sucks

 Today the LA Times' homepage blares a seemingly inoccuous headline, in fact, it sounds like good news:  State's in a drought, but it's not the worst ever

Hot-diggity-damn, ain't that swell?  However, this being LA Times, a seemingly harmless story turned into needless GOP-bashing.  Reporter Bettina Boxall weaves a conspiracy by anti-environmentalists concocting this drought myth to advance a radical right-wing agenda of building levees, reservoirs, and dams in the state's agricultural Central Valley.  And I quote:

"Those who would like to build new reservoirs and canals and to weaken environmental regulations have invoked the drought like a mantra in recent weeks.

A recently introduced congressional bill that would allow federal officials to relax endangered-species protections in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is titled "The California Drought Alleviation Act."

...Sen. Dave Cogdill, a Republican who represents agriculture-dependent Modesto, called the drought "epic" when he introduced a $10-billion water bond package last week that includes funding for new reservoirs and other infrastructure.State and federal water managers earlier this year sought to relax delta water quality standards, arguing that because of the drought, it needed to hold more water in upstream reservoirs to preserve cold water flows for salmon in coming months."

BOO!  Her words in bold.  

If the drought is a myth, then the LA Times contradicts its self for printing several stories just DAYS before this one saying that the drought is indeed one of the worst in state history.

2/28/2009 (written by Boxall):  Schwarzenegger proclaims statewide drought emergency

"The proclamation amplifies a drought emergency that Schwarzenegger declared last year in several agricultural counties, where more than 100,000 acres of farmland have gone unplanted for lack of water."

2/27/09:  Lawmakers seek billions to expand, improve California's water supply

"With California's budget crisis resolved for the moment, state lawmakers Thursday turned their attention to another emergency: a three-year drought that has left key reservoirs at 35% of capacity."

2/21/2009:  U.S. to tighten tap for farmers

"In a blow to the state's producers of almonds and other crops, federal officials announced Friday that they may not be able to provide water for the upcoming growing season in parts of the Central Valley.

To cope with the continuing drought, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will not provide water for agriculture beginning in March to at least 200 local water districts in that region, agency spokeswoman Lynnette Wirth said. Municipalities and industrial customers will receive half of their allotments."

2/18/2009:  Storm didn't help California drought conditions 

"“You have to understand we are coming off of two dry years to begin with,” said Cynthia Palmer, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. “We’re still playing catch-up, but every little bit helps.”

Rainfall levels in Southern California are running at about 80% to just-under-100% of normal levels, but the statewide snowpack is only at 71% of the norm, Palmer said."

 This all just from last month.