Strange how catastrophe brings critical issues into focus. When disaster strikes, we're momentarily jolted into awareness — a fleeting recognition of deeper, systemic challenges that simmer beneath the surface. Example: In California, wildfires have done more than scorch landscapes. Ironically, they've ignited — at least for a while — a desperately needed conversation about water management.
In the interest of raising awareness, I thought it might be of value to our readers to do some research, to dive deep into the water issue and examine why it remains frustratingly unresolved.
Read the entire commentary on Substack In The Center Lane With Herb Paine →
More commentaries from Herb Paine
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One piece of Arizona's property politics puzzle involves middle housing (sometimes referred to as missing middle housing to highlight the gap between single-family homes and large apartment buildings). Commentator Herb Paine examines the concept and its practical implications. -
From Arizona to New York, it appears that a "new housing economy" is emerging, shaped by short-term rentals and backyard units. Commentator Herb Paine explores how this development is testing the balance between personal profit and the public need for homes and stable communities. -
Commentator Herb Paine reflects on what’s truly at stake in Arizona’s 2026 elections — not just who wins, but whether the system that makes winning possible can endure. The elections may be a bellwether for the nation: a test of civic trust, political integrity, and the resilience of democracy in an age of disruption and division. -
Commentator Herb Paine highlights his observations about an all-too-common and increasingly frequent intrusion of extremism into the halls of local governance — from Scottsdale to Tampa. -
With decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, commentator Herb Paine critiques the sector’s reliance on outdated education models and calls for a radical redesign of how we learn, lead and drive change to meet today’s challenges.
