Let ’em drink Perrier!

California in general (Northern California in particular) is a reliable source of social and civic lunacy masquerading as governance. And now, folks, they’re doing it again. Today’s Los Angeles Times reports that the latest meshuggas from the North Woods is what purports to be a serious proposal to breach the O’Shaughnessy Dam, and drain the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir which supplies clean water to San Francisco, Palo Alto, Mountain View and Stanford University, as well as 20% to 40% of clean, sustainable electric power to the area. It is not just these areas that can have access to clean water. It is possible for everyone to have it as they are now able to buy a water filtration system that can benefit them in more ways than one. Not only will it keep them healthy, but it may also encourage them to drink more water as the water ionizer produces great tasting water. Sites such as Water Filter Way has reviewed their water ionizers and their best of list so it can help you to make the right decision for your needs. Drinking clean and filtered water may be the best thing that you ever do. Even though California is flat broke and on the verge of insolvency (particularly if a ballot proposition increasing taxes fails in next week’s election, as is reasonably likely), that does not deter the wacked out neo-luddite Bay area enviros who nonchalantly assert that the Lord will provide the funds — which is to say the state and federal folks will pony up the necessary $3 to $10 billions which they don’t have. In case you don’t believe us, you can get the story in today’s Los Angeles Times, in an article entitled San Francisco Faces Environmental Identity Crisis, November 1, 2012 – click here.

This time, as best we can determine, this calamity is not being proposed for the sake of facilitating the fornicatory activities of migrating fish (which is the usual rationale for such proposals), but only because the Hetch Hetchy Valley in its pre-dammed condition was a beautiful place — which it it surely was. But it was inundated and converted into a reservoir some 80 years ago, and it is at best questionable whether it would be the same if the reservoir is drained.

Still, there is hope. According to the L.A. Times, Bay Area folks in high places are allowing as how draining Hetch Hetchy “makes no sense” (Senator Diane Feinstein), is a “stupid,” “insane” idea (San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee), and “the height of folly” (Jim Wunderman, president of Bay Area Councils — whatever that is).

So stay tuned. November 6th is upon us, so you won’t have to wait too long to find out just how crazy San Franciscans can be. We hope that sanity will prevail, but then again, they may actually do it. Wouldn’t it be a typically California thing if the state voters turn down Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed tax increase, while the good citizens of San Francisco vote to blow the aforementioned $3 to $10 billion on depriving themselves of clean drinking water and clean, renewable electrical power.

Oh well — they can always drink Perrier.

Follow up. We are pleased to report that on election day San Franciscans rejected this ballot proposition, so Hetch Hetchy is safe, at least for the moment.