How far would you go to establish a legacy? Perhaps establishing something that will be around for future generations, and every time it’s seen or referenced it’s deeply entrenched with your name. Yet, this legacy is more to immortalize your name, rather than benefit the people. Our current governor of the great state of California has been trying since 2009 to do just that, create his legacy that’s going to devastate California, if not the rest of the nation, for generations to come while increasing your tax dollars and inevitably your water bills.
Commonly known as the Delta Tunnels project, and disguised as the California Water Fix and Eco Restore Project, Jerry Brown has been desperately trying to grapple funding and support for this highly controversial project. The Delta Tunnels plan would dredge two massive four story high tunnels “underneath” the Sacramento River beginning near I5 and Elk Grove, and routed to intersect with the San Joaquin River, to ultimately push more water to Southern California. To give some perspective, each tunnel would be exceed the height of the Tanimura and Antle Family Memorial Library on campus.
Southern California has already seen a decrease in water consumption over the years, even as its population has increased, making the supporters of this bill all the more questionable. The environmental consequences of building these tunnels so the water can be privatized and controlled doesn’t even compare to any possible minimal benefits. California water bills will explode over the cost of building these tunnels, and then the cost of supplier greed. California doesn’t need another bullet train fail; which has yet to be completed and is already seventy-seven percent over spent. We should be investing money into repairing and updating current crumbling water structures across the state, not trying to find the funding and support for a destructive legacy.
If you’re still unsure, you can glimpse into our future by referencing the governmental injustices and lack of drinkable water currently still happening in Flint, Michigan to correlate to the results of the Delta Twin Tunnels. Flint has been struggling with their water crisis since 2014, with little hope of having it resolved until the year 2020; it’s absolutely imperative that we do not allow it to happen here.
Brown is shaming the great state of California in pursuit of his legacy, not ours. If Southern California really does need more water, we need adequate, environmentally sound, long term solution(s) that work for everyone and prevents further destruction to an already mutated planet. We need to be remain cognitive and construct better solutions to the environment, not perpetuate and fester more problems. We need to prevent these tunnels from being built and further exploiting our earth.
While there’s multiple positions to every political venture, I sincerely implore you to do your own research and become informed on the decisions being created for you so that you can voice your own opinions and make sure that they’re positive changes that you’d want to see for yourself, and the future.
