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Antonia Serrejido. You're listening to Imperfect

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Paradise from LAist Studios, the show

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about hidden worlds and messy realities.

0:39

Last time on Imperfect Paradise, the Gen

0:41

Z water deal maker. We

0:43

took you inside the drama of

0:46

a high-stakes climate change negotiation on

0:48

the Colorado River. It's

0:50

painful to live within the means

0:52

of the river. That's

0:54

the future. If there's no water, there's

0:56

no water for everybody. A messy compromise

0:59

that will be judged harshly

1:01

by history. And

1:03

we learned that the negotiations are

1:06

coming down to a disagreement between

1:08

two groups led respectively by Colorado

1:10

and California. The

1:12

one person that you cannot

1:14

negotiate with is Mother Nature.

1:17

She will win every time.

1:20

That is the wrong approach.

1:28

In this episode, how California's J.B.

1:30

Hamby rose to become the youngest

1:32

lead negotiator ever on the Colorado

1:34

River during the most consequential negotiations

1:37

to date. So here's

1:39

a 22-year-old youngster talking

1:41

about water law. I mean,

1:43

how unusual is that? And

1:46

how the place where J.B. grew up, a

1:49

desert farming area that uses more water than

1:51

anywhere else on the river, shaped

1:53

him as a negotiator. If

1:55

There is no water, there is no Imperial Valley. And If we want to be able

1:57

to protect our community, we have to be able to protect our community. The

2:00

protect the river. At coming

2:02

up on parts you have imperfect

2:04

paradise. The Gens. The water dealmaker

2:06

correspondent Emily Guerin takes it from

2:08

here. As

2:15

an ago shader. On the Colorado River

2:17

you spend a lot of time and

2:19

hotels drinking hotel lobby coffee out of

2:22

paper cups and sitting and drab conference

2:24

rooms. When of Jb Hamby first meetings

2:26

as lead negotiator for California was in

2:29

an airport hotel and Colorado. Aurora

2:31

Colorado near Denver near the airport

2:33

that the will the hotel. It

2:35

was January. Twenty Twenty three. Gb.

2:38

Had just been elected to the position. Of lead

2:40

negotiator a few weeks earlier by his

2:42

peers and the Waterworld a Southern California.

2:45

They were impressed by his knowledge. Of Colorado River

2:47

history and Law and and bothered by

2:49

his aides. He just gotten back.

2:51

From a meeting with the other lead negotiators

2:53

in Las Vegas and he thought everyone was

2:55

getting along pretty well in the idea of

2:58

this meeting Mr. Vaz, at least we saw

3:00

it in California was to continue those discussions

3:02

that we've been having in Las Vegas and

3:04

come up with some sort of consensus or

3:06

less. Turns out that was met with the

3:08

other states hadn't. In.

3:11

January Twenty Twenty. Three things for

3:13

getting worse on the Colorado River:

3:15

Lake Mead and the Bath Tub

3:17

Ring or back A national news

3:20

feeds. Crisis on the Colorado Rapid

3:22

climate change in an unprecedented Megan's

3:24

Rounds of plumlee water levels of

3:26

the two lakes did few the

3:28

river to the lowest level in

3:30

decades. The nation's largest reservoirs are

3:32

rapidly retreating. Iconic dams could stop

3:34

producing Powell. That is what's known

3:36

as deadpool where the water will

3:38

no longer pass through the deal.

3:43

The previous summer, the Federal government had

3:46

worn the seven states along the river

3:48

that they need to/their use dramatically and

3:50

pretty much immediately to keep the reservoir

3:52

as from hitting deadpool. That's

3:55

what the negotiators. For as the Willie hotel

3:57

to talk about. Currently. They had

3:59

been there meeting like the day before

4:01

and other rooms in there is a

4:03

lot happening that California was not a

4:05

party to, not aware of not invited

4:07

to participate in. Negotiators.

4:09

Some the other six states presented J B.

4:12

With a proposal that would force California

4:14

to make drastic cuts to it's water

4:16

use more than any other state. So.

4:18

This was all a lot to

4:21

take and rather quickly did it

4:23

feel like like an ambush l

4:25

And it was. Frankly, Letting

4:30

you know about it. The

4:32

state of the basins relationships were

4:34

freed and completely broken at that

4:36

point. And then adding fuel to

4:38

the fire was the fact of

4:41

the river was going to potentially

4:43

collapse. It

4:45

was easier to turn on each

4:47

other then to turn to make

4:49

these difficult things. Pappa California like

4:51

on the s enemy. California's big,

4:54

It's rights are bigger than anyone

4:56

else and it's rights are awesome.

4:58

were protected than anybody else and

5:00

California's and easy pariah for people.

5:05

Ultimately j be rejected that deal but

5:07

he knew that to make any progress

5:09

is have to show the California was

5:11

willing to do with part to keep

5:13

the river from collapsing. Specifically

5:16

the people in California. That

5:18

is the most water farmers in the

5:20

Imperial Valley. They use seventy percent

5:22

of the states allotment. But.

5:25

I didn't understand how difficult. That would

5:27

be, and how deeply Jeebies own views

5:29

of water had been shaped by growing

5:31

up there until I visited for my

5:33

son's. That's. Coming up on

5:35

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7:12

Hernandez is part of the LAist Voter

7:15

Game Plan team. At LAist we're

7:17

saying democracy needs to be heard but how

7:19

can you vote responsibly if you don't have

7:21

all the facts. We're providing you with You're.

7:44

Listening to imperfect paradise

7:46

degeneracy. Water Dealmaker. I'm Emily

7:49

Guerin. When.

7:51

I met up with J B in the

7:53

Imperial Valley this winter. He was wearing jeans,

7:55

a button down, and a gray fleece. fast.

7:57

He looks sharp and alert even though he's

7:59

been up. Where. Am

8:04

I have one of. The

8:06

plan was to do the I. The loop is day

8:08

be called it. We. Drive around for

8:11

hours, hitting the major water landmarks of

8:13

the Imperial Valley and then the personal

8:15

ones from his life. On

8:17

the day of our drives. Something very unusual

8:19

was happening. Oh the Wraith.

8:21

like when it rains here

8:23

is a good for is

8:25

it. Express.

8:30

Cb started doing this thing that I

8:33

didn't get realize with the patterns. Instead

8:35

of answering my question directly, he gives

8:37

me a technical explanation of the topics

8:39

Satellite talking to a college professor were

8:41

getting. Reps

8:43

drops here there. Are

8:48

other we not. And

8:55

now. The

9:01

Imperial Valley sits in a low flying

9:03

desert that runs north from the California,

9:05

Mexico border to a giant salt lake

9:07

com the Salton Sea. Tall dry mountains

9:09

sit on either side of the valley.

9:12

Beyond them to the west my San

9:14

Diego to the east, Arizona. Winters.

9:16

Here are perfect and summers are hell.

9:19

If you've ever opened the door to and of

9:21

in in your head. Rush

9:25

of hot air blowing. What

9:28

it is. But. As

9:30

he just add water, the Imperial

9:32

Valley becomes one of the most

9:34

productive farming regions in the country.

9:36

The All Americans now guess. It's actually

9:39

it's name. Brings. In one hundred percent

9:41

of the Valleys. Water from the Colorado

9:43

River about sixty miles away. From.

9:45

Their the water of centrally flows

9:48

into smaller canals with tidy horticultural

9:50

names. so you have the nectar

9:52

he in the nutmeg nuttall Narcissus.

9:55

Marigold, Mayflower, Malveaux Money,

9:57

and Myrtle loan me.

10:00

What? Or leave these canals and fled

10:02

the seals which are have leveled perfectly

10:04

flat with lasers so the water sinks

10:06

into the dirt evenly. We.

10:10

Passed the towns of imperial. And Calif

10:12

Patreon. The. Valley is full of

10:14

these jingoistic mans, their little monuments to

10:16

the mindset of the. People who transformed

10:18

this place from what they considered

10:21

a wasteland into a garden. Reference.

10:26

House hero of high.

10:33

So there's eighty acres of sugar

10:35

beets. There are those abs? Not

10:37

a farmer growing up around agriculture

10:39

has seeped the way he thinks

10:41

about water, about land, about sacrifice

10:44

and risk. To

10:46

these great grandfather arrived in the

10:48

Imperial Valley during the Great Depression

10:50

and economic refugees from West Texas.

10:52

He dug ditches and then get

10:54

into beekeeping, primarily for pollen and

10:56

and crops not making honey. Jeebies.

10:59

Grandfather did bees to any dabbled

11:01

in vegetables. Rose

11:03

after. Imperial

11:18

County is a wildly unequal place,

11:20

is by far the poorest county

11:22

in Southern California, and wealth here

11:24

is concentrated in the hands of

11:26

two dozen or so mostly white

11:28

farming. Families. And when I say

11:30

farming families, I'm really talking. About

11:32

Agribusiness companies that make millions of

11:35

dollars each year, cultivate tens of

11:37

thousands of acres and employ thousands

11:39

of people, mostly migrant workers from

11:41

Mexico who get paid less than

11:43

twenty dollars an hour. Jeebies.

11:46

Family is Not one of us. Jamie

12:09

as his father mark farming business

12:11

begin to struggle and the late

12:13

ninety nineties, it never really recovered.

12:39

Gb. And his younger brother Lauren or

12:41

the first generation of Hamby is not to work

12:43

at. Work

13:03

and agriculture tolerate uncertainty to an extent

13:05

I've always found fascinating. I once did

13:08

a whole story about the psychology of

13:10

it when I lived in North Dakota.

13:13

In North Dakota, farmers grow crops with

13:15

brain and they live in fear of

13:17

droughts and late frosts. In. The

13:19

Imperial Valley in almost never rains

13:21

and it definitely never snows. Water

13:23

here is controlled and predictable, and

13:25

farmers want it to stay that

13:28

way, especially given all the factors

13:30

they can't control like commodity prices,

13:32

free trade deals, and now climate

13:34

change. See. These,

13:36

just as lead negotiator is twofold.

13:39

He has to reach. A deal on behalf of

13:41

California with the six other Colorado River

13:44

states to keep the river from collapsing,

13:46

but he also has to make sir

13:48

California cities and farms have enough water

13:50

to continue to exist. When.

13:58

You were little source you spend

14:00

doing like farming related. Things.

14:02

And what were those things? I

14:05

got Answer for age I think

14:07

and seventh grade or so. It's

14:10

think of boy scouts but for

14:12

agriculture. It was the day

14:14

after our road trip and we were sitting

14:16

in a bizarre says at the Imperial Irrigation

14:18

Districts. He's got a standing desk, lots of

14:20

old photos of dams, and one hundred year

14:22

old map. You sound in an attic. His.

14:25

Full name is. On the door John Brooks

14:27

Hamby. He. Started going by J B

14:29

when he got into politics because he thought

14:31

it sounded more grown up than Brooks. I

14:34

could tell he selected his. Anecdotes: Carefully mindful

14:37

of what he thought they said about

14:39

him. This. For each story was

14:41

one of them. I did a

14:43

lamb one year I usually did though,

14:45

chickens all the way through. Day

14:48

be raised chickens. And

14:50

he talked about the kids. Who raised pigs or

14:53

see for heifers? He seemed kind

14:55

of disdainful. He told me that

14:57

all a kid had to do to win the

14:59

pig competition at the annual for it's allies Teixeira

15:01

was to make it look pretty. Maybe whacked it

15:03

with a keen to get it to walk around

15:05

in a circle. You didn't even have to raise

15:07

the pig yourself. You could go out and buy

15:09

a nice looking one. But to

15:12

have a winning second, you had to

15:14

become kind of an encyclopedia. One

15:17

of the interesting things about suing chickens is that you

15:19

have to. Know a lot of the breeds. This

15:21

is T v his mom Trina happy to

15:24

had spoken with earlier that day. See.

15:26

Also brought up the chicken story unprompted.

15:28

It's. More of knowing. The

15:31

educational part of it and showing them

15:33

always thought it was a Loomis secondary

15:35

so he can have a really nice

15:37

bird that if the judge comes up

15:40

and ask though are so this breed

15:42

and what's unique about that breed well

15:44

you have to know it. So there's

15:46

a big book called Remember Standards of

15:48

for Section think that that for Christmas

15:50

and ninth grade. So.

15:54

There's this book called the American Standard

15:56

of Perfection. And so

15:59

it's a book. Have all the little facts

16:01

about every chicken breed and variety that there

16:03

is and see get quizzed on that. he

16:05

could quizzed on us and anomie of a

16:07

chicken and what animal did your brother do

16:10

for it? Suited tags in. In

16:14

high school said be in his friends to

16:16

every A P class possible and ask their

16:18

school to add more. He ran cross country

16:21

because you were only competing with yourself. He

16:23

did mock trial and made it to state

16:25

three years and around. He graduated

16:27

and the top. Four of his class and

16:29

was one of the speakers at his graduation.

16:32

What's the story of the Speeds? I

16:34

think I had some verses in

16:37

their preference and I thought of

16:39

our Jesus just. Say.

16:41

Be grew up going to a Presbyterian church.

16:44

It had a stained glass window depicting had

16:46

to now. Running through a field And the

16:48

words Lord of the Harvest. He

16:50

told me the emphasis was on order and

16:53

doing what's right and on spending time studying

16:55

the text of the bible. For guidance he

16:57

wanted to talk about that and his

16:59

graduation speeds but his school said now.

17:02

He. Did it anyway. Source:

17:07

Like a holiday. Share

17:11

my first. I thought. I

17:14

might say. There's. A video

17:16

of the speech and you tube recorded by someone

17:19

in the crowd. Jeebies. On

17:21

an outdoor stage, standing in a lectern.

17:23

In his cap and gown, several American

17:25

flags below and behind him. As

17:32

a home or of. our

17:35

was asked. About

17:38

the Bible licenses every point.

17:40

Two. Gb.

17:44

Never actually brought up his face during

17:46

the many hours we spent together, and

17:48

he seemed a little uncomfortable whenever I

17:50

did. But. I think

17:52

this story about his speeds helps me

17:54

understand something else about him. That.

17:56

Even as a teenager. He had a

17:58

strong internal sense of right. Wrong. And

18:01

he wasn't seeking approval or validation.

18:04

As one of his college. Friends told me Gb

18:06

does his own saying and he has

18:08

sound consonants in that. That

18:12

fall, twenty fourteen to. Headed

18:14

off to Stanford. his mom Trina told

18:16

me the have these made too much

18:18

for. A scholarship and too little

18:20

to actually be able to afford

18:22

the tuition. But that wasn't going

18:24

to stop them. A husband for

18:26

purple hearts? that? like, what did

18:28

he have to do? Keep sounds

18:30

funny, mean blowout? Who gets more.

18:32

Of land Figure out how to do it. Will

18:35

flee. The cop comes in good. See

18:38

these: Dad planted onions for seed to

18:40

put him through college. A precarious crops

18:42

that takes a year and a half

18:44

to be ready to harvest makes for

18:46

some sleepless nights so is really important

18:49

to him to your husband says this.

18:54

During. J B. Second year at Stanford,

18:56

a group of anonymous student journalists discovered

18:59

a loophole and federal law that would

19:01

allow current students to be able to

19:03

look at their admissions files. Tv was

19:05

curious and would take you into this

19:07

room with cubicles and this portable trailer

19:09

that the abroad and and then see.

19:12

Sit there and there's an attorney and

19:14

they sit down with you. They had

19:16

you your file they see can take

19:18

notes with pencil and you cannot take

19:20

pictures and do you have thirty minutes.

19:24

Op's. Such. A be began reading

19:26

his application. Little comments and statements here

19:28

and there. On. Was like yikes

19:30

to his mouth. Score on S a T

19:32

but he's totally humanities head was one thing

19:34

it's sad men another place was it said

19:36

med been shown you how the same goes.

19:38

He's from one of those zip codes. The.

19:41

Poverty rate in the Imperial Valley is

19:43

twice the states average. In the air

19:46

is unhealthy, debris is due to smog,

19:48

diesel truck emissions, and dust. Only ten

19:50

percent of adults here have a bachelor's

19:52

degree, the lowest rate of any county

19:54

and Southern California. Them.

19:56

For months and now understood what

19:59

that meant. From. Name.

20:01

Puerile Ballet Brawley and

20:03

it's a Killer does

20:05

lack of opportunities, amenities,

20:07

resources, Did. You

20:09

feel like you didn't belong there. Ah,

20:12

I'm. No, not exactly.

20:14

I mean there is this speech you

20:16

get given in your first week or

20:18

something. They're bad imposter syndrome that know

20:21

you are not an imposter. You are

20:23

here because you were chosen. But.

20:25

His mom, Trina told me Stanford was.

20:27

Different than he expected. I remember

20:29

when you went stafford he said you know

20:31

what mom it took like six months until

20:34

I saw white pickup truck. what's that that

20:36

the buttocks around here very normal me all

20:38

the folks at work and add business as.

20:41

Typically. Like that the ducks. Did

20:44

you miss home? Yeah the

20:46

more time spent away in a

20:48

hardness make says or of center

20:50

makes first set us heart grow

20:52

fonder for sure. And so I

20:54

spent a lot of time being

20:56

interested in history and. Digging.

20:58

Up history particularly about water which

21:01

is the sort of history and

21:03

origins of the Imperial Valley and

21:05

becoming increasingly fascinate on about that.

21:08

Jb. Majored in American History and spent

21:11

a lot of time studying the Colorado

21:13

River. He did a project on the

21:15

Colorado River contact The Night and Twenty

21:17

Two document. That divided up the river between

21:19

the southern states and Mexico, and he spent a

21:22

lot of time. In the archives and

21:24

Special collections requesting boxes of documents.

21:27

He learned about the power position the

21:29

Imperial Valley has on the Colorado River.

21:32

Not. Only the most water, but the best

21:34

access to it. She. Likes reading

21:36

stuff in our size and you're

21:38

seeing like imperial referenced and these

21:40

documents. You like? I'm

21:42

sciences some things done. It

21:45

became somewhat of an obsession. I.

21:48

Went and did have a Colorado

21:50

River Basin trip just after graduate

21:52

at the road trip. Yeah, I

21:55

did a road trip, visited basically

21:57

all of the dams and the

21:59

Colorado River base, then spent several

22:01

weeks just traveling to base. It

22:04

was an unusual itinerary you want to

22:06

every public. Meeting about the Colorado

22:08

River that he did find from

22:11

Sacramento, the Salt Lake City to

22:13

Steamboat Springs is soundtrack with the

22:15

western water history book Cadillac Desert.

22:17

he did visit some nasty perks

22:19

but only the ones the had

22:21

dams inside them. When.

22:27

Jb.back to the Imperial Valley. He had

22:29

pretty much decided that he wanted. To

22:31

work on the Colorado River. Okay,

22:33

have a theory I'm a or unlawfully

22:35

tell me this is totally psychological bogus

22:37

but. At that

22:39

point, like Stanford, people. Were.

22:42

Like he's from one of those zip codes.

22:44

But when it comes to Colorado River, Imperial

22:46

Valley is not like one of those zip

22:48

codes. It's like. The. King

22:50

Pin Down. I mean to think.

22:53

That would is king and here's his kingdom.

22:55

As the early newspaper said about us, Will

22:57

not even that that like us or the kings. To

23:00

think that that like factors and and all tear

23:02

up wanting to work and this is like in

23:04

the Colorado River world Improve at least not like

23:06

one of the zip codes. It's like. The

23:09

most important player. Eaten

23:12

view us as the small rural,

23:14

isolated community with a lot of

23:16

limitations and and so on. And

23:18

we don't make our way onto

23:20

the map most the time. but

23:22

on the other hands. The.

23:24

Imperial Valley has this massive

23:27

and it's across seven states,

23:29

two countries, millions of people,

23:32

and the future of this.

23:34

Massive region of the American

23:37

West and these potter impacts

23:39

across the country. all from

23:41

this little community here. If

23:45

you want to work in a world where

23:47

the Imperial Valley has a lot of power,

23:49

there's only one place to go: the Board

23:51

of the Imperial Irrigation Districts. Id.

23:54

As people call it is the local

23:56

utility that provides electricity and drinking water

23:58

to the area. On that water comes

24:00

from the Colorado River. But

24:03

the Id. Board also plays a huge

24:05

role and California to go stations with

24:07

the six other states because it's California,

24:09

is going to make a meaningful caught

24:11

to it's Colorado River use. It really

24:13

has to come from the Imperial Valley.

24:17

After a break to be runs for

24:19

this office. Protecting our water

24:21

as a piece of cake. it just

24:23

takes the right person. I'm j be

24:25

happy and I'm running for Id division

24:27

to to keep our water here in

24:29

our valley. That's.

24:32

Coming up on imperfect paradise. He

24:37

always playing supersedes is happening. You

24:39

can win amazing hard as well.

24:41

Supported us Source for. Local say

24:43

still the one lucky brand new.

24:45

the city's have more newsletters or

24:48

twenty five thousand dollars into the

24:50

prices include a little fun. He

24:53

focused on one. Thousand Dollars. That

24:55

to call your donation of fifty dollars

24:57

isn't one. Into to win and the

24:59

more you hear the more interesting thing

25:01

then it now at all. you can

25:03

see. Hi

25:07

I'm Tracey Thomas host of One for the

25:09

Buck and we are back for another round!

25:12

This is crew and M P R audience. So

25:15

smart that. My guess this

25:18

time are Actor Vellum A Bow and

25:20

author Amanda Montana. his new book, The

25:22

Age of Magical Over. Thinking is out.

25:24

Now join us on May fifteenth,

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The proper family forum for book

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talk of trivia and fucking ticket

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can be found at las.com/or then.

25:39

You're listening to imperfect paradise

25:41

degeneracy. Water Deal. I'm Emily

25:43

Guerin. By.

25:45

The Time J Be brought up his list. Of

25:47

what I would call New Years

25:49

resolutions, we'd already spent most of the

25:52

day together driving around the Imperial

25:54

Valley. Their night resolutions. By twenty

25:56

twenty Four thought. We'd

25:58

had months at a Mexican restaurant. You are

26:00

now sitting a huge. Our Fresca and

26:03

a Styrofoam. basically. How.

26:06

Much always thinks responding

26:08

to what's happening to

26:10

you pass away. Sports.

26:30

The sun's zenith. Easy and.

26:35

Like isi unpleasant. Do feel

26:37

like I am not be

26:40

comfortable and a vox. Of

26:43

asked. About

26:46

what I was do. I

26:51

want to get this done. By such such as

26:53

a. The. Next day

26:55

he showed it to me. For. Wounds,

26:58

Be content with present moment to enjoy your

27:00

experiences. Three, savor every moment for be thankful

27:02

for to have and your experiences and five

27:04

don't worry so much about feature. Length

27:06

Rgb that Slates is. He did that. You be.

27:09

Like the Buddha. Gb.

27:11

As one of the most ambitious people I've ever

27:13

met, And. So

27:15

it makes sense. To me that he decided

27:17

to run for public office the year after

27:19

he graduated from college. To

27:22

Be was running against a sixteen. Year and

27:24

Ten then a prominent local lawyer in

27:26

a perennial candidate. He was a year.

27:28

Out of Stanford with no name

27:31

recognition. He needed help. From someone

27:33

with cloud, a person who other

27:35

people trusted someone like John Fox.

27:39

I'm a for earth, iona, horizon

27:41

forms and way for about. Thirty.

27:44

Six hundred acres of ground. What?

27:47

Do you grow? We. Grow fresh

27:49

vegetables a girl lot of lettuce

27:51

remains. Carrots, onions,

27:54

Things. Like that. Joe Di

27:56

Hi Onions is di Hi

27:59

dehydrated, dehydrate, The onions yes they

28:01

would be the left and suit type

28:03

of thing. John. Hawk

28:05

is in fact sitting in the cab of his. Ford

28:07

f one fifty looking out over and irrigated

28:09

field of the high onions as we talk.

28:12

John Med J B to be saw other.

28:15

So. Here's a twenty two year old. Youngster:

28:18

Talk and. You know about

28:20

water water law's. The. Law the

28:22

river water contracts, court cases.

28:26

How unusual is that? That.

28:28

Is very unusual and my my. Son.

28:32

Who is Not. Only a farmer. He's also

28:34

on the Imperial County Board of Supervisors.

28:37

And he advises the. Id on water

28:39

and Colorado River as is. Is

28:41

from one of those multi generational

28:43

Imperial Valley farming families. And

28:46

John saw a. Lot of potential and J B.

28:48

I. Feel like a young man like that. I

28:50

would hate to see. Him on the

28:52

other side of the water issues. I

28:55

really would. But he mean. I

28:58

want him on our side. With

29:02

them because I think he

29:04

has a real handle on

29:06

the water. Issues are they

29:08

is extremely bright. And

29:10

as a T Nose outta Negotiate is

29:12

a good man to have on our

29:15

team. Sir

29:19

John Mentor Jb. He sought campaign videos

29:21

of him standing in front of dams

29:23

talking about water He gave him money.

29:25

He wrote glowing letters to the editor

29:27

of the local newspaper. They were published

29:29

under headlines like hats Off to him

29:31

he says hot. Gb

29:34

had made the unusual decision early on

29:36

to campaign on Colorado River issues, not

29:39

power bills as with the custom. He

29:41

wanted to talk a lot about this

29:43

deal that his opponent had approved twenty

29:45

years earlier. As an Id board member,

29:48

The deal was to sell some. Of the Imperial

29:50

Valleys water to San Diego and it

29:52

was super controversial and fact. Some of

29:55

Davies earliest memories are of hearing family

29:57

members complaining about that. Said.

30:00

The be made a video featuring a

30:02

cake was blue frosting and icing that

30:04

read an Imperial Valleys Water. Imperial

30:10

Valley has the largest water right on

30:12

the entire Colorado River. That's pretty sweet.

30:14

It used to be that the people

30:16

of Imperial Valley enjoyed the whole take

30:18

over. Water was use here but it's

30:21

not that way anymore. One am sick

30:23

represent San Diego, L A and other

30:25

cities start grabbing chunks of the kids

30:27

taking and taking until it's gone. Ice

30:29

protecting water is a piece of cake

30:32

is just takes the right person. I'm

30:34

j be happy and I'm running for

30:36

I the division to to keep our

30:38

water here in our valley. And put

30:41

it to use here. So even though

30:43

J B was a fresh face, he

30:45

was really speaking the language of his

30:47

elders. Specifically, he was speaking the language

30:49

of people like John Hawkes, who praised

30:51

the folks who built Hoover Dam and

30:53

harness the wild Colorado River, keeping it's

30:56

water from flowing out to sea and

30:58

being wasted. My. Gosh,

31:00

you made a a desert bloom.

31:03

Out. Of nothing. We. Export

31:05

Melons letters, asparagus, you name

31:07

it. We. Ship it all

31:09

over the world and now you have people

31:11

that live in the city say why should

31:14

they have the water. I

31:16

mean I could as you. What

31:19

would you say if you are

31:21

a fifth generation forever? And

31:24

you build your life here. built

31:26

your home. Beer raised, your family's

31:28

a people. Write an article in

31:30

say. He should have

31:33

that much water. What

31:35

would you say? C.

31:39

B and B is an Imperial Valley

31:41

Guy. A. Bola Kai wearing chicken

31:43

raising, churchgoing farmer's son whose views on

31:46

water has been shaped by growing up

31:48

in a place where water is wasted

31:50

is it's not being used by people.

31:53

And when he was running for Id, this

31:55

helps voters trust him and set aside their

31:58

doubts about his age and like that. Experience.

32:01

As one of his friends. Told me not everyone

32:03

knew who J B. Hamby was,

32:05

but everyone knows how important water

32:07

is, even the local Cbs station

32:09

K Why I may. Have

32:13

a sincere see for the imperial irrigation. This

32:15

was one of the top is races in

32:17

the counties with two candidates vying. For the

32:19

seats, Jb Handy is a projected winner.

32:21

We didn't expect that at all over

32:23

of really humble and grateful by the

32:26

return. Trip. He took office

32:28

in December. Twenty Twenty. To

32:30

continue to talk about Imperial Valleys water

32:32

the same way he had during his

32:34

campaign to give really hard line quotes

32:36

to newspaper reporters. I found a video

32:38

of him at a board meeting in

32:40

January twenty twenty one reading one of

32:42

them out loud. Quotes.

32:44

The fact is is that we were here first

32:47

we established a right to this and of

32:49

it was their choice to build a Phoenix or

32:51

Las Vegas in the middle of his balls of

32:53

science and the middle of the most arid

32:55

places in the country and club. In.

32:58

Other words, the Imperial Valley started using

33:00

Colorado river water first and city people

33:02

can shove it. That

33:05

court to man what I said. there is

33:07

religion quite frankly and as soon as my

33:09

lands to the sports. That.

33:13

Meetings happened, Just over three years

33:15

ago, that Tb is quite different

33:17

from the person I met in

33:19

Las Vegas. Who stood on stage

33:21

and the champagne Room to congratulate. Imperial

33:23

Valley Farmers on saving water.

33:25

Next up we how's the

33:28

Metropolitan Water District? The Imperial

33:30

Irrigation District In The Savior:

33:32

Any water authority who called

33:34

out Colorado for being unwilling

33:36

to maintenance there is no

33:38

user know state know country

33:41

base. Stand

33:43

Up say were out. This is

33:45

a base my problem for we're

33:47

not partisan Who was admired by

33:49

his counterpart in Arizona for being

33:51

willing to share pay as. Well. As

33:53

often as an example of. What

34:00

happened to Gb since becoming California

34:02

lead negotiator to get him to

34:04

change his position? So. Drastically and

34:07

so quickly. House

34:14

correspondent actually carrying. On

34:16

our next episode of Imperfect. Paradise The Gens

34:18

the waters you'll make that J B

34:20

though from are you in the Imperial

34:22

Valley should never give up any. Of

34:24

it's better. To declaring that everyone must

34:26

do their part. That is he sell that.

34:28

Idea locally well as a few

34:31

good friends at a lot of

34:33

enemies. Extolled question was called every

34:35

day and thinking good way he

34:37

looks too much that I do

34:40

a disservice. Thursday am I giving

34:42

up position that other animal for

34:44

me? Work harder? A. And

34:47

we jump thoughts into the current negotiations

34:49

which are coming down to a very

34:51

public battle between. The upper and lower

34:53

have a sense. I say no matter what

34:56

we do with never going. To

35:00

get more people invited to my

35:03

funeral. I'm here for Colorado and

35:05

it's tough that's on the next

35:07

episode of Imperfect Paradise Agenda: The

35:10

Water. Deal maker. Listen.

35:12

To new episodes of the podcast every

35:14

one thing or two name on Sunday

35:16

nights at Seven Pm on away as

35:18

a nine Point Three or Elliott. This

35:27

episode of Imperfect Paradise. Was

35:29

written and recorded by Emily Guerin.

35:32

And the census and then yes. And

35:34

either Saturn Millhouse is the executive producers,

35:36

the Shell and are director of content

35:38

his own seen any only craft mall

35:41

or vice president of podcast My grammar

35:43

is or any means you peruse is

35:45

our producer Sense Campbell is or production

35:48

coordinator, Looper, Onion is or editorial and.

35:52

Regroup. Mixing

35:54

and the music room. For Kelly with

35:56

additional music five hundred even. Imperfect

35:59

foods. The production of L A

36:01

A Suitcase and it is hard. My

36:03

listeners like. You support the

36:05

show be donating now.com/doing This

36:08

podcast is supported by Gordon

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A Quality Journalism Most Los

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Angeles. A better place to live.

36:17

Additional support from the Water does of

36:19

the Center for Environmental Journalism at the

36:21

University of Colorado. Boulder. This

36:33

program is powered by the Corporation

36:35

For Public Broadcasting, a private corporation

36:37

funded by the American People. Are

36:46

the farmer's son from a desert region

36:49

in California. Jb Hamby Thanks a lot.

36:51

About Water. I spend a lot

36:53

of time thinking artistry for Sickly

36:55

About Water, which is the origins

36:57

of Imperial Valley. How this

37:00

twenty olds became the youngest lead

37:02

negotiator on the Colorado River Ever.

37:04

And how he could save the

37:06

most consequential negotiations to date. Listen

37:09

to Imperfect Paradise Agenda, the water

37:11

deal maker of forever you that

37:13

podcast.