The San Francisco Citizen

California Senator Dianne Feinstein says it’s time for California lawmakers to put a water bond on the November ballot, but outfits like Clean Water Action and the Calfornia Coastkeeper Alliance rallied yesterday in opposition:

“Conservation and fishing groups representing over 180,000 Californians, including the California Coastkeeper Alliance, submitted a petitionto Governor Schwarzenegger and Senator Feinstein today and rallied at events throughout the state, calling for an end to the proposed $9.3 billion water bond, which is based heavily on ineffective and environmentally destructive dams.”

San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano says he doesn’t want to start his term in the Assembly, “telling mothers that their local school district is closing  so we can build a dam.” Fair enough.

CoastKeeper Alliance Executive Director Linda Sheehan and daughter Madeleine on the steps of City Hall yesterday:

Dianne’s point of view is expressed here. Of course, the whole thing is a little complex.

There’s still time this week to work out a compromise, it looks like.

Let’s hope.

State Controller John Chiang, California’s independent fiscal watchdog, is having a thing with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger these days over how much salary to pay state workers during the budget crisis. See Hank Plante’s interview with “heroic” John here.

Our Controller was welcomed like a rock star. Click to expand:

There were a few “Chiang for Governor” signs here and there, but if you ask him if he’s running, he’ll say he’s not: 

This crowd of mostly state workers was large and intense. “We can’t survive on $6.55 [an hour].” 

Columnist Dan Walters thinks he sees the “fuzzy outline” of a solution.

Let’s hope.

Look at what these Sierra Club members in San Francisco are doing to lobby Kollifornia’s governor - they’re writing actual letters. Why don’t they just register their concerns via email? Effectiveness, that’s why. Real letters to elected officials get more attention than email.

How much more?

Ten times more, a hundred times, a thousand - something like that. You see, Arnie’s a busy man, what with his heavy decisions about Bo Derek and such. You need a real letter to cut through all that other stuff he has to deal with. Email just doesn’t cut it anymore.

via the Sierra Club’s photostream 

So now you know.

You should get in on the fun and join today for just 25 bones. And if you ACT NOW, you get a free backpack. Bonus!