California Latino Water Coalition Paul Rodriguez

Fresno, CA (Feb. 19, 2010) Valley residents including elected officials, farm workers, growers and business people came together inside the Fresno City Council Chambers today to voice their support of the recent Emergency Water Supply amendment proposed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein that would give relief to the valleys west side by temporarily altering pumping restrictions in the state.

If the amendment is adopted it would allow farmers in the valley to receive about 40 percent of their water allocation totals in a normal water year. For two years the farmers would be able to continue planting, hiring and harvesting operations, and it would not affect the Endangered Species Act, leaving smelt in the Delta unaffected.

Lack of water has heavily hit Westside communities, leaving many out of work and standing in bread lines. Chair Paul Rodriguez of the California Latino Water Coalition said that he believes in the goodness of Americans, and that the necessary water will be received.

Water is not a luxury, he said. Were not asking for a Cadillac, man. Were asking for water. If any of you can figure out how to live without it then show me, because I dont know.

Executive director of the Fresno County Farm Bureau Ryan Jacobsen, another proponent of the amendment, said immediate action is necessary in order to capture the flows of water resulting from the high levels of precipitation in the months of March and April.

We need some kind of immediate relief, and this is one of those solutions, Jacobsen said. Were looking for the multi-pronged approach, theres other things that need to be done, but this is something that we can hopefully get done immediately.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Water
• Business Street
• Fresno County Farm Bureau

[mandingo9999998]

Latino Water Coalition. What a joke.

This isnt a grass-roots organization, it's astro-turfing. Put a ethnic, working class face on the unreasonable demands and tactics of rich white farm corporations.

Might I suggest the fundamental problem is not racism as the title of your organization suggests, but the fact you farm and continue to expand farming in an area that gets no rain?

At no point in the past have you even been guaranteed 100% of your allotment. Whats changed?

[jose5960]

THIS WAS A TERRORIST ACT AND COWARDS LIKE PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ROY APPLETON, CUNHA, AND OTHERS HAVE STOPPED REAL PROTESTS.

TIME TO RUN THESE DEMOCRATIC SNAKES TO SAN FRANCISCO.

THE PEOPLE OF THE VALLEY ARE AFRAID OF THEIR OWN SHADOW AND THAT'S WHY THEY PERMIT THESE CRAP.

SHAME ON ALL OF YOU FOR NOT STANDING UP.

I FEEL SORRY FOR THE VOICELESS FARMER AND WORKERS, ALL OTHERS I HOPE YOU LOST YOUR JOB, BUSINESS, HOUSE, YOU DESERVED.........COWARDS.

PLEASE VOTE JIM COSTA IN AGAIN IDIOTS.

[TheTeaPartyMovement]

I have given up on trying to contact our current house of representatives. Our Constitution is under attack and our American way of life. I will not waste one more phone call on these men and women. I am backing local in San Antonio Trotter and Canseco and working hard to get out of office Congressmen Charlie Gonzalez, Ciro Rodriguez and Henry Cuellar all from San Antonio who voted no to the Farmers of California. In God we Still Trust .