This just in from the Mayors of three Central Valley cities…
As mayors of three Fresno County communities hit longest and hardest by California’s water supply crisis, we waited anxiously to see what Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown would offer any meaningful solutions.
We already knew that the Republican candidate, Meg Whitman, wants to meet the water crisis head on and get Delta water pumping restored.
We knew, for instance, that Meg Whitman has in mind a comprehensive approach, one that addresses long-term water needs and shorter-term fixes.
She supports the water bond now scheduled for Nov. 2012.
What would the Jerry Brown water plan do for our valley, our cities and our devastated economy?
The short answer is not much.
There is nothing said by Brown about getting the pumps turned back on and keeping water flowing to more than three million acres of farmland and 25 million California residents. There is no commitment at all about development of surface storage. He says nothing about supporting the water bond.
In Mendota, Firebaugh and San Joaquin, it seems to us that nothing is being offered by the Brown plan to those who have lost jobs, farms, businesses, homes and hope because of the water crisis.
It is a tale of two water plans going in opposite directions – Meg’s would create; Brown’s would cause further damage and destroy our communities.
Signed,
Javier Marquez, Mayor of Firebaugh
Robert Silva, Mayor of Mendota
Amarpreet Dhaliwal, Mayor of San Joaquin
We already knew that the Republican candidate, Meg Whitman, wants to meet the water crisis head on and get Delta water pumping restored.
We knew, for instance, that Meg Whitman has in mind a comprehensive approach, one that addresses long-term water needs and shorter-term fixes.
She supports the water bond now scheduled for Nov. 2012.
What would the Jerry Brown water plan do for our valley, our cities and our devastated economy?
The short answer is not much.
There is nothing said by Brown about getting the pumps turned back on and keeping water flowing to more than three million acres of farmland and 25 million California residents. There is no commitment at all about development of surface storage. He says nothing about supporting the water bond.
In Mendota, Firebaugh and San Joaquin, it seems to us that nothing is being offered by the Brown plan to those who have lost jobs, farms, businesses, homes and hope because of the water crisis.
It is a tale of two water plans going in opposite directions – Meg’s would create; Brown’s would cause further damage and destroy our communities.
Signed,
Javier Marquez, Mayor of Firebaugh
Robert Silva, Mayor of Mendota
Amarpreet Dhaliwal, Mayor of San Joaquin