CA farmers only receiving 10% of their water supply!

The question: Is our nation's breadbasket being turned into a dustbowl because of radical environmentalists?

The nutshell: San Joaquin Valley, CA, is our nation's most fertile farming area and produces 13% of our produce. Due to less snow over the last few years the area has less water. However, it is said the real hazard of the moment is due to a "man-made drought". The pumps have been turned off and water is being diverted to rivers and the ocean.

Why? The delta smelt is on an environmental protection list and it is harmed when it gets sucked through the pumps. The solution is to turn down the pumps which results in the farmers only receiving 10% of their water supply.

Should you care? You will if you like red sauce--40% of the worlds processing tomatoes come from this area, pizza sauce, ketchup, tomato paste etc., will all be affected. How about almonds? 99% of almonds are grown in this region. You might care if you enjoy lettuce, strawberries, cantaloupe, the list goes on.

Does it matter? Imagine if our produce will have to be imported from China. “That will never happen” you might think, but this is currently happening for the 30,000 people standing in food collection lines in Fresno. Will we become overly dependent on foreign countries for our food?

What has been done to remedy this situation? There have been 7 attempts made in Congress to turn on the water and 7 times House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has turned it down! Governor Schwarzenegger has said, "this is a terrible crisis", "self-inflicted", "the Federal Government has done this to us", "There are Federal judges for salmon, smelt, where is the Federal judge for the farmers?" So Obama found time for a beer summit for Professor Gates, but he hasn't come out to see this.

Currently, the revenue loss to the farmers is close to 1 billion, 30,000 people are out of work, and unemployment in the area is 40%. How long can CA continue to produce 40% of the world's processing tomatoes, and 13% of our nations produce with the water turned off? But—thank goodness the smelt are safe.

There is such an easy solution-- turn the water back on. Cass Sunstein (see Cass Sunstein...in a nutshell) is now in charge so we can't help but wonder--are radical environmentalists transforming the nation?

Sources: Devin Nunes (R), Congressman CA; George Radanovich (R), Congressman CA; Jim Costa (D), Congressman CA; Governor Schwarzenegger, CA.