Water testing eliminated??

At 11:59 AM 10/21/2008, Suzie D wrote:
Perhaps on saturday we could all sign a petition to reinstate the water quality testing???

My local chapter of Surfrider alerted me to this. Pleas email the
governator.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has cut all funding (approximately $1 million per year) for beach water quality monitoring throughout the state. This sudden and unexpected action has gutted the country’s most extensive and progressive beach water quality monitoring and public health notification program. As a result, San Diego County (who received the biggest share of the state funds) has already suspended their monitoring program and other coastal counties may soon follow suit.

Without regular beach monitoring, surfers, swimmers and other beach-goers will be completely in the dark about water quality at their beach. Essentially, a “swim or surf at your own risk” sign just went up all along the California coast.
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From: James Lamb
Subject: Re: [dolphinclubsf] beach/water quality testing ELIMINATED

At the national level, believing "sympathy for the impoverished" falls into the rubric of religion, the government still felt there should be a transitory period, where instead of just cutting programs, they should dole out some cash to beef up religious programs before jettisoning the entire notion of social justice to the church.

It appears, however, that on the state level, there will be no transitory period? No period where state funds go to the religious who are of the conviction that clean water is a social necessity? Well, o.k., perhaps some lobbying, but in this era of government bankruptcy, let me know how much extra each member should contribute towards the testing of local waters -- would this be an existing club member taking over the task? I will consider volunteering two days a week in lieu of cash contributions; I have some laboratory backgound, and have actually tested water samples, though in a different setting, I'm willing to learn. Of course, if we post the data, I feel there should be advertising on the web site with the information, to help defray costs.