Free Republic

Consequences: The green lobby assured everyone it knew what it was doing when it got a judge to cut water to Central Valley farmers to save the delta smelt. But while the Valley economy is now ruined, it hasn't helped the smelt. Some day, environmental radicals will be held accountable for crimes against the ecosystem — the human ecosystem. Back in 2007, they convinced federal Judge Oliver Wanger to rule that the Endangered Species Act gave the federal government the right to cut water to thousands of farmers in California's Central Valley to protect a 3-inch baitfish called the delta...

If one had to guess where unemployment is highest in the US, most would probably suggest Detroit or Michigan as a whole. Others who paid attention to the midterm elections would know that Nevada surpassed Michigan as the state with the highest unemployment rate about mid-year. Others might guess Florida. However, in terms of metropolitan areas with the highest levels of joblessness, a new survey by the Birmingham Business Journal shows that California’s Central Valley is the epicenter for unemployment.Verum Serum discovered this while analyzing the data and noting the incredible concentration of joblessness in the country: The first thing...

Until recently, California’s Central Valley was one of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions. Not only did it feed itself, the state of California, and the entire country, it also produced exports to other nations. That kind of enterprise employed a lot of people in Central California, from farm hands to wholesalers, and created a high standard of living.That continued right up to the moment that the federal government got more concerned over the Delta smelt, a small, inedible fish, than feeding people. A court order cut off water deliveries for seven months out of the year to the Central...

A man has been arrested in Texas on murder charges in a 41-year-old cold case involving the death of a Seaside (CA)High School graduate. James Terry Mason, 58, was arrested Oct. 7 in connection with the killing of Chris Lopes, a former captain of the Seaside High School basketball team. Lopes was 19 years old when he was killed Dec. 21, 1969, during a melee that took place at Del Monte Manor at 1418 Yosemite St., prosecutors said. Detective Nick Borges said a packed party at Seaside's Del Monte Manor Apartment turned violent. Chris Lopes was stabbed in his neck,...

COALINGA, Calif. — Would France rip out its storied vineyards? Would Juan Valdez scorch Colombia's coffee crop? Sri Lanka its black pepper harvest? China its tea?

Frustrated with our government, 4,000 people joined together at Chukchansi Park in downtown Fresno to say enough is enough. "The biggest problem by far is the federal government is too powerful in our lives. They're bossing us around, telling us what we can and can't do. This country was never setup to be like that," said Steve Brandau of the Central Valley Tea Party. "I'm just disgusted with what's happening to our country. Overspending, overtaxing, it's becoming a socialist country," said Saundra Hawkins. Republican Steve Poizner, who is running for governor, believes he's on the same page as everyone who...

Politics: The water spigots are back on, at least temporarily, in California's Central Valley. Turned off to protect a tiny fish, they happen to be in the districts of two congressmen "undecided" on health care reform. One could chalk it up to good fortune or just good constituent service. But in the middle of a contentious health care debate marked by Cornhusker Kickbacks and Louisiana Purchases, we may be forgiven if we find an announcement by the Department of the Interior regarding California's water supply a tad too coincidental. On Tuesday, the Department of the Interior announced it was increasing...

California: While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger worries about rising seas, his state sinks below the waves. Don't mess with Texas, they say. But California and the nation could follow its lead. Last Wednesday, Gov. Schwarzenegger released a new report based on research compiled by the California Energy Commission claiming that by 2100 San Francisco Bay would be more bay than San Francisco, with Fisherman's Wharf and Treasure Island under the rising waters of climate change. His show-and-tell, which included a new Google Earth application the commission spent $150,000 to help develop, goes a long way toward explaining the once-Golden State's slide...

Environmentalism: Sen. Dianne Feinstein votes to deny water to California's drought-stricken San Joaquin Valley. Farmers, families and food are being held hostage to an endangered fish called the delta smelt. (snip) The Senate rejected the amendment by a largely party-line 61-36 margin, with Feinstein opposing the restoration of water deliveries to farmers. The California senator claimed she was blindsided by the amendment to the bill she was managing in the Senate, bizarrely comparing the move to a "Pearl Harbor." "No one from California has called, written or indicated they wanted this on the calendar," Feinstein protested.

Delta smelts: Preferred over humans. Environmentalism: Sen. Dianne Feinstein votes to deny water to California's drought-stricken San Joaquin Valley. Farmers, families and food are being held hostage to an endangered fish called the delta smelt.There was a time when the San Joaquin Valley was the most productive agricultural region in the world. It was a large part of what made the Golden State golden.Now it's a place where farmers no longer farm, but instead line up at food banks to feed the families of those who once fed the rest of the country and a good chunk of the...

San Joaquin Water Crisis Resource Information:Websites Aquafornia.com http://aquafornia.com/ By Water Education Foundation. “…Aquafornia is dedicated to providing comprehensive news and information about California water issues, as well as issues affecting the southwest. Aquafornia posts links from the news media, press releases, trade magazines, and blogs…The site is updated usually by 8am daily, 7 days a week, and breaking news is posted whenever it occurs…” Links to footage from the Sean Hannity Show. Farmers For Water www.Farmersforwater.com “…Providing Links & Information on the Central Valley Water Crisis…” Good collection of articles, maps and photos, links and other information. Families Protecting the...

Here we go again. I was watching Sean Hannity tonight (9/17/2009), and have been following loosely the situation in the San Joaquin Valley of California with their water crisis over the small Delta Smelt minnow and its endangered species listing. The Farmers have water rights to that water. There is no legal water rights for that water for a minnow over the farmers. There is only a manufactured judicial legal decision by liberal judges based on junk science and the whims of administrators and bureaucrats that create these incidents based on the Endangered Species Act and a rabid environmental...

More than 15,000 people from Bakersfield to Modesto gathered at the International Agri-Center Saturday for the Freedom Rally Tea Party Saturday. The event had several speakers, talking about their viewpoints of the country's government. “We believe in limited government, fiscal responsibility and the free market and think that’s something Americans should get behind,” said Jared Gordon, Central Valley Tea Party spokesperson.

Where: Corner of Shaw and Blackstone When: Tonight! Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm * Bring your signs, flags and banners. Come and show your support for our troops! Hope to see everyone there! * note special starting time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twd59PrqCNg

A Key backer of the Central Valley Tea Party will be on CBS 47 News tonight !! (Fresno Ca) Melissa Courtney will be ...

... The disaster coming this spring and summer is no movie, and nothing menacing is falling from the sky. It's about what's not falling from the sky — rain. After three years of below-average rain and snowfall, coupled with new pumping restrictions to protect endangered fish, California's farmers are running out of water. The devastating impact has trickled down to dozens of small Central Valley farming communities. ... The farmers who will be slammed the hardest are those who depend on the Central Valley Project, the massive federal system of dams, reservoirs, pumps and canals that helped spawn California's $36...

New poll: Obama, McCain tied again in the valley Barack Obama and John McCain are back to being in a statistical dead heat in the Central Valley, according to a Field Poll released Thursday. Obama has pulled ahead of McCain 47.2 percent to 45.9 percent among likely voters, according to numbers provided to the Sacramento Bee. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. (The raw numbers were 77 for Obama, 75 for McCain). A September Field Poll had McCain up in the valley 45 percent to 40 percent; in July McCain led 39.6 percent to 38.8...

Where: Corner of Shaw and Blackstone When: Tonight! Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm Bring your signs, flags and banners. Come and show your support for our troops and Commander-in-Chief! Hope to see everyone there!

Where: Corner of Shaw and Blackstone When: Tonight! Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm Bring your signs, flags and banners. Come and show your support for our troops and Commander-in-Chief! Hope to see everyone there!