ in part by ‘streamlining’ consultations related to the Endangered Species Act, ‘better incorporating best science’ into Interior decisions, constructing new water storage, and making infrastructure changes to ‘independently operate’ the federally funded Central Valley Project.

“Many of those initiatives would run counter to state policy. The state Water Resources Control Board kicked off a two-day public hearing Tuesday on its own plan to increase water flows to the state’s rivers to protect fish and fisheries. Zinke referred to those plans as proposals for ‘additional unacceptable restrictions’ that would reduce his agency’s ability to deliver water to growers and urban users in Central and Southern California… ‘The time for action is now,’ he exhorted his staff. He called for both proposals for congressional legislation and preparation for litigation, presumably against the state.

“Experts in the environmental laws governing state and federal water policy in California viewed the memo as intensifying the intergovernmental confrontation. ‘It’s indicative of a more bullying and hysterical tone,’ said Doug Obegi, director of the California water program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“Obegi said the memo signaled the government’s intention to ‘gut environmental protections’ in the Sacramento Delta, from which water is pumped to serve Central and Southern California users. But he also took its overheated tone as ‘a sign that the state has been fairly effective at pushing back.’

“Zinke’s reference to ‘new water storage’ is probably a reference to a proposal to raise the height of Shasta Dam to increase the capacity of its reservoir, Lake Shasta, which is opposed by the state… Zinke’s reference to his desire to ‘independently operate’ the Central Valley Project might conflict with federal law, which generally requires the federal government to comply with state policies, even on federally funded water projects.” Strange how the party of “States’ Rights” has become the party of “whatever Trump wakes up wanting to do.” Sorry Trumpers, California will fight back… fight back with everything we’ve got. And California is a force to be reckoned with!!!

I’m Peter Dekom, and I am proud to live in a state where lives and quality of life still remain our priority!