Waterworld

Here in California, it's an article of faith in progressive politics and in the media (but I repeat myself) that the CA GOP are, well, evil. Just look at what they are up to now: State GOP Tries To Steal Dems' Fire Over Water

California Republicans are seeing political gold in California's water problems, hoping to steal the issue from Democrats and win support from one of that party's key constituencies - Latinos.

GOP leaders have put water atop their agenda for next year's statewide campaigns. They are expanding voter-registration efforts in the drought-stricken Central Valley, where unemployment is high and food banks are busy, and encouraging candidates to reach out to Latino voters hit hard by the recession.

The strategy was distilled on a 5-foot-high banner at the Republican voter registration table in front of a Walmart store in Dinuba (Tulare County) in August: "Stop the radical environmentalists. Save your water. Save your jobs. Vote Republican."

You mean to tell me that the state GOP is seeking to gain political advantage from a failure on the part of the government to deliver one of its most basic services: a regular supply of water??? How dare they!

California's crisis over water, complicated by court rulings that delayed water deliveries to farms to protect threatened fish, has become a major issue, with state and federal officials seeking ways to aid struggling farmers.

"From a political perspective, it's a tremendous opportunity," said Brent Lowder, chief operating officer of the state Republican Party. "It has given us a chance to stand next to a constituency that has traditionally looked to the Democratic Party for help.

"We've been talking about this for a while," Lowder said. "And we see a chance to move the needle on this."

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The crisis in California has been a crisis of Big Government, not of government itself. There really is no reason why the water supply should be in "crisis," but it is. This is thanks in large part to an environmental lobby that thinks nothing of bringing lawsuits to save some goofy little fish, while leaving human beings to watch their farms and livelihoods dry up and blow away. This is also thanks to a political class that can't be bothered to maintain the water supply, but will move heaven and earth to make sure the state meets its bloated payroll. The state GOP would be fools not to make this point.