California has approved nearly $700 million in "emergency" drought relief funding, but much of it remains unspent, which begs the question: Are emergency measures an appropriate of effective response to the drought?
"It’s been four months since Governor Jerry Brown signed what he and Democratic lawmakers called 'emergency drought legislation.' It promised nearly $700 million in immediate drought relief. But nearly 90 percent of that money has yet to be spent," reports Ben Adler.
"The Brown administration says $200 million in competitive grants for water projects will be awarded in September – with $250 million more in a second round next spring."
Adler's article also quotes Celeste Cantu, with the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, who makes two points as an applicant for that grant money. The first: that she’s "grateful the governor and legislature are making the money available as soon as September – normally, she says, 'I think it’s like a year, year-and-a-half.' The second is that "there’s nothing the governor and legislature could have done this year to reduce the water shortage. 'The water challenges that we face in California today – and probably the rest of the 21st century – can never be responded to in an emergency fashion…'"
FULL STORY: Emergency Drought Relief Money Still Unspent
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