People should come before fish, readers say

Valley Press on ^ | Monday, October 22, 2007.

[BenLurkin]

The Valley Press, in this week's completely unscientific but utterly democratic "Have Your Say" feature, asked voters:

State officials turned off pumping stations that deliver water to 25 million Californians in an effort to protect the endangered delta smelt, a tiny, silvery fish endemic to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Are you willing to curb your water usage to save the smelt?

Of those who responded, 33, or 26%, said "yes," and 93, or 74%, said "no."

Survey responses included:

\uE06F

If it comes between smelt or people's survival, I say save the people.

Why is it the people seem to come last, from the top of our government on down to the lowest level? Why is no one watching out for us? We are the endangered ones.

Betty Baldwin

Lancaster

\uE06F

I sort of have mixed feelings about this. I believe we need to save any endangered species of anything, but I believe there is something else they can do to avoid turning off all pumping stations.

Jody Weyer

Palmdale

[AlaskaErik]

The Valley Press, in this week's completely unscientific but utterly democratic "Have Your Say" feature, asked voters: State officials turned off pumping stations that deliver water to 25 million Californians in an effort to protect the endangered delta smelt, a tiny, silvery fish endemic to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Are you willing to curb your water usage to save the smelt?

What a skewed poll. Did anyone ask the fish what they thought?

[kenth]

They should cut off the water to the people who answered yes to give both smelt and the sane people more water.

[Jeff Chandler]

Find out here.