Where’s the conservation discussion?

As the debate rages, the duty to conserve water is ignored. The brief history of the topic might account for the role of water in our nation, state, region and city. Nationally, we are degrading our water at an alarming rate and the consequences are dire.

California’s population is projected to surpass well over 50 million in 30 years, as the region’s “water czars” dole out water to “farmers” for pennies and Californians use water without regard to its limitation.

The same water quality we seek to protect for consumption is wasted with impunity in this city. We cannot continue to water our lawns, wash our cars, fill our pools and squander it in our daily lives without bitter consequences. We have no real plan for conservation and we miss that issue at our peril. We need a meaningful discussion on conservation in this debate but it is woefully absent.

Meanwhile, the governor wants to send more of that uncertain water rushing down from the Sierra into the Sacramento River to the Southland.

And, finally it is galling to read about the money of the opposing forces seeking to snooker us into voting on this measure. In the final analysis, our future may rest with the swing voters — the students — who may cast their votes based upon the dire predictions of the two sides that fail to debate the merit of a very real concern: conservation.

Rick Moniz
Davis