I am sure they will be keeping an eye on us. We will keep them informed.

We have a very high level of concern.

So it’s an old, aging system that instead of protecting farmland is actually protecting small cities, levees of questionable integrity protecting higher value real estate.

An isolated facility solves some people’s problems, but it doesn’t solve the delta dilemma.

The only thing we leave out is locust.

The discussion of the Peripheral Canal consumes so much oxygen you don’t get to talk about a comprehensive solution.

We need a different long-term vision for the Delta.

The next big frontier is more focus on exterior water use.

If for some reason the feds are slow to act, this state declaration will still allow us to move more expeditiously in terms of contracting and making money available more quickly.

We’ve determined that the current path we’re on (in the Delta) is not sustainable, and the economy of the state of California is at stake.

The issue of funding is an issue for us but it’s not the most critical issue. The most critical issue is federal permitting that allows us to proceed. We’re probably saving years.

Nobody pays attention to that.

If they are interested in it, we will certainly entertain discussion on that. I think it’s possible but not without its difficulty.

We have the best chance now that we have ever had to make some substantial changes and improvements in the delta.

If we did this through normal funding and normal procedures, it probably would take us three to four years.

In order to protect ourselves we need to move quickly and address all of these sites and repair them before the next flood season.