Readers React: More dams for California was not backroom deal

To the editor: Jacques Leslie advocates the same sort of historic revisionism that recently sparked a populist uproar to hide the Confederate flag from our nation’s sensitive eyes. (“How not to fix California’s water problems,” op-ed, July 12)

He conveniently forgets that Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature campaign issue in 2014 was Proposition 1 (the water bond) and his promise of new storage. Twin bond authorization bills passed by bipartisan votes of 31 to 0 in the state Senate and 60 to 0 in the Assembly. Brown signed them into law.

Brown promoted the ballot measure with support from both of California’s U.S. senators, the Democratic and Republican parties, urban and rural water users, and seven top environmental groups. The voters approved it 67% to 33%.

Leslie claims it was all just a backroom political deal.

If Leslie’s memory is so short, why should anyone listen to his stale “now’s not a good time” arguments to shelve dams as practical answers to Southern California’s needs for a reliable water supply?

Aubrey Bettencourt, Hanford, Calif.

The writer is executive director of the California Water Alliance.

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To the editor: Your article on water restrictions for new homes hits a high note of absurdity. In south Orange County, the brown hills are dotted with water tanks to keep the dust down as developers build new homes. Where is the water coming from to build and later to supply those homes? (“To save water, new California homes will have less lawn,” July 15)

Californians are all exhorted to personally take drastic measures to use less water. But I have to question the government’s water management plan when home developments continue to be built. Where will we get the water for these new residents?

All over the state, wells are running dry and lake water levels continue to fall. Some towns have no water at all. And yet here in

Orange County the building continues as if water is abundant and cheap.

Something is very wrong with this picture.

Karen Hamstrom, Mission Viejo

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