Rancho Cordova, CA (MPG) - California State Senator Jim Nielsen spoke frankly and with strength at the Rancho Cordova Luncheon on July 21.  He outlined many of the urgent issues California currently faces. 

Water has been a long time dilemma, and Nielsen looks to the Sites Reservoir, which may be built in the in Colusa County to at least make a start on the needs.  “We cannot conserve ourselves into the future for either energy or water,” Nielsen said.  “California has started no projects, no major dams or storage, since Lake Oroville, about 50 years ago.  No matter what kind of a storage facility that you have, if you don’t have it in advance, it’s not going to work.”

The recent extension of the cap-and-trade program will add around 70 cents a gallon in taxes to the cost of gas.  “It will probably approach a dollar before we’re done, at the gas pump,” Nielsen said.  While the gas tax was initially intended to fix streets, roads, and highways, legislators over the years have voted to redirect that money to other things.  There are two locks on the lockbox to lock money in for streets, roads, and highways.  One lock, Nielsen said, is to help control pollution.  But the other lock gives open door to polluters, by allowing them to “buy pollution credits.”

Homelessness is a problem even in the smallest towns such as Los Molinos and Gerber in Tehama County, where Nielsen lives with his wife.  The homeless population is growing, fed in addition by the early release of prisoners from custody.  Many of them have nowhere to go, and less access to treatment for mental or drug problems than when they were in prison.  This leads to more drug use and more crime on our streets, Nielsen said.

Making California a sanctuary state would invite “the worst of society into our communities.  I tell my colleagues when I debate, if you pass this, then it’s on you,” Nielsen said.  “You must accept the responsibility . . . You’re not going to like it, either.  Because some of the victims may be your family.”

Dominic Daniels, one of the patrons at the luncheon, differed with Nielsen with reference to the criminal context of the growing homeless population.  Quoting Elk Grove Run4Hunger statistics, he said that nearly 500 children in Elk Grove are homeless.  “Per national statistics 40% of homeless males are veterans,” Daniels said.  “So while I applaud the Senator’s concern for getting a handle on the criminal release program, care should be taken in understanding that many who have become homeless and labeled criminal are still very much American.”  Daniels is a member of Natomas Power Partners, and his business is financial services.

The greatest threat of all, Nielsen said, besides the criminals, is the power afforded our government, the California State legislative and administrative branches, including agency boards.  “They over the decades have gained these enormous powers over all of us.  And most of the complaints that we deal with on behalf of our constituents is about some agency of government that’s giving them some type of problem.  They are out of control.”  One of the latest developments is that of indexed fees that increase annually according to the inflation rate.

It’s not all gloom and doom, though, according to Nielsen.  “You never lose if you’re in the arena, speaking out,” Nielsen said.  “That’s what’s important.  Not just folks like me, elected representatives, but yourselves.”

Although the democrats and republicans are in opposition to each other on many things, at times they are able to come together.  Nielsen said a good example was the water bond and rainy day fund that he worked on with Governor Brown.  “That was a great example of working together,” Nielsen said.  “And on the budget this year, actually the democrats were more reserved than I thought they would be, so I’ll give them good grades for that.”

During his career, Nielsen has represented 19 California counties.  “Nobody’s even close to that,” Nielsen said.  I’m getting way high up in tenure, too, in the legislature.  Oh, and I have the scars to show for it.”