On Jan. 17, Gov. Jerry Brown declared that California is in a state of drought emergency.
According to NBC and the Los Angeles Times, Brown stated that this was “perhaps the worst drought California has ever seen since records [from] about 100 years ago.”
Brown went on the say that while there was little that could be done about the drought, the state could prepare for the consequences that may occur. Such preparations would include Californians cutting back water use by at least 20 percent until the drought passes.
There has not been cooperation in Sacramento about how to deal with the drought. Both parties are caught in a political tug-of-war, failing to compromise as each side tries to get its way.
According to an article in the LA Times, Republicans have been trying to use the drought to their advantage. They blame the Democrats’ environmental policy to redirect millions of gallons of water to protect endangered species of fish.
The Republicans hope that by doing so, they can gain new voters in California, a Democratic state.
In a recent visit to Bakersfield, Speaker of the House, John Boehner, said, “How you can favor fish over people is something that people from my part of the world never understand.”
Boehner said that he would try to influence Congress to pass legislation to redirect water to farmers instead.
But Republicans are not the only ones to blame for this lack of bipartisanship amid this crisis.
The Democratic Party, led under Brown, has made some questionable decisions in how to deal with the crisis.
According to CBS Sacramento, Brown is resisting the Republican supported bill House Resolution 3964. If passed, the bill would pump more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to farmers and would establish a committee that would focus on the drought crisis.
Brown said that he finds such congressional intervention to be an “unwelcome and divisive intrusion.” According to CBS Sacramento, Brown has instructed all California congressional representatives in an official letter to oppose the bill when it comes up for debate.
Brown wrote in the letter, “It would override state laws and protections, and mandate that certain water interests come out ahead of others.” He also wrote, “It falsely suggests the promise of water relief when that is simply not possible given the scarcity of water supplies.”
This resistance may also stem from fear that the bill’s passage could make Republicans look more favorable in California, possibly compromising the Democrat’s political power.
Using this crisis that can affect the lives of countless people in such a way is despicable. This drought is bigger than any political agenda.
According to Reuters, it is expected that in California about 400,000 to 500,000 acres of cropland will be left unused or fallow this season because of the lack of water.
California produces roughly half the country’s fruits and vegetables. A drought could have serious economic ramifications across the entire country.
While it is still too early to tell how bad the damage will be, Executive Director of the California Farm Water Coalition, Mike Wade, said that it might result in farmers declaring bankruptcy.
The parties need to put this competition for voters aside for the greater good of California. There is too much at stake right now to be playing politics.
