Is the Delta Smelt a Red Herring in Disguise?

Will California Senators & House Representatives Clean Up The Mess They Have Made

This article and the research was put together as a direct result of an ongoing issue in California’s San Joaquin Central Valley issue that has been claimed to be about a small fish called the Delta Smelt. During a recent special on Sean Hannity’s FOX News program we picked up on some things that might be using this small fish as a smoke screen. As with most political issues in America, we uncovered a much larger story than what was shown on Hannity’s special, which featured the Central Valley farmers and farm workers.

Below, you will find many pieces to this complex puzzle that has put many Fresno area workers out of work and even caused many increases in produce prices around the nation. Many people across the country may not think this is an issue that affects us all. To the contrary, it is far more important to the nation than you might realize. Not only does this issue affect our food prices, but the results will mean more produce and other food products to be imported from nations that we can’t trust to provide us a safe food product. Nations like China.

Please take the time to review the links and stories (shown below) and see how the pieces come together to create a politically entangled web of ugliness, waste, and political payoff.

California’s future plans for water management: Public Review Draft
California Department of Water Resources

California Officials inflicted man made drought begins with this action:
Court Finalizes Order to Protect Bay-Delta, Smelt and Water Supply for Millions of Californians

“Fresno, CA — In a final written order issued late today, a federal judge in Fresno set new rules that will help protect the West Coast’s largest estuary from being further degraded by fresh water diversions, according to conservation and fishing groups that sued to protect a tiny fish, the delta smelt.”

One of the tightest, precise details of the effect of no water on the California Central Valley:
Emptying Reservoirs in the Middle of a Drought

“ANYONE DOUBTING THAT OUR nation’s environmental and economic policies can get seriously out of whack from time to time need only look to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Located in California’s Central Valley, between the state’s capital city and Stockton, it is where the American, Mokelumne, Cosumnes, and Calaveras Rivers flow into the larger Sacramento and San Joaquin.”

One view of a Marxist agenda due to the Central Valley water issues:
San Joaquin Valley a dust bowl, while the USA has to import food, thanks to the liberals

Senator Feinstein and what’s this? Maybe it’s all about the dollars!
Senator Dianne Feinstein votes against sending water to California Farmers

What did Nancy Pelosi know and when?
The Speaker and Mrs. Bowles – Part 1

“I’m looking for Mrs. Bowles because she is the improbable #1 beneficiary of federal crop subsidies in the state of California. Her crop benefits amounted to $1,210,865 over three recent years (2003-2005), according to USDA data EWG obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. I say “improbable” top beneficiary because an average of $403,621 per year is a fair amount of crop subsidy money for someone who lives in San Francisco (94118).”

What did Harry Reid know and when?
Senate leader praises farm bill that draws foes of all stripes

“The Bush administration issued a blistering veto threat, with acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner saying the bill makes a mockery of budget rules, continues subsidies to “Park Avenue millionaires” and imperils public support for farm programs. He called the bill “just simply wrong.”

What’s up with this vote?
Feinstein & Boxer Vote Against Water for California Farms

“DeMint’s long-shot amendment to a Fiscal 2010 Interior Department funding bill would have effectively restored full irrigation deliveries for a year to what is being referred to as a new Death Valley. The 400 miles San Joaquin Valley is a fertile strip of farm land that produces more fruits and vegetables per square foot than any comparable land in the nation – when it has water, which it does not.”

Is Water the New California Gold?
Wait the water was sold for $ 73 million by Bay Area partnership or
Water district sells farm water to SoCal for $73 million

“Maybe the dustup over building dams in California to help with the farm-water crisis is overblown. Mark Grossi reports today in his Earth Log that a Kings County water district has sold its water to Southern California for $73 million. That’s five times the normal cost of the water.

That puts 2,500 acres of almonds near Kettleman City in jeopardy. But it appears that selling water is a lot more profitable than farming these days.

The farmer in this case is a Bay Area partnership, which says it will farm the almonds as water comes available.”

Was it really The Dudley Ridge Water District or
State confirms $73 million water sale

“The state has confirmed a $73 million water sale from a San Joaquin Valley farm water district to a Southern California water district — which might eventually eliminate 2,500 acres of almond trees near Kettleman City.”

Was it really Sandridge Partners?
Water Privateering on the Westside San Joaquin Valley

“Who wants to be a millionaire? This deal will yield 77 million dollars to, wait for it, multimillionaires. Sandridge Partners is owned by the Vidovich family of Silicon Valley, who already amassed a considerable fortune turning Silicon Valley orchards into housing tracts. More recently, according to the Environmental Working Group, as detailed in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, Sandridge Partners were the biggest 2008 recipients in the entire nation for federal subsidies for thirsty cotton, wheat, and peanuts for their farms in three San Joaquin Valley counties. Think of them as Kern County’s Welfare Kings.”

Westside farmer sells water for $77 million

“The tradeoff is that the unnamed landowner — a member of a Bay Area company called Sandridge Partners, based in Sunnyvale — plans to cut down 2,500 acres of his almond trees along Interstate 5 near Kettleman City.”

Mapping the connections…

De Anza Properties
John Vidovich

But where is this?
Senate Passes Boxer-Feinstein Measure to Help Alleviate Drought in Central Valley

“Washington, DC — Today, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill by U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein (both D-CA) that would allow for water transfers to help agricultural communities in the Central Valley that are suffering from severe drought conditions.”

These are just a few of the observations and facts that can be gleaned on the internet. It is not all encompassing but it contains concise steps that have created, affected, and maintained this “congress-man-made disaster”. The players are listed and the game is still being played to the detriment of the valley, the residents of the valley, and the statewide to worldwide recipients of the normally bountiful produce of the valley.

This is a followup and update to, “California – The Valley That Hope Forgot – Visited by FOX for a Third Time“, and we will keep updating until this is a non-story.

No related posts.

By clicking the tip jar to the right to the right you can help to keep this site alive.