California's Water Overlords Siphon Cash to Israel

Stewart and Lynda Resnick: The Greedy Billionaires Exploiting California’s Water

California’s water crisis is no accident. Stewart and Lynda Resnick, billionaire owners of The Wonderful Company, have amassed obscene wealth by exploiting the state’s water resources. While ordinary Californians face rising costs, severe restrictions, and dry taps, the Resnicks consume over 150 billion gallons of water annually to sustain their massive agricultural empire.

The Resnicks, whose net worth totals $9 billion, operate brands like FIJI Water, Pom Wonderful, Halos mandarins, and Wonderful Pistachios. Their Central Valley farms prioritize water-guzzling crops like almonds and pistachios, all while local communities suffer from water scarcity and environmental degradation. Their unchecked greed has turned California’s natural resources into a private cash cow.

The Kern Water Bank: A Stolen Public Resource

In 1994, the Resnicks orchestrated the privatization of the Kern Water Bank, one of California’s largest water reserves. This underhanded deal transferred a critical public resource into private hands, enriching the Resnicks while leaving Californians high and dry.

The Kern Water Bank now serves as their personal reservoir, allowing them to hoard water during wet years and sell it at inflated prices during droughts. This exploitation disproportionately impacts working-class Californians, who are forced to ration water and endure skyrocketing bills. Meanwhile, the Resnicks’ empire thrives, with water-intensive crops expanding at an alarming rate.

Exploiting Communities and the Environment

The Resnicks’ insatiable greed has devastated local communities. Small farmers struggle to survive against their monopolistic practices, and residents in the Central Valley face contaminated groundwater and unreliable water supplies. In some towns, families rely on bottled water—a bitter irony given the Resnicks’ ownership of FIJI Water.

Their reckless water consumption also exacerbates California’s wildfire crisis. By monopolizing water resources, the Resnicks leave less available for critical firefighting efforts, worsening the destruction caused by wildfires. Their actions make it clear that profit comes before people or the planet.

Funding Israel While California Struggles

The Resnicks’ wealth doesn’t just stay in California. They funnel millions into Israel, supporting institutions and projects that serve their interests abroad. Their notable contributions include:

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF): Supporting Israel’s military while Californians face drought and hardship.
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology: Donating $50 million for research that benefits their agricultural operations.
National Library of Israel: Funding the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Fellowship to bolster their global influence.
Israeli Companies: Partnering with irrigation firms like Netafim to sustain their water-guzzling empire.

These financial ties demonstrate how the Resnicks prioritize their international agenda over the well-being of the Californians they exploit.

Corporate Greed and Environmental Destruction

The Wonderful Company’s operations epitomize environmental irresponsibility. Growing almonds and pistachios, among their primary crops, requires enormous amounts of water—nearly one gallon per almond. Their sprawling orchards stretch across tens of thousands of acres, draining California’s water supply for export profits.

This exploitation has drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups and community advocates. By prioritizing export markets over local water needs, the Resnicks have turned California’s drought into a business opportunity. Their greed fuels environmental destruction, leaving residents and ecosystems to bear the consequences.

Demand for Accountability

Californians are fighting back against the Resnicks’ water empire. Activists and lawmakers are pushing for urgent reforms to curb their reckless exploitation. Proposed measures include:

Reclaiming Public Resources: Ending the privatization of the Kern Water Bank and restoring it to public ownership.
Regulating Water-Intensive Crops: Restricting the planting of water-hungry crops in drought-stricken regions.
Investing in Communities: Improving infrastructure to provide clean and affordable water for all Californians.

These efforts aim to ensure that California’s water resources serve the public interest, not the greed of billionaires.

A Cautionary Tale of Greed

The Resnicks’ exploitation of California’s water is a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked corporate greed. By treating essential resources as commodities, they have enriched themselves at the expense of millions. California’s water crisis is not just a natural disaster but a man-made catastrophe fueled by selfishness and irresponsibility.

As droughts worsen and water becomes scarcer, the fight for fair resource management is more urgent than ever. Californians must stand against the Resnicks and demand a future where water is treated as a public good, not a billionaire’s profit machine.