Opinion: Different kind of leadership
By: Meg Whitman

Eight months ago, I wrote in these pages that our failure to rebuild California's water supply system is crippling our economy and hurting large parts of the Central Valley. I'm sad to say that the suffering continues.

California needs action to solve its water crisis. I'm proud that I was the first candidate for governor to take a strong position on this critical issue. And I immediately announced my support for the comprehensive water bond when it passed the Legislature last fall.

It's a needed start to solving a crisis years in the making. My support of the bond on the November ballot underscores my commitment to finding a solution.

Unfortunately, my opponent in the Republican primary, Steve Poizner, believes the answer to the Central Valley's water crisis is more talk and no action. After dodging the issue, Commissioner Poizner now opposes the water bond.

I was disappointed, but not surprised. Steve Poizner has never been a friend of California farmers.

When he ran to represent a Democratic Assembly district in 2004, he labeled farmers as "special interests" and complained they "are getting more than their fair share of a limited water supply." Steve misses the important role water and agriculture play in the vitality of our state.

We need leaders who will stand up for all Californians and promote honest solutions. My bias is for common sense action. Sitting on the sidelines is not an option.

I'm the first to say the water bond is not a perfect package, and I would have preferred a more fiscally responsible bond. But I have learned through experience that sometimes perfection can be the enemy of progress.

Passing the water bond in November is the best solution for all Californians. If we wait longer, the costs to rebuild our water delivery system will only grow, while our water infrastructure problems become worse, and a badly needed economic recovery is further delayed. That's a price too high to pay.

If Californians approve the water bond, our leaders in Sacramento must make sure the money delivers what's needed: A real fix that focuses on water storage projects, a conveyance system around the Delta, and restoration projects that protect the Delta's ecosystem. That work, along with a greater commitment by all Californians toward sensible water conservation, will go a long way in meeting our state's needs.

Years have been wasted, but now there's a plan. My opponent would rather we throw out the plan, ignore the crisis and launch into another wasted decade of debate in Sacramento. That may work for Steve Poizner and other insiders, but it doesn't work for me.

I'm from the real world of business, where we act to solve problems rather than just argue about them. As I wrote last June, what's going on in the Central Valley is not only about economics, it is a humanitarian crisis that cannot be allowed to continue. And it's a crisis that threatens the very future of California.

Let's pass the water bond on November's ballot, invest the money wisely, and rebuild California's economy. It's time to get on with it.

Meg Whitman is the former president and CEO of eBay. She is seeking the Republican nomination for governor in the June California primary election.