The Fishy Delta Smelt Affair

California is undergoing a long cycle of drought. Farmers have gone out of business for water restrictions and severe municipal and domestic water saving measures are in force. All that only vigorized California environmentalists that succeeded in stopping freshwater pumping from the Sacramento River and allowing its discharge into the ocean, all to the supposed benefit of the "endangered" Delta Smelt. This holy fish is undistinguishable from the common sardine.

In a surprising turn of events, Judge Wanger writes that employees of the US Fish and Wildlife Service acted in bad faith, giving an incredible testimony "riddled with inconsistency." Then he told them to stop activities they claimed would save the Delta Smelt. Zetland from Aguanomics comments:

I long ago gave up trying to understand the details of this mess ... but I understand that "bad faith" means lying (bad move) and getting caught (worse move).

Why would public servants willfully sabotage California's agriculture and impose restrictions on the public (like forbidding washing cars, watering the garden or building swimming pools)? Elemental, Watson. POWER. They exercise power by forbidding things. Not for nothing "Green" was always considered a sick colour, a sign of unhealth.