Watching Ben bloom has been a wonderful and hopeful process. He's gone from where I've spent much of my own life, wishing to avoid unpleasant confrontation and seeking a more reasonable course, to shaking papers of proof in a Congressman's face, demanding explanation.
Ben's learned, from the confrontation we shared with George Miller's "shills" in Concord and the forces that he's witnessed aligned against the interests of the People of the Central Valley, that concessions only give away what freedoms and wealth the People have worked hard to accrue.
He now knows first hand the fact that politicians cannot be trusted, and that the current "batch" of California Democrat "Representatives" are aligned only in their own self & Party interests, and will gladly lie to the People when it suits them.
Ben's current aim is at finding an explanation for why Democrat Congressman Costa apparently lied about his "support" for Rep. Devin Nunes H.R. 3105, the "Turn on the Pumps Act."
Here's Ben in action:
Now, a portion of Ben's message;
"The question still remains - why did Costa lie? In Los Banos he claimed to have voted with Devin (Nunes) all but one time. In fact - as the record shows - out of the five actual votes, Costa voted against the legislation and his people three times (60% of the time he voted against his people). One of the no votes was even on a bill that he co-sponsored! So he helped write the bill and then voted against it!For Costa (and Cardoza) to claim that they have done "everything" they can to fix the problem, and then in trying to prove it for Costa to lie and say he only voted against his people one time (one is still too many), when he actually voted against them three out of five times, is unacceptable. Just as Radanovich and others who co-authored the San Joaquin River Settlement sold out the people of the 19th District, Costa and Cardoza have misrepresented themselves, and have betrayed their constituents. They must be held to account.After sitting through the federal hearing in Fresno yesterday, it is clear that our farmers don't have the luxury of time. We need Congress to act NOW! What I want to know, now that the facts are straight; will Costa apologize to the people of the Central Valley and step down from office?"
After checking Mr. Costa's official House website, it's also abundantly apparent that there is no willing answer forthcoming on this question. Accountability is, for Democrat Costa, simply a "keyword" to be used and discarded as easily as a pair of old socks.
Many of Mr. Costa's statements and actions of late have brought forth calls for his resignation from his constituents, from his voting record to the cancellation of "his" Health Care Town Hall meeting at Fresno Community Hospital.
I have to wonder how many of his constituents will welcome "by invitation only" meetings on the Water Crisis, meetings to which they weren't invited.
Perhaps they are unaware of his absence from last Monday's public Water Crisis Hearing at Fresno City Hall, which was attended by Rep's Nunes, McCarthy, McClintock and even Rep. "Doc" Hastings of Washington's 4th District. Also missing were Interior Sect. Salazar (or anyone representing the DOI), any representative of the Obama Administration, any representative of our (Democrat) Senators, or for that matter, any Democrat politician of note.
It seems as though we're being told to "eat cake," doesn't it?
So, my thanks go out to Ben Bergquam, Piedad Ayala and all of the Folks with Water For All and Families Protecting the Valley. We may have started learning "politcking" late, but we're learning.
Now, the real question is:
Will Rep. Costa's constituents EVER hear the truth from the Congressman? Or will he simply be allowed ... No, encouraged to attack and call everyone who takes him to task a "liar"?
