The city of Chico is making plans to take over sections of our groundwater basin. While I might like more control over our water supply, I have to question people who place a 2 x 4 inch notice of a very important public discussion on page B6 of the daily paper. Plus, this doesn’t give me more control, it gives the city of Chico more control, and that’s always cause for concern.
At a regular council meeting in city chambers at 6:30pm on November 17, council and staff will discuss “whether the city should elect to become a Groundwater Sustainability Agency under the Sustainable Water Management Act for the portions of the Vina and West Butte groundwater basins within the boundaries of the Chico City limits.”
But no explanation as to what that means. I found more here:
http://www.water.ca.gov/groundwater/sgm/gsa.cfm
I see the words “joint power authority” – that means, this “agency” will be able to raise taxes with the same kind of “special” election the Butte County Mosquito District used to put a bond on your house – an election of “stakeholders” where people who own more property get “more weighted” votes.
I assume this agency will make the city the recipient of more state and federal grants for salaries and pensions, as well.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to attend this meeting, since it’s not safe to be out on a bicycle after dark in Chico anymore. I hope to hear from some of you.
Chico Taxpayers Association 
I know Cal Water is awful but I bet if our local politicians take over they will just use the ability to raise rates as a slush fund for pensions. It will be worse than the sewer fees.
I agree.
One solution I see, as far fetched as it is, is get rid of Jerry Brown. There’s a recall circulating but I can’t get any real information about it. Brown is the head of the whole stinking fish. He takes money from the utilities and then appoints their employees to our watchdog agencies. Gray Davis did the same thing, they all do it, but not to the extent that Brown has managed to do it over two separate terms. He set the system up in the 70’s, and now he’s handing it over to the utility companies.
No doubt Brown is awful. What scares me is who will replace him. Can you image Gavin Newsom as governor? I believe the voters of this state will elect someone even worse than Brown. Cal Water, our local politicians, Brown, Newsom….whoever it is who lords over us is awful.
I don’t know who will wind up controlling our water rates or who will follow Brown but I know whoever they are they will always but their special interest cronies and big wigs ahead of us little people.
Actually, Schwarzenegger wasn’t bad, in retrospect. He wasn’t as bad as Davis or Brown.
He pushed for a signed AB32 and opposed postponing it when the economy went to hell. For that alone he should be tarred and feathered.
That was a deal. I know, they all make deals. He was stupid, but he didn’t bring AB32 to the table, he was talked into it.
Here’s what he did that made me sick – like his predecessors, he gave the state workers whatever they wanted.
But, on an everyday basis, he ran the state better. For example – when that truck exploded on that SF offramp, it shut down a huge part of freeway, cut off thousands of commuters.
Der Schwarz made a good deal with a contractor, the kind of deal that would be made in the private sector – get it done on time or take penalties, get it done on schedule and get the money, get it done ahead of schedule and get a bonus. The contractor got that job done ahead of schedule. I just wish he would have maintained a similar relationship with the state workers, but he gave them the red carpet.
I think if that explosion happened today that section of freeway would stay shut down forever. That’s the kind of stunt Brown would pull to make people more dependent on public transportation.
You know what I really liked about Schwarzenegger, was he wanted us to like him. Brown is at war with us, he wants to dominate us, crush our spirit, own us.
I agree that he wasn’t as bad as a Democrat would have been but he was still horrible. AB32 will permanently scar this state’s economy. And to this day Arnie lives in multiple mansions and flies the world in private jets and rides in fleets of gas guzzlers while lecturing us peasants on cutting our “carbon foot print.” He is a true hypocrite.
Also, Arnie got through tax increases and more debt. He was just like any other politician, out to increase his power and the power of his cronies. And his commuting the sentence of Esteban Nunez was disgusting.
Yes I will agree – they all suck. I can’t think of any politician that hasn’t screwed us in the end.
But I have to admit I wanted to take a couple years’ property tax payments and go for a ride in Ahnold’s tank.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/arnold-schwarzenegger-raffles-tank-ride-charity-article-1.1720400