SUPPORTS
Proposition 50 - Water Quality, Supply and Safe Drinking Water Projects.
Coastal Wetlands Purchase and Protection. Bonds.
Initiative Bond Measure

This bond measure was placed on the ballot through the initiative process and allows the state to sell $3.44 billion in general obligation bonds for various water-related projects. These projects include specific CALFED Bay-Delta Program projects, including urban and agricultural water use efficiency programs. In Southern California, the bond funds will contribute to projects that promote alternatives for Colorado River water use, since California is must cut its use of Colorado River water. Funds will allow for the purchasing, protecting, and restoring of wetlands near urban areas. Grants are provided for water management and quality improvement programs along with funding for the development of river parkways. State security funding for local and regional water systems is added to this bond measure along with grants for desalinization and drinking water disinfection.

The Legislative Analyst estimates the state's cost to pay off the principal and interest on the bonds is up to $6.9 billion over 30 years. (See "Looking at Bond Measures".)

Two previous water-related bond measures passed recently: Proposition 13 in 2000 and Proposition 40 in March 2002. Neither of these two bond measures focuses on the safety, security, and reliability of our water supply. Proposition 13 provided funding primarily for infrastructure projects and flood control, while Proposition 40 focused on land, water, air and urban park protection. Most of the funding from these bonds has been spent or is already committed to specific projects. New programs and other ongoing programs (like CALFED) need funding to continue.

The state also is required to provide ongoing funding for the CALFED program. The CALFED Program is a cooperative effort of more than 20 state and federal agencies working with local communities to improve the quality and reliability of California's water supplies and revive the San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystem. Federal funding depends on California's meeting its obligation.

• With 25 million new residents expected by 2040, the funds provided by Prop 50 will help California provide reliable, clean, safe and cost effective water supplies for our people, businesses, farms and the environment.
  
  
• Prop 50 funds projects throughout the state designed to clean our drinking water sources, upgrade our existing infrastructure and treat water to remove harmful contamination. In addition, funding is provided for new, state-of-the-art technologies for contaminant removal and desalinization programs.
  
  
• In 2000, Californians overwhelmingly passed Proposition 13, which provided new funding for a host of water supply, reliability and flood control efforts. However, it simply was not adequate. And while Proposition 40 augmented a few Proposition 13 efforts with more funding for some of the projects, there are areas not covered by these two bond measures and other ongoing programs that are short of funds.
  
  
• Prop 50 will allocate more funds to safe drinking water projects than did Prop 13 ($435 million versus $70 million).
  
  
• Prop 50 will allocate funds to programs not covered by Prop 13 funds such as desalting
  
  
• ($50 million), Bay-Delta Ecosystem Restoration ($180 million); local community water supplies ($500 million); watershed protection ($950 million); and water security ($50 million).
  
  
• An estimated 12,600 direct construction jobs would be created from this bond measure over a three year period (based on federal estimated construction jobs created per $1 billion invested).

The rebuttal to the opponents' argument was signed by Dan Terry, President, California Professional Firefighters; Phillip J. Pace, Chairman, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Supporters mentioned in the ballot arguments include Contra Costa Water District; California Organization of Police and Sheriffs; East Bay Municipal Utility District; League for Coastal Protection; Heal the Bay; Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce; The Nature Conservancy; Southern California Agricultural Land Foundation; National Wildlife Federation; American River Conservancy; League to Save Lake Tahoe.

Robin Tokmakian, LWVC Natural Resources Director, trillerud@mindspring.com

Anne Henderson, LWVC Legislative Director, annehenderson@att.net

Roberta Borgonovo, LWVC Water & Agriculture Off-Board Program Director, rborgo@igc.org

Yes on 50, 926 J Street Suite 907, Sacramento 95814. Phone: 916-669-4796, http://www.prop50yes.com

Note: Please adapt this letter to your own community and check your local paper's word limit for published letters.

Editor:

On November 5, Californians will be given the opportunity to vote for protecting, securing, and enhancing our water supply. Proposition 50, a bond measure, provides funds for a variety of water related programs, some that are ongoing and others not addressed in recent bond measures. It will provide funds for cleaning up our water supplies, assuring the reliability and safety of water resources, wetland protection and river parkway development, and water use efficiency programs.

Recent bond measures have spent their funds for limited water projects. Prop 50 will allocate more funds to safe drinking water projects than before ($435 million versus $70 million) and will allocate funds to new programs which have not received prior funding such as desalinization ($50 million), Bay-Delta Ecosystem Restoration ($180 million), local community water supplies ($500 million); watershed protection ($950 million); and water security ($50 million).

With low interest rates, the time is right to sell bonds to improve a part of California's infrastructure which will give us safe, clean and reliable sources of drinking water. The state has the capacity and responsibility to continue these types of investments in our state's infrastructure.

Vote YES on Proposition 50!

Sincerely,