Legislation and Water Bonds

Attend the Congressional Hearing on Water and

Press Conference April 11, 2011 at the Fresno City Hall

Posted at 11:46 PM on Friday, Oct. 01, 2010
By Michael Doyle / Bee Washington Bureau
 
WASHINGTON -- California congressional Democrats are engaged in another of their periodic intramural fights over the state's water, this time involving the giant Westlands Water District.

Illustrating once more that regional loyalty trumps party labels when it comes to water, Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, on Friday pledged "the fight of a lifetime" if some of his Democratic colleagues continued to criticize a proposed Westlands water deal.

In particular, Costa targeted Rep.

By Malcolm Maclachlan | 10/01/09 12:00 AM PST..

Anyone who works in or around the Capitol has likely seen them in the last few months: clumps of Latino farm workers holding blue and white signs with slogans such as “Farm water=Jobs” or “If you like foreign oil, you’ll love foreign food.”

The California Latino Water Coalition is one of several groups that have sprung up in recent years as the Golden State has tried to address its water woes. But according to critics, those blue signs are hiding another color: the green of Astroturf. In politics, “Astroturfing” means creating and financing a group to make it appear to be a real grass-roots organization when, in fact, it isn’t. It is a common practice in the high-stakes world of Sacramento lobbying and communications strategy.

KMJ host Chris Daniel hosted a 2hr water forum on Wednesday night from 5-7pm. Guests included Tom Birmingham of Westlands Water District, Revive's Chris Acree, Bill Diedrich of San Luis Water District, Robert Silva Mayor of Mendota, John Shelton of CA Fish and Game, and Steve Haze representing the San Joaquin Valley Water Leadership Forum. The forum was a moderated discussion about the current status of water and water management in the San Joaquin Valley. The forum was a great oppotunity to introduce restoration of the San Joaquin River as a possible solution to our water management woes.

Politicians cannot agree among each other Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009 By Michael Doyle and Mark Grossi / The Fresno Bee The turbulent life and times of the San Joaquin River will enter a daunting new stretch soon when the Senate passes a huge public lands bill.

Legislation that would also protect wilderness awaits likely approval.

Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009 Associated Press WASHINGTON -- In a rare Sunday session, the Senate advanced legislation that would implement the San Joaquin River restoration settlement and set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as wilderness.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, January 4, 2007

Senators Feinstein and Boxer Reintroduce Historic Legislation to Implement Settlement to Restore the San Joaquin River

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget veto in Sacramento has had a direct impact on Revive the San Joaquin.  Our River Health Assessment of the Upper San Joaquin River is entirely funded through a grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, a state agency. 

Revive the San Joaquin received an email from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy on December 19, 2008 suspending all work on our River Health Assessment Project starting from December 17, 2008 until the budget crisis in the state legislature is resolved.

May 20, 2006  -  Top Valley government and community leaders are still struggling to solve the political pickle that is state Assembly Speaker Fabián Núñez, a Los Angeles Democrat.

To refresh, the Democrat-led state Legislature earlier this month passed a $37 billion bond package.

Valley officials were outraged for two reasons: The deal contained no money for local water storage, and Assembly Member Juan Arambula, a Fresno Democrat, got punished big-time by Núñez for abstaining on a vote pushed hard by the party leadership.

Inability to find compromise on issues means problems will fester.
12/07/07

California's "water community" -- the term often used to describe the agencies, environmental groups, agribusinesses and other industries with an interest in the state's water -- is one of the silliest misnomers in common parlance.

A community, like a functional family, shares certain attributes: It communicates. It recognizes shared interests. It doesn't put the needs of an individual over that of the group.