Cool, Clear Water

There is such a thing as too much democracy (as opposed to a republic), and California is Exhibit A. Start with voters who want endless services coupled with low taxes, and combine that with a political class that simultaneously caters to both of these contradictory impulses. The end result is our current financial mess. But, even amid all of this, California's politicos - from Schwarzenegger on down - have shown more interest in passing a $10 billion high speed rail bond than in doing the practical work to preserve California's existing infrastructure. A case in point, California's water works, which are "crumbling under the pressure of a booming state population, aging infrastructure, on going environmental battles, and a two year drought." 

Y0u would think that maintaining the water supply would be a priority, and it is, in the sense that there is a state department and a line item in the budget. The average voter would certainly expect that the state would not literally have to be reminded of the importance of maintaining the water supply. But, clearly it's much more fun to engage in "on going environmental battles" and "engage the future" with high speed rail, rather than provide basic services.