<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:18pt"><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 18pt; ">Restore the Delta's statement is at the bottom of these links and and can be found at http://www.restorethedelta.org/tunnels-critics-blast-congressional-move-to-suspend-endangered-species-act-to-favor-westlands-kern-mega-growers-during-drought/ </div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><h1 style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-weight: bold; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New
Roman', serif; "><br></h1><h1 style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-weight: bold; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; "><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Boehner-backs-GOP-bill-to-send-water-from-delta-5169951.php" style="text-decoration: underline; color: blue; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Boehner backs GOP bill to send water from delta to farms</a></span></h1><h5 style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-weight: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(36,
63, 96); "><span class="yiv2645985656name2"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 8pt; color: windowtext; ">Carolyn Lochhead, San Francisco Chronicle</span></b></span><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 8pt; color: windowtext; "></span></b></h5><h1 style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-weight: bold; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-weight: normal; ">Amid the worst drought in California's recorded history, House Speaker <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"
href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22John+Boehner%22" style="text-decoration: underline; color: blue; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">John Boehner</a> stood in a bare dirt field near Bakersfield to declare his support for taking more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and sending it to the parched farms of the Central Valley.</span></h1></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 24px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 24px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:
12px; "><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: black; "><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/140/article/96218/" style="text-decoration: underline; color: blue; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Congressional bill would give water for fish to farmers</a></span></div><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b><span style="font-size: 8pt; ">Associated
Press</span></b></div><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; ">House Speaker John Boehner visited a dusty California field on Wednesday, joining Central Valley Republicans to announce an emergency drought-relief bill to help farmers through what is certain to be a devastating year.</span><b><u><span style="font-size: 16pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "></span></u></b></div><h1 style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-weight: bold; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span lang="EN" style="font-size:
14pt; font-weight: normal; "> </span></h1><h1 style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-weight: bold; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; "><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/01/22/california-congressmen-propose-drought-relief-legislation/" style="text-decoration: underline; color: blue; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">California Congressmen Propose Drought Relief Legislation</a></span></h1><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family:
'Times New Roman', serif; "><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 8pt; ">Amy Quinton, Capital Public Radio</span></b></div><h4 style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-weight: bold; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); font-style: italic; "><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10pt; color: windowtext; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; ">After declaring a drought last week, California Governor Jerry Brown only briefly mentioned the drought during his state of the state speech. But several Central Valley Congressmen are calling for more action through federal legislation.</span></h4><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px;
display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="color: black; "> </span></div><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(5, 60, 99); "><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140123/A_NEWS/401230322/-1/A_NEWS14" style="text-decoration: underline; color: blue; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Congressmen push to ship more Delta water</a></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: black; "></span></div><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in;
padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><b><span style="font-size: 8pt; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><a rel="nofollow" title="See Profile" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(40, 98, 197); outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; " href=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-decoration: none; ">Alex Breitler</span></a>, Stockton Record</span></b></div><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height:
normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; ">In a sign of increasing political pressure to address California's drought, south San Joaquin Valley congressmen on Wednesday said they will introduce legislation to ship more water out of the Delta and temporarily block plans to restore the San Joaquin River.</span></div><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b><u><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><span style="text-decoration:
none; "> </span></span></u></b></div><h1 style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-weight: bold; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; "><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/01/22/3727117/house-speaker-touts-drought-emergency.html" style="text-decoration: underline; color: blue; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">House Speaker touts drought emergency bill at Bakersfield event</a></span></h1><div class="yiv0085046027byline" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New
Roman', serif; "><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 8pt; ">John Ellis, <span class="yiv0085046027creditline">Fresno Bee</span></span></b></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10pt; ">House Speaker John Boehner and three San Joaquin Valley Republican congressmen on Wednesday called on their Senate colleagues to approve emergency drought legislation they say would bring more water to the region.</span></div><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',
serif; "><b><u><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><span style="text-decoration: none; "> </span></span></u></b></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><h1 style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-weight: bold; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: black; font-weight: normal; "><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/jan/22/boehner-supports-california-drought-plan-that/" style="text-decoration:
underline; color: blue; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Boehner supports California drought plan that puts people before fish</a></span></h1><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="yiv0085046027fn"><b><span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; ">Bartholomew Sullivan, Ventura County Star</span></b></span><span class="yiv0085046027fn"><span style="font-size: 8pt; "></span></span></div><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px;
margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; ">Temporarily suspending efforts to restore the flow of the San Joaquin River to mitigate the effects of the ongoing drought would place people before fish or would be environmentally harmful while producing little water for growers, the two sides in the water war said Wednesday.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; "></span></div><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right:
0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; "><br></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.capitalpress.com/article/20140122/ARTICLE/140129967/1006?utm_source=Capital+Press+Newsletters&utm_campaign=29d98c4739-California_Weekly_Update&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4b7e61b049-29d98c4739-69628337" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(40, 98, 197); outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial;
">http://www.capitalpress.com/article/20140122/ARTICLE/140129967/1006?utm_source=Capital+Press+Newsletters&utm_campaign=29d98c4739-California_Weekly_Update&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4b7e61b049-29d98c4739-69628337</a></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#454545" face="'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br></span></font></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#454545" face="'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
12px;">http://www.restorethedelta.org/tunnels-critics-blast-congressional-move-to-suspend-endangered-species-act-to-favor-westlands-kern-mega-growers-during-drought/ <br></span></font><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; "><br></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; "><div class="headline_area"
style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 2.2em; margin-left: 0px; "><h1 class="entry-title" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 2.6em; line-height: 31px; ">Tunnels critics blast Congressional move to suspend Endangered Species Act to favor Westlands, Kern mega-growers during drought</h1><div class="headline_meta" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-style: italic; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.8em; color: rgb(136, 136, 136); ">by <span class="author vcard fn" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top:
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px; ">STINA</span> on <abbr class="published" title="2014-01-22" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1em; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; cursor: help; font-style: normal; ">JANUARY 22, 2014</abbr></div></div><div class="format_text entry-content" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.571em; "><div style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1.571em; margin-left: 0px; "><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, January 22, 2014</strong><br style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; steve@hopcraft.com; Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/shopcraft" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(35, 97, 161); ">@shopcraft</a>; <a href="http://twitter.com/mrsandhillcrane" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left:
0px; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(35, 97, 161); ">@MrSandHillCrane</a>; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 barbara@restorethedelta.org; Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/Restorethedelta" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(35, 97, 161); ">@RestoretheDelta</a></div><div style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; margin-left: 0px; "><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "></strong></div><center style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left:
0px; "><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Tunnels critics blast Congressional move to suspend Endangered Species Act to favor Westlands, Kern mega-growers during drought</strong></center><div style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; margin-left: 0px; "></div><div style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; margin-left: 0px; ">The move to push forward legislation by Congressman Devin Nunes, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, and Congressman David Valadao, with the support of House Speaker John Boehner, to allow the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumps to operate “as long as water is available” in a drought is nothing more than
a blatant, short-sighted water grab, fueled by years of political contributions from huge growers in the Westlands Water District and the Kern County Water Agency to these Central Valley Congressional Representatives.</div><div style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; margin-left: 0px; ">Furthermore, we find it ironic that these Congressional representatives, who claim to be in favor of reduced Federal government intervention into state affairs, are looking for a way to bypass State and Federal water quality and quantity regulations, which will be violated if pumping restrictions are removed in the Delta. They are playing the anti-regulation card to dictate economic winners and losers among California’s farm and fishing communities.</div><div style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; margin-left: 0px; ">By declaring a drought emergency, Governor Brown has set up opponents of the Endangered Species Act to be able to strip away water quality protections for Bay-Delta fisheries, Delta family farms, and Delta urban communities. The Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of Water Resources allowed the overpumping of the Delta by 800,000 acre feet last year in order to appease the leaders of the Westlands Water District and the Kern County Water Agency. The mega-growers in those two water districts have used more exported water combined than the Metropolitan Water District and the Santa Clara Valley Water District over the last ten years. While water conservation is of the upmost importance for California, which experiences drought a third of the time, Metropolitan Water District officials have made recent statements that they have enough water in storage for the next three years. Taking more
water away from the Delta and California’s rivers during a drought, one made worse by State and Federal water resource mismanagement, proves that even more of the same would happen if Governor Brown’s plan to build the peripheral tunnels comes to pass.</div><div style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; margin-left: 0px; ">What does it say that Governor Brown and Speaker Boehner are on the same side of championing the decimation of the Bay-Delta estuary, all to appease a few hundred growers who contribute less than .3% to the State’s economy? It indicates to the people on the ground in the Delta that our political leaders are poised to squander the most important and largest estuary on the west coast of the Americas for an unsustainable future that will further enrich a few big political contributors to Central Valley Congressional races, and
recent California ballot initiatives.</div><div><br></div></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><div class="yiv0085046027MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0in; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b><u><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><span style="text-decoration: none; "> </span></span></u></b></div></span></div></div></body></html>