Climate Change: Droughts More Severe in California?

By any measure, California's Governor, Jerry Brown, is one of the top climate change alarmists in the nation.  Recently, he has taken aim at Ted Cruz for being a climate denier by saying that he disqualifies himself for the presidency because of his contrary viewpoint on global warming. Brown has even gotten his Energy Commission on the bandwagon.  Their drought website claims that droughts are more severe than ever and now threaten California's water supply.

Well, I lived in Los Angeles in the 1950's and 1960's and the drought then was very severe.  So bad even, that one of the largest lakes in Southern California, Big Bear, looked like this:

Essentially, it was a mud puddle. All those white areas were formerly water.  I know because I was there to see it for myself. Today (actually August 2014), that same lake looks like this:

The fact is, that good water management has kept it from returning to its previous bleak condition. To say that the drought, today, is more severe is simply political bull. 

The real reason that a drought can be seen as more severe today, is population growth.  In 1950, California's total population was 10.6 million people.  Today, it is nearly 40 million (actually 38.3 million in 2013).  So, the rate of water usage is 4 times greater than in the 50's/60's. That's 4 times more people drinking, flushing, showering, and hot tubbing with whomever.

The fact is, that since the 1950's, the California legislature should have been preparing for the next drought instead of spending so much time banning plastic shopping bags and barring animals from mating in public within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship; or all the other crazy things California lawmakers have come up with in the land of fruits and nuts.  Maybe, then, they wouldn't now be scrambling to deal with a drought that isn't waiting at their doorsteps, but is already in the house.

References:

California Energy Commission: Water is a precious resource. A changing climate is resulting in droughts being more severe and pronounced and putting our water supply at risk: http://www.energy.ca.gov/drought/

Climate change threatens California and the world, Jerry Brown: http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-california-climate-change-20140519-story.html

Big Bear Lake History: http://www.bbmwd.com/lake-history/

U.S. Population by State, 1790 to 2013:  http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCsQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.infoplease.com%2Fipa%2FA0004986.html&ei=xckRVdeuFIadgwSksIHYAw&usg=AFQjCNGgS0hWSQHuA8rvSGdJmvg7eCBV0Q&sig2=aLklwuIHjtrxVbPIQVEOfw&bvm=bv.89184060,d.eXY

Dumb Laws in California: http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/united-states/california

Stupid California Laws: http://www.idiotlaws.com/dumb_laws/california/

Gov. Brown's Greased Pig Deficit Problems

At State Fairs, it always good for a laugh to see the greased-pig events with the competitors flopping and flailing around while trying to get their hands on that slippery little hog. But, when a Governor does the same thing while trying to define his State's deficit problems, it's not so funny.

Back in January, Governor Jerry Brown projected California's budget deficit to be $9.2 billion.  Then, on May 14th, he said his "new" projection was $16 billion.  Five days following that declaration, a non-partisan, independent analyst of the State legislature said that number was off by a billion dollars; indicating that the actual deficit number is closer to $17 billion. 

It seems to me that if you don't even know how big a problem you have, you won't be able to fix it.  For that reason alone, Governor Brown is totally incapable of rectifying California's debt problems.  However, Brown's budgetary incompetence goes even further.  In typical liberal fashion, he wants to solve California's budgetary ills by raising taxes on the rich while, at the same time, talking about spending $100 billion for a high speed rail system and another $15 billion for a revamp of the State's water system.   On top of all that, he wants an immediate increase of $5 billion a year in education.  And, if he doesn't get his tax increases?  Well, he's told the voters that he will be forced to make "painful" cuts in education and public safety.

Obviously, Governor Brown doesn't seem to understand that spending is at the heart of California's deficit woes.  The state is drowning in debt and he keeps filling the pool with water. Even if he does get his millionaires tax, the spending will still exceed revenues.  It seems everyone knows this except  the governor and all the voters who elected him.  Obviously, Chicago columnist Mike Royko's labeling of Brown as "Governor Moonbeam" in 1976 is as true then as it is today.  Royko was also right when he said that California was “the world’s largest outdoor mental asylum.”