Trinity
River flow release hearing continues today: Federal, tribal officials defend
government's rights [Eureka Times-Standard]
The
decision of whether to release water from the Trinity River should be reached
by around noon today, Judge Lawrence O'Neill announced after a full day of
hearing testimonies on Wednesday from tribal officials, fishermen and federal
scientists fighting to prevent a massive fish kill.…The federal Bureau of
Reclamation had authorized the flows to begin Aug. 13, finding the supplemental
flows were needed to protect an estimated 272,000 returning Chinook salmon --
making it the second largest return on record. The Fresno-based Westlands Water
District and the Los Banos-based San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority
filed suit against the bureau, claiming the releases would decrease already low
water allocations available to farmers for irrigation. San Joaquin Valley
farmers also argue that the bureau did not have the authority to authorize the
flows.
California
twin tunnel project and alternative proposals aired [Chico Enterprise-Record]
Concerned
Californians from near and far filled the Chico Masonic Family Center on
Wednesday to gain a better understanding of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and
its twin tunnels….The delta is vital to the state's economy and impacts the
environment, said Jerry Meral, deputy secretary of the California Resources
Agency as it serves as a water supply. "The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is
an attempt to make our water supply more reliable," Meral said.
Alternative solutions to solve the delta dilemma were proposed by a panel,
including Ara Azhderian, water policy administrator for the San Luis and Delta-Mendota
Water Authority; Jonas Minton, water policy adviser for the Planning and
Conservation League; and Rep. John Garmendi, D-Fairfield.
Editorial: Strip political
handouts from bloated water bond [Riverside Press-Enterprise]
A
bloated, pork-filled water bond has little chance of winning approval from
skeptical taxpayers. But California does need to ensure a reliable water supply
for the state’s future. So legislators should craft a less costly, better
targeted bond measure that focuses on the state’s most pressing water
needs….Legislators should focus any water bond spending on the state’s biggest
water challenges, such as the need to safeguard the water exports that sustain
much of California….The state needs to increase storage capacity in reservoirs
and groundwater basins, as well….Any realistic water plan also requires
cleaning up polluted water supplies and increasing conservation and recycling
efforts….Any new bond should target the most crucial water priorities, and
avoid the nonessential. Voters understand the need to invest in the state’s
water supplies. But they have little interest in funding wasteful political
handouts.
Coachella
Valley farmers unclear on Affordable Care Act [Palm Springs Desert Sun]
Coachella-based
Desert Mist Farms sits on more than 2,000 acres from Indio to the Salton Sea,
producing lettuce, spinach, bell peppers and other vegetables that land on
family tables throughout the state and country. It is one of the few farms in
the Coachella Valley that offers insurance to its labor contractors through
Valley Pride, the company that hires them, president Jim Percy said. But even
Percy isn’t sure whether the farm offers the level of insurance its 400 or so
field workers are going to need under the Affordable Care Act….The law says
agricultural employers must offer health coverage to seasonal laborers who work
for more than 120 days a year. Those who work less than that won’t be counted
against the 50-employee cap, which means the labor contractor or farmer doesn’t
need to offer coverage for them, said Bryan Little, director of labor affairs
for the California Farm Bureau Federation.…Confusion about how the legislation
will play out is common among those in the agriculture industry, as many valley
farmers and farmworkers reached Wednesday said they did not know enough about
the law to comment.
On
the killing floor, clues to the impact of immigration on jobs [Wall Street
Journal]
Here
on the outskirts of town sits a sprawling meatpacking plant where more than
3,000 workers slaughter and process thousands of cows a week—and where English
is hardly the only language spoken inside. Indeed, the union handbook is
printed in English, Spanish, Burmese and Somali. The plant was one of a half
dozen facilities owned by Swift & Co. that federal agents raided seven
years ago in search of workers living in the country illegally….Across the
country, and in Congress in particular, the debate over the future of
immigration continues to bat the same questions back and forth: Will legalizing
immigrants and allowing in additional low-skill laborers displace native-born
workers and cut wages? Or will new workers simply fill empty employment niches
and spark a broader economic boon that benefits all? Economists are divided,
but a plant like this one—which dealt with immigrants, first illegal, and then
legal—may provide some clues.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324251504578580041922193264.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
*Link may
require paid subscription; text included in attached Word file.
High-speed
rail land audit denied [Fresno Business Journal]
Valley
Assemblymen Jim Patterson and Frank Bigelow were denied their request today for
an audit of land acquisition procedures being used by the California High-Speed
Rail Authority. The freshmen Republicans made their request to the Joint
Legislative Audit Committee earlier this month to ensure there are specific
policies and procedures in place for landowners to appeal appraisal values
before eminent domain proceedings begin. In January, the Authority received a
green light on acquiring 356 parcels of prime farmland in Fresno and Madera
counties for the bullet train system. Construction is expected to begin this
summer.
Ag
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