Radanovich to Obama: If You Are Serious about Job Creation, Start with 40,000 Ag Jobs in San Joaquin Valley
Washington,
Dec 3, 2009 -
Congressman George Radanovich (R-Mariposa) today, as President Barack Obama held a Jobs Summit at the White House, and following the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announcement of 5 percent total contracted water deliveries for 2010, asked the President to save 40,000 jobs in California’s San Joaquin Valley by waiving Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations on the Delta pumps.
“Just this week the California Department of Water Resources announced a meager five percent water allocation from the State Water Project, the lowest initial allocation in history—leaving the hard working people of the San Joaquin Valley without water to farm, without jobs and standing in food lines…At a time when the Democrat controlled White House and Congress are desperately trying to ‘save or create’ jobs, there are 40,000 jobs in the San Joaquin Valley being sacrificed for a three inch fish,” wrote Rep. Radanovich. “Mr. President, if you are serious about job creation, you will waive ESA regulations on the Delta pumps and put 40,000 California farm workers and farmers back to work feeding this country…”
In February 2009, Rep. Radanovich introduced H.R. 856, the California Drought Alleviation Act, to temporarily suspend ESA provisions as they apply to the state and federal pumping facilities in the Delta during a time of drought. Radanovich has also repeatedly called for President Obama to convene the God Squad—a group of federal officials who have the authority to waive the Endangered Species Act if the restrictions are found to cause excessive destruction to jobs and the economy.
December 3, 2009
The Honorable Barack Obama
President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Dear President Obama:
Today you hosted the Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth at the White House with business leaders, economists, and government officials, including City of Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, from across the country to discuss ideas and policies to create jobs and stimulate the economy. Nowhere is the need for this more apparent than the economic crisis facing the San Joaquin Valley, where there is an opportunity to save 40,000 jobs without spending a cent of taxpayer dollars.
By now you should be well aware of the staggering unemployment rate in Fresno County of 15.8 percent, several points higher than the state and national unemployment averages. In some smaller farming communities in the San Joaquin Valley, unemployment has skyrocketed to an unheard of 40 percent. This economic devastation in the Valley is due to overzealous environmental regulations, which stopped the Delta pumps from providing necessary water for agriculture production and has caused a man-made, regulatory drought.
Just this week the California Department of Water Resources announced a meager five percent water allocation from the State Water Project, the lowest initial allocation in history—leaving the hard working people of the San Joaquin Valley without water to farm, without jobs and standing in food lines.
Agriculture is the number one industry in the San Joaquin Valley, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. You have the ability to save 40,000 jobs, at no taxpayer expense, by suspending the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and restoring water to agriculture in the Valley. The precedent was set for this action in 2004 when Congress passed a bill to provide water to New Mexico, despite ESA restrictions. There are currently two pieces of legislation pending in Congress to restore water to the San Joaquin Valley, the California Drought Alleviation Act which I introduced in February 2009, and Representative Devin Nunes’ Turn on the Pumps Act, for which I recently signed a discharge petition.
At a time when the Democrat controlled White House and Congress are desperately trying to ‘save or create’ jobs, there are 40,000 jobs in the San Joaquin Valley being sacrificed for a three inch fish.
Mr. President, if you are serious about job creation, you will waive ESA regulations on the Delta pumps and put 40,000 California farm workers and farmers back to work feeding this country, at no cost to taxpayers.
Sincerely,
/s/
GEORGE RADANOVICH
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