Digging a well in California is risky. It's expensive. The permitting and inspection are a hassle. You could easily spend tens of thousands of dollars and come up dry. I hired a geologist and a water witcher, had to clear the land and grade a road to create access for the drilling rig plus build a pump shed and install solar to power the pump. This initial capital investment in time and money is substantial. Now the government wants to tax the risk taker to subsidize some welfare receipient that never has and never will pay taxes?