The Sacramento San Joaquin Delta, which covers 1,153 square miles, is one of the largest estuaries in western North America. It supplies California with half of its fresh water, and is facing ecological collapse.
Greetings from Sacramento, here in the heart of Northern California, which today is bathed in a golden autumn glow.
Most weeks, it’s our job to bring you pieces of reliable news—small facts that add up to something we might call The Big Truth. This week, another chapter in the neverending story of Building Democracy in the Golden State.
So ... this thing I am today branding The Big Truth, in a nutshell: As we face this moment in which many of us feel that democracy faces grave peril, let’s today embrace the radical notion that we are currently still in possession of something worth saving. By paying close attention to news in the ten counties we currently serve, we’ve determined that there are people and institutions engaged in civic life, throughout California, working hard to make this place better.
The Big Truth is that our democracy still lives—especially here in California. Evidence can be found in the workings of many (certainly not all) city councils, county boards of supervisors, planning commissions, etc. And the hard work of democratic governance can be found happening right out in the open, at public meetings that anyone can attend. In our News Digest below, you will very likely be able to see what your elected representatives are up to in your county, warts and all.
This week, we are also featuring an ambitious multimedia investigative piece, from our friends at Bay City News and Local News Matters, which looks at several public agencies and individuals dealing with maybe the gnarliest of political problems in California—water. Specifically, one of California’s most precious and threatened natural treasures—the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta.
