Kerry Cavanaugh: April 2009 Archives

We should pay more for water. A lot more.

Only then would people be more conscientious when they turn on the faucet or hose or sprinklers. More homeowners would consider letting their lawns go brown or switching to a drought-tolerant landscape -- a good thing since irrigation makes up about 70 percent of household water use. Farmers would consider crops or farming methods that don't need as much water. Water agencies and their constituents would be more willing to consider high-tech, but potentially unpopular recycled water projects (aka toilet to tap).

It will be painful. Higher utility bills always are, and more expensive water leads to more expensive food, higher rent and other unanticipated costs. But as we saw with the price of oil, people only change behavior when they're hit in the wallet, and then the marketplace responds with better, more efficient products to conserve this pricey resource.

Now, farm workers marching in the Central Valley this week to demand more water for fallowed fields blame the problem on a three-inch fish in the Delta. They say we are putting the needs of a fish above the needs of a community. That seems to be a short-sighted view. Increasing pumping in the Delta - and ignoring the health of the smelt - may help this year but what is gained? No one is forced to conserve more or develop more water efficient ways, and we will likely find California facing the same shortage again and again.

Others say the problem is overdevelopment and overpopulation. There's too many people here and too many new homes sucking up water. In L.A. most of the new developments are apartments and condominiums, which don't come with the big, green lawns that consume so much water. As for population, well, nobody has figured out a way to export millions of Californians (legal or not) or prevent new ones from being born. And they're not going to figure it out this year or next year, so Californian must manage the water we have for the population we have.

And the easiest, fastest way to save water is to jack up the price.

While taking stock of the businesses and people suffering in the recession during his State of the City speech Tuesday, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa mentioned the struggling newspaper industry, with this shout out:

"And the recession has done lasting damage to one of our most vital civic institutions: our great newspapers."

Oh, mayor, how you flatter us.

Termed-out Controller Laura Chick is skipping town early to become Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's watchdog over how federal stimulus funds are spent. Chick will start work April 27 and her top deputy, Rushmore Cervantes, will cover the two months before Controller-elect Wendy Greuel takes office.

Chick has never been shy about speaking her mind, and was eager to point out City Hall shenanigans -- never mind if her talk angered insiders. Candor is all too rare in politics and that made her a favorite of the Daily News readers, who frequently write in, urging her to run for mayor.

We're sorry to lose this L.A. watchdog sooner than expected, but we know her candor and sharp eye will be put to good use in Sacramento.