It has often been said that if you win the hearts and minds of the people, they will be your ally forever. In Charlie Wilson's War, it portrayed that our country was able to spend billions in military aid to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets, but none to rebuild the war torn country. Suddenly the Taliban arrived to fill in the blanks. The same happened in Palestinian settlements where Hamas provided aid.

Here in Central California, the Tea Party is doing the same. They should be applauded for their relief efforts. Compassion is always a good thing. But, what they then want is water to replenish the job and farm market in the Central Valley. Central CA has dried up lakes, rediverted rivers, tapped the rivers in Northern CA, all for farming in a desert.

When I drive through the Central Valley, I am amazed at how lush it , considering it gets maybe 9" of rain per year. Then I realize the canals from the Delta are bigger than rivers in CO and they are pumped over mountains to get there. and further south to LA and San Diego. How much power does that take? These areas cannot exist without the water from northern CA, yet the wildlife in Northern CA is dying. Salmon have disappeared.

And what frustrates me is the Tea Party is stating it is government interference that is changing their lifestyle, economy and way of life. If the government had not built the dams, the pumping stations, etc. there would be no agriculture in the Central Valley and LA would have no water. What don't they get about this. and it is the lack of government oversight that has let the water table be pumped so low that the ground is dropping.

What a mess! and how to resolve it. Not everyone can walk away from the table happy on this one.

Also, someone corrected me on yesterday's post stating that Liz Cheney can't go to war because she is a mother. Hell, they take daddies, don't they. let her go and have the old man stay home and be a house-husband.

rojo