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Governor’s flip-flops damage trust, jeopardize water deal

Governor’s flip-flops damage trust, jeopardize water deal
Quoting Abraham Lincoln, “If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem.” Nowhere are those words more true than in politics. Despite their excitement when voters elected Arnold Schwarzenegger to govern California, recent contradictory actions by the governor has continued to decimate voter confidence in him, as a recent poll illustrates. The governor’s apparent flip-flopping on his commitment to resolve California’s water situation before approving hundreds of legislative bills may have irrevocably damaged his credibility with members of the Legislature.
Over the summer and prior to the final month of the legislative session, the governor repeatedly called on the Legislature to act, and regularly chided legislators for their failure to focus their attention on efforts to find a water solution. When the Legislature returned from its summer recess, Governor Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders proclaimed their commitment to resolve California’s water problem before the end of session. Nonetheless, the Legislature adjourned for the year without a resolution.
And after the Legislature adjourned without sending Schwarzenegger a bi-partisan water proposal, he threatened to veto all pending legislation on his desk if legislative leaders did not agree on a comprehensive water plan before the October 11 constitutional deadline to sign or veto bills. As the deadline approached, the governor emphatically reiterated his commitment to veto legislation if a deal was not reached. However, on the eve of the deadline and without a water deal in place, he recanted – flip-flopped. The governor’s threats and chiding were apparently idle, as he ultimately signed more than 500 bills into law, including measures about which he had ridiculed legislators over the summer.
According to Governor Schwarzenegger, he recanted his veto threat because he believed water negotiations had progressed to a point where there was an agreed upon framework that warranted his change of heart. That proposed water “framework” or plan contained the following:
  • $9.4 billion bond on the 2010 ballot, with restrictions on the amount the state can borrow
  • A statewide water conservation reduction goal of 20% by 2020
  • Mandatory groundwater monitoring
  • Stricter water rights enforcement
  • Creation of a Delta Stewardship Council to oversee delta management
However, despite convening another legislative special session on water, and purporting that a deal was imminent, there is still no agreed upon water deal. 
Over the next few weeks, the governor and legislative leaders will continue their efforts to find consensus on water, but with session adjourned, and without a veto threat, it is uncertain if the governor can force or effectively negotiate a successful water deal. Further, increasing opposition from local governing agencies, employee unions and environmental groups (who are adamantly opposed to any above ground construction necessary to increase the state’s storage capacity), will make securing legislative support for a water deal an almost insurmountable task.
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