Today, the House Resources Committee held yet another hearing on the California water crisis. Predictably, the Democratic leadership blocked consideration of any legislation that would actually make a difference.
However, the American people are finally seeing the fruits of many months of hard work on the part of Congressional Democrats. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her team now plan to pass legislation that authorizes stimulus money to be used on fish screens (I’m not joking). Apparently, smelt, salmon and killer whales everywhere are celebrating Congress’ commitment to the environment. But food lines in the valley are getting longer and no relief to the government-imposed drought is in sight.
Thanks for your interest in these important issues. If you have questions or comments about this issue or any other issue, please let me know. As always, the best way to reach me is via my homepage. I can also be found on Facebook.
Sincerely,
Devin Nunes
MEMBER OF CONGRESS
If you would like to contact me, please visit my website at www.nunes.house.gov. If you would like to be removed from my mailing list, please send a message to LISTSERV@LS1.HOUSE.GOV with the text "SIGNOFF NEWSLETTER-CA21" in the body of the message.
I recently updated my blog with a new document – Distorted Water. In this piece, I have answered the most common distortions used by radical environmental activists related to the man-made drought. It is important for us to understand these distortions and to be equipped to answer them as we work to restore the flow of water to San Joaquin Valley communities.
If you would like to contact me, please visit my website at www.nunes.house.gov.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This public announcement is re-published without the express permission of Rep. Devin Nunes, and should be viewed as an endorsement by the NObama County Register, and it's Editor.
The Senator’s amendment would have assured reliable water deliveries to our region for one year, as Congress and the State of California continue to examine long-term solutions to the challenges associated with the Delta.
Since the DeMint amendment’s defeat, there has been some confusion related to the position of your organization. Specifically, there have been questions as to whether or not California’s farming community has or will endorse efforts to provide our state immediate relief and supply reliability for the upcoming planting season (the goal of the DeMint amendment).
I hope you will agree that short-term relief is urgently needed. The current plan of waiting for a new study that could last two years is not a reasonable alternative. Even if a long term solution is implemented, it will take years – perhaps a decade or more – for completion. For many, including Westside farmers, this will be too late.
For my part, I intend to continue to seek national recognition of and attention to the government-imposed drought. However, if we are to continue to work with like-minded Senators and allies in the House, it is essential to end the confusion and to speak with a unified voice. We must have a temporary reprieve from the biological decisions that are drying up our state.
For this reason, I am requesting that you communicate in writing your clear support or opposition to my efforts – as well as those in the Senate. The question is simple. Should we pursue a one or two year suspension of the Endangered Species Act as a stopgap against the ongoing devastation experienced in our state?
In the coming weeks, no matter what legislative form our efforts take, the goal will not change. We will pursue long-term solutions and we will accept additional water studies but we will insist that Congress provide Californians the same consideration provided New Mexicans when a government-imposed drought threatened the water supply of Albuquerque in 2003. We will insist that water flows while decisions are being made.
Thank you for your interest and support on behalf of California’s farmers and rural communities. Please send your letter to me as soon as possible via fax 202-225-3404 or call me if you have any questions.
~
From the Editor:
We endorse unequivocally Rep. Nunes efforts, and echo his consistent calls for a resumption of adequate water deliveries to Fresno (NObama) County farmers, and all of the farms of the Central Valley's West Side. We appreciate the support that we've received from Americans throughout the Nation, and ask that, even though it looks as though we're finally making headway in this fight, to continue to "pour on the pressure."
Earlier today, Secretary Ken Salazar held a public meeting in Washington DC to discuss California’s water crisis.
During the meeting, I was surprised to once again here Secretary Salazar reject the notion that we are experiencing a government-imposed drought (listen here). In my view, and in the considered opinion of those who are directly impacted by water shortages today, there is no question as to why San Joaquin Valley communities are suffering. That reason is a flawed system of regulation related to the Endangered Species Act and, more specifically, unjust priorities that have made a three inch minnow more important than human beings.
While long-term solutions are needed and I am not opposed to studies that would help achieve them, the people of the San Joaquin Valley are suffering and they need help now. For this reason, I have fought to gain support for Congress to temporarily grant California the same legislative relief New Mexico received in 2003 – namely, the short-term restoration of normal pumping operations from the Delta.
If you would like to contact me, please visit my website at www.nunes.house.gov. If you would like to be removed from my mailing list, please send a message to LISTSERV@LS1.HOUSE.GOV with the text "SIGNOFF NEWSLETTER-CA21" in the body of the message.
Please be sure and take a look at the videos of Sen. DeMint and Sen. Feinstein, and decide who's working for California's & American's best interests.
~
Congressman Nunes has thrown down the gauntlet. Now, Patriots, lets run with it! We need to inundate Secretary Salazar, Sen. Feinstein, Sen. "Ma'am" Boxer, our Congressmen, and especially President Obama with phone calls, faxes, emails and letters demanding a true answer to the Central Valley Water Crisis: More storage (Dams), the Peripheral Canal, Two-Gates project, and adequate sewage treatment facilities for Delta municipalities.
Please do yourself the favor of listening to the audio files linked in Rep. Nunes letter.
To quote Michelle Malkin paraphrasing Ronald Reagan, "Distrust & Verify."
When taking a good hard look at H.R. 3200, the Obamacare Bill, you should keep this in foremost in your mind.
Don't trust "the Authorities," and nevertake anything for granted.
The straight & simple on this ginormous House Bill is that nothing about it is straight & simple. The Bill is full of exceptions, if's, and's or buts, and reads like the Ultimate Poison Pill for the Private Health Insurance Industry.
As it stands, there's nothing final about this Bill, because as the professional activists in attendance were quick to note, "it can be fixed in Conference," referring to the yet to be finalized five-fold Senate Bill. This, supposedly, is meant to mollify and reassure us that somehow, if we don't like some part of what 'They' are crafting, that 'They' will listen and "fix" it before inflicting it upon the Citizenry.
Immediately following this statement, the activist in question echoed Pres. Obama with a pithy comment of "... those who created the mess should get out of the way, so we can clean up the mess."
If I remember correctly, the Party (and ideological mindset) that's foisting this Crock 'o Bill on the American People is the same Party that brought us Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid ... and, through the Community Reinvestment Act, the lovely "sub-prime mortgage debacle" we're now weathering. It's also the same Party that opposed integration so strongly, but has tried to claim the opposite ever since.
From the point of view of a guy who's spent most of his life avoiding all but the most minimal contact with the Gov't, the entire tack of the Ruling Party seems like it's aimed right between my eyes. And be assured, their 'gun' is loaded for bear.
The morning began for me with the too early alarm, and moved to driving to the forum as the sun peeked over the crest of the Sierra Madre. For my still weary eyes, it was truly the dawning of a good day. Upon arriving and locating the Media Center at Clovis East High School, I was welcomed as a member of the press, a nice way for a self described "rank amateur blogger" to be treated. Rep. Nunes's staff folks were kind enough to let me share a few moments of his time with another attending Conservative.
As the starting time for the forum approached, the Congressman explained that this meeting had originally been intended as simply an "informational gathering for Health professionals." But the swirling controversy surrounding the increasingly unpopular bill, H.R. 3200, made clear the need for a more public forum. Seeing Rep. Costa's forum abruptly canceled, Rep. Nunes sought to expand the scope of today's forum. Initially inclined toward avoiding a possibly contentious situation, the Clovis School folks acceded to the Congressman's request and graciously provided the auditorium at the Media Center, which proved an excellent fit for the forum. I, for one, send them my thanks.
The auditorium filled rapidly when the doors were opened, with a calm mix of Health professionals and concerned Citizens. Several professional activists were present, as were a good number of Union members. The Union line was definitely blurred in this crowd, with rank & file members unconvinced as to the sensibility of committing to Health Reform that might well turn out to restrict their fellow citizens choices and accelerate the rising costs of Health Care.
When the Congressman began his presentation, the frustration of the gathered Citizens soon became evident. Opinion, as expressed both in questions and comments, was divided. As expected, the Conservative viewpoint far outweighed the Progressives, with the sharpest divide apparent in the Health Care profession. The "on-the-floor" professionals and rural Health Care professionals were far more supportive of the Conservative views espoused by the Congressman and his assistants. In contrast, the Administrative professionals for the larger, urban facilities tended toward comments that were more in line with Democrat viewpoints.
There were, however, some surprises. An administrator with Madera Community, who also ranches horses, cautioned of a Governmental "herd mentality" toward health care that the present House Bill clearly espoused. Her concern was clear, and clearly understandable to anyone conversant in animal husbandry. In her own words, as a rancher, she had to make decisions about the herd that judged some as "... culls, to be sent to slaughter." At this, a visible shiver ran through the assembled crowd, followed by uneasy applause.
In my turn, I voiced concern at whether my personal choice to live a responsible and healthy life, and my personal spiritual objections to the overuse of modern style health care would cause the Government to force me to buy health insurance, or face a fine or fee.
The answer; maybe. H.R. 3200 would leave what is now my choice in the hands of a bureaucrat 3,000 miles away.
More to come tomorrow, but here are some of slides from the Congressman's presentation, in order of appearance:
This web blog represents the opinions of its Editor and selected columnists, and responsibility for all original content rests solely with The Editor. All subjects are chosen by the Editor, and copyright rests with the individual contributors, with implied license to the Editor.
You're welcome to link to this blog. If you do, the Editor would love to know about it, so we can link to your site in return.
I welcome comments on all of the subjects touched upon in my columns. However, I do ask that all comments be kept on a civil and respectful level, and reserve the right to edit or delete any "flames" or off topic comments. If you don't like that, spend the time to start your own blog.
I welcome contributions from any and all relevant viewpoints on the subjects contained herein, and I'm actively seeking columnists to join this blog. If you'd like to post here, send me an email, and please include your phone number.
If you have an opinion on a pertinent subject, but don't feel comfortable writing your own column, feel free to send me an email on that subject. I need all of the input I can get.
