Gov. Brown redefines ongoing programs as emergency drought aid–actually Old $$

By Stephen Frank

Guv Brown is making the media look like fools. The headlines are all about the $1.1 billion he is using to bring us drought “relief”. Yet, not a dime of that money is going toward the creation of new water sources—dams, desalinization plants or stopping the flow of water into the ocean. Even worse—he could have done this four years ago, since most of the money comes from bonds, some passed in 2006 (not a typo). Of the $1.1 billion, the legislature is being asked to provide $75 million.

Why didn’t Brown and Arnold spend the money given them for the water needs of the State? In fact, this is not the first time this happened. Wayne Lusvardi of CalWatchdog did a story about this ONE YEAR ago.

From 2/20/14: “Thirty-four days after California Gov. Jerry Brown declared an official statewide drought emergency, he joined State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John A. Perez on Feb. 19 in announcing an emergency drought aid package

Ninety five percent of the $687.4 million drought aid package, or $647.7 million, comes from the continuation of existing, ongoing programs, many of which began before an awareness of a protracted drought. The remaining 5 percent of the funding comes from shifting air pollution taxes collected in 2013 under the cap-and-trade air emission program toward water conservation and efficiency projects.”