California is Dry; Someone Tell Jerry Brown

By Joe Guzzardi
September 15, 2014

In its recent article about California’s drought, NBC News asked how long California can survive without water. The same question is on every Californian’s mind—everyone that is except Governor Jerry Brown and the rest of the state legislature. To Brown and his Sacramento colleagues, the concept of stabilizing California’s population as the first and most vital step to preserve water simply has not occurred to them. No matter how obvious the relationship and overwhelming the evidence is between more people and less available water, Sacramento’s collective heads remains firmly in the sand even as California rapidly goes dry. 

Consider these grim facts. As many as 100,000 wells are expected to run dry by October unless the rain comes. Particularly hard hit is Tulare County. Historically, the county relies on water from the Tule River to supply the wells. But last week, the Tulare Office of Emergency Services had to deliver 12-gallon-per person rations of bottled water to waterless residents. The county has also provided a 5,000-gallon, non-potable water tank for people to use for bathing and flushing. One East Porterville mother of three told the Fresno Bee that her well has been dry for three months and that bathing has become a luxury. Nothing short of a miracle will save Tulare which has an average autumn rainfall of about .75 inches; during the winter, 1.25 inches.

The U.S. Drought Monitor has classified California’s drought, now entering its fourth year, as extreme in 58 percent of the state with the remaining area categorized as either “severe” or “exceptional” in terms of dryness levels. The water crisis is an additionally cruel burden for Tulare County, already struggling with high poverty and welfare dependency.

With California in the middle of an acute shortage, Brown has encouraged more people to come even though they too will consume water for drinking, bathing, and cleaning just like the rest of state. Brown has also promoted larger families. Last month at a political rally in Sacramento, Brown shockingly invited all of Mexico to come to California even if they don’t have “permission.” California already has more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants, most from Mexico. Along with Brown’s expansive invitation, he chided “affluent” Californians who have sensibly chosen to have fewer children. As Brown crudely phrased it, the rich aren’t “producing children.” Brown also urged establishing a $3 million fund for Central Americans who unlawfully entered California this summer during the border surge. Most of the money would be used for lawyers to represent nearly 4 thousand Central Americans who joined their California families. The lawyers would prepare asylum petitions that would lead to eventual permanent residency status. But the newly born children, the immigrants and the asylees Brown wants in California will have to scrape by for water, assuming there are a few drops left to fight over. 

As Brown sends his welcoming messages, in Tulare people are watching You Tube instructional videos on how to dig your own well. Internet hits on the video are soaring. Others pray every night for a soaking rain so that their lives can return to normal.

A disgruntled Tulare volunteer may have best summed it up. While delivering one bottle of rationed water per person per week, he said “we need to take care of our people.” But in Sacramento, hard to believe though it is, Brown apparently would rather have more immigration and more new births than enough water for Californians already here.

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Joe Guzzardi is a Californians for Population Stabilization Senior Writing Fellow whose columns have been nationally syndicated since 1987. Contact him at [email protected]