You don't say!
Joe Guzzardi at Calnews.com weighs in on The common denominator: overpopulation

As the California gubernatorial race thankfully enters its waning days, Gray Davis and Bill Simon are scurrying around the state trying (unsuccessfully) to convince voters that each has the answer to our myriad social and economic woes.

Among the multiple problems that the incumbent and his challenger claim to have the solution to are overcrowded schools, an overburdened health care system, energy and water shortages, excessive taxes, urban sprawl, traffic gridlock and environmental degradation.

Interestingly, neither Davis nor Simon has the slightest appetite to mention the common denominator in that laundry list of concerns: overpopulation.
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Consider the facts: in 1960, California's population was 15.9 million; today, more than 35 million reside in California. Conservative estimates project 45 million people by 2020.

In 2001, California's population increased by 652,000 or nearly 1,700 people a day. All will need schooling, housing and roads. Some of the unlucky ones will also need public assistance.

As pointed out by Oberlink, these statistics represent an annual growth rate of 1.9% or 50% higher than Bangladesh.
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In the final analysis, politicians don't talk about population because the word has become a euphemism for immigration. And immigration - as I do not need to tell you - is the most unmentionable word in the American political lexicon.

Davis and Simon have apparently entered into an informal agreement wherein if one doesn't mention immigration, neither will the other.

Their pact is made all the more amazing when you consider U.S. Census Bureau statistics: more than 96% of California's population growth is driven by immigration (legal and illegal immigrants and their children), most Californians are barely replacing themselves by having less than two children per year while immigrant families average more than 3.3 children per household.

This isn't new news, but bears repeating when your local Greenie starts talking about an end to "sprawl" and "Smart Growth".