Rep.Costa Comments Regarding Assistance to West Side Farmers

WASHINGTON,D.C. –Following yesterday's announcement from the United States Department of theInterior that 350,000 to 400,000 acre feet of water will be made available forthe upcoming growing season, Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) made thefollowing statement.

"SecretarySalazar's announcement yesterday suggests that he and the Department of theInterior are either out of touch with reality, completely misinformed, ortrying to dupe the Valley. Our economy depends on fair water allocationsand I am angry and frustrated because the people of the San Joaquin Valleydeserve far better from this Administration.

"PresidentObama has made no attempt to use his emergency executive powers to save ourValley's economy and the farm communities from the drought caused by hisAdministration's excessive regulations. Those most at risk by thisannouncement, our farmers, farm workers and farm communities, are some of thevery people President Obama is reaching out to in the State of the Union tonight.

"Atbest, the announcement is helpful for planning purposes, but to claim somehowthat this is additional water or more than what is already owed to the waterusers is at best a misstating of the facts, and at worst a falsehood.

"Ihave been working with the Administration since last year to convince them toback off of the regulations and reject the faulty science that is leading toextreme water cuts and severe local hardship. The Administration justdoes not seem to get it.

"Thepeople of the San Joaquin Valley have seen President Obama spend more timebeing on the ‘Jay Leno Show' than he has working on our water crisis inCalifornia. They are losing hope and faith that the Obama Administrationtruly cares, and sadly, so am I."