The Mercury News issues a pointed critique of the public relations efforts at the California Department of Water Resources in the shadow of this winter’s Oroville Dam crisis.
The Mercury News editorial board raises a concern about transparency on the issue of how much it will cost to repair the damage at Oroville Dam by winter flooding.
It is a simple question really: How much is the massive repair project below Lake Oroville costing each day. Simple or not, it has been appallingly difficult to get it answered.
The editorial board claims its newspaper has been asking "for weeks" of the Department of Water Resources about cost estimates. "The answers are never immediate and when they have come they are often incomplete or clearly wrong," according to the editorial.
The editorial includes more detail about what's known so far about the costs of the project, and the agencies and levels of government that will have a political process to sort out the expenses for repair work. "That’s why we deserve transparency and honesty, not gymnastic efforts to avoid delivering the bad news," concludes the editorial.
FULL STORY: Editorial: Taxpayers deserve transparency on Oroville expenses
Rebuilt Oroville Spillway Could Get its First Test This Weekend
The quickly repaired Oroville Dam spillway is hoping for better performance this year, after a year of intense repair work.
Lessons from Oroville: Resilience for Scarcity and Abundance
Swings in weather-related fortunes will continue to push to unprecedented extremes, in California, in Texas, in Boston, in Long Island, in Louisiana, and everywhere else.
Oroville Dam Crisis Foreseen Over 11 Years Ago
Had federal authorities acted on the motion filed by three environmental groups in October 2005, nearly 200,000 people in three counties would not have been forced to evacuate due to a poorly constructed emergency spillway for Oroville Dam.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.
Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.
Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont