a handful of rich
LOLOLOL!
wow, is somone far out of touch
unemployment in the central valley is in some places over 40%
the california latino water coalition's letter to president obama, aug 6:
Letter to President Obama | California Latino Water Coliation
August 6, 2009
Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President Obama,
The undersigned mayors and the California Latino Water Coalition invite you to meet with us in California’s San Joaquin Valley as soon as possible. We are in big trouble Mr. President and we want you to see the human suffering caused by this man-made drought that is destroying the social fabric of many of our communities. We desperately need immediate and long term help to correct this situation before it becomes irreversible for many of us and more seriously eats away at other areas of the state including Silicon Valley, the Los Angeles Basin and San Diego.
The combination of court decisions, questionable biological opinions from the Department of Interior (Interior) and below-average rainfall for several years has greatly impacted the ability to grow food and fiber, provide jobs and strengthen the economy. Between 400,000 to 500,000 acres of productive farmland in the San Joaquin Valley has been fallowed due to lack of water. Communities such as Mendota and Huron have seen unemployment rise to well over 40%. The impact is felt throughout the local economy as shops, banks and other services close.
One of several federal roadblocks is the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Biological Opinion issued on June 4, 2009, regarding the decline of the California Salmon population and the effects on other species. This opinion, unless modified, will reduce the amount of water provided to stakeholders by another 300,000 acre-feet. We believe the opinion is flawed, incorrectly concluding that pumping is severely harming endangered species, and directly conflicts with the California Department of Water Resources’ finding that other stressors are more harmful to the endangered species. We ask that the NMFS opinion be reevaluated immediately.
On the positive side, the Two-Gates project, which is presently under consideration by Interior, would place two large gates on sunken barges at strategic locations in the Delta to prevent or substantially decrease delta smelt entering areas near the pumps. If this project is initiated by November of 2009, it will be completed in time to benefit the 2010 growing season, and thus provide some relief to drought stricken areas. We ask that you expedite this project.
We appreciate that Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Undersecretary David Hayes visited the San Joaquin Valley in June, 2009 and participated in a town hall meeting. However, many of us left the meeting with the feeling that they are limited in what they may be able or are willing to do.
Adding to our concern is Interior’s opposition to a recent federal court order by Judge Oliver Wanger (San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority v. Salazar) which in part concluded that federally mandated waterflow restrictions 1) “will have substantial, detrimental indirect effects on the plaintiffs, the community and the human environment”; 2) “may have significant effects on the physical environment, including land fallowing, increased groundwater use, as well as adverse effects on the water table, soil quality, and air quality”; 3) “… are causing economic hardship for water users and the communities upon which they depend. There is also substantial evidence establishing additional, non-economic hardships, involving dislocation of families and related impacts, loss of school and tax revenue, widespread food insecurity …”; and 4) will cause “irreparable harm … including loss of water supplies, damage to permanent crops, including orchards and vineyards, crop loss or reduction in crop productivity, job losses, reductions in public school enrollment, limitations on public services, impaired ability to reduce the toxic effects of salt and other minerals in the soil, groundwater overdraft, increased energy consumption, and land fallowing that causes air quality problems”.
Rather than lawyers arguing endlessly about the fine points of law, we believe that Interior should 1) accept that people, along with aquatic life, are part of the environment and deserve protection, and 2) design and implement a workable solution for all concerned, and do it quickly. We are very concerned, however, that this will not happen unless higher authority intercedes immediately to reverse this expanding human tragedy.
Mr. President, our constituents are not looking for a hand-out. They want to work and have a piece of the American dream and with your help they will achieve it.
cc:
Senator Barbara Boxer
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Sincerely,
Paul Rodriguez, Chair
California Latino Water Coalition
Harry Armstrong,
Mayor of Clovis
Ashley Swearingen,
Mayor of Fresno
Raul Gonzales, Jr.
Mayor of Woodlake
Victor P. Lopez,
Mayor of Orange Cove
Marcia Sablan,
Mayor of Firebaugh
Raymond M. Lerma,
Mayor of Corcoran
Ed Murray,
Mayor of Lindsay
John F. Murray,
Mayor of Lemoore
Fred West, Jr.
Mayor of Wasco
Jesus J. Gamboa,
Mayor of Visalia
Trinidad M. Rodriguez,
Mayor of Kerman
Robert Silva,
Mayor of Mendota
Michael Burns,
Mayor of Dos Palos
Sam Armentrout,
Mayor of Madera
Craig Vejvoda,
Mayor of Tulare
Harlin G. Casida,
Mayor of Avenal
Ed Katen,
Mayor of Newman
Mary L. Fast,
Mayor of Reedley
Ramon R. Dominguez,
Mayor of Huron
Jose R. Villarreal,
Mayor of Sanger
Jim Simonian,
Mayor of Fowler
Pete McCracken,
Mayor of Porterville
Armando Lopez,
Mayor of Parlier
Farrell Jackson,
Mayor of Oakdale
Cathy L. Prout,
Mayor of Shafter
Bruce Blayney,
Mayor of Kingsburg
Amarpreet Dhaliwal,
Mayor of San Joaquin
Ron Lander,
Mayor of Coalinga
Leonel Benavides,
Mayor of Farmersville
Justin White,
Mayor of Chowchilla
Ken Rosson,
Mayor of McFarland
Brent H. Ives,
Mayor of Tracy
Mark Wallace,
Mayor of Dinuba
Dennis Lujan,
Mayor of Selma
Gary Mock,
Mayor of Maricopa
Rich Ford,
Mayor of Gustine
Carol Joan Faul,
Mayor of Atwater
Larry D. Hansen,
Mayor of Lodi
Tommy Jones,
Mayor of Los Banos
Sam Ramirez,
Mayor of Delano
David G. Ayers,
Mayor of Hanford
Leon Ooley,
Mayor of Exeter
Walt Murken,
Mayor of Escalon
Larry Adams,
Mayor of California City
Dave Noerr,
Mayor of Taft
Ellie Wooten,
Mayor of Merced
Tim Tarver,
Mayor of Arvin
Becky Campo,
Mayor of Patterson
Anthony Cannella,
Mayor of Ceres
Kristy Sayles,
Mayor of Lathrop
Linda Vernon,
Mayor of Tehachapi
Daniel Varela Sr.,
Mayor of Livingston