Democrats aim to restore immigration to agenda [New York Times]
As
the fiscal crisis subsided and the government went back to work this week,
President Obama and other leading Democrats were quick to say that an
immigration overhaul should be back on the agenda in Congress. Mr. Obama raised
the issue in his first comments after lawmakers reached a deal to reopen the
government, and on the night the shutdown ended the three top Senate Democrats
said they hoped to extend the bipartisan moment that produced the compromise by
taking up immigration….But the possibilities for progress on the issue will be
determined in the House of Representatives, where many conservative Republicans
are fuming with frustration over their meager gains from the two-week shutdown and
turning their ire against Mr. Obama, saying he failed to negotiate with them.
It will be up to Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio to discern whether relations
with the White House are simply too raw for House Republicans to consider
legislation on an issue the president has made a priority.
Work
begins on Calif. bullet train, locals angry [Associated Press]
Trucks
loaded with tomatoes, milk and almonds clog the two main highways that bisect
California's farm heartland, carrying goods to millions along the Pacific Coast
and beyond. This dusty stretch of land is the starting point for one of the
nation's most expensive public infrastructure projects: a $68 billion
high-speed rail system that would span the state, linking the people of
America's salad bowl to more jobs, opportunity and buyers….Rail is meant to
help this place, with construction jobs now and improved access to economic
opportunity once the job is complete. But the region that could benefit most
from the project is also where opposition to it has grown most fierce….Raisin
farmer Ray Moles may lose a fraction of his farmland, but he says that is not
why he opposes the train. "I think water is more important than rail.
Bring some water to the valley, put some people to work, and you'll have
candidates to ride on the rail," Moles says after finishing lunch at the
Cosmopolitan. "They're putting the cart before the horse. They want to put
the rail in this summer, but they don't want to do the water for 20
years."
State
officials tour Galt High School’s agriculture department to weigh funding [Lodi
News-Sentinel]
Gov.
Jerry Brown sent two members of the Department of Finance and the Legislative
Analyst’s Office to Galt High School this week to evaluate the effectiveness of
the Agriculture Incentive Grant. In the upcoming budget, Brown may discontinue
the grant, the sole source of funding for most high school agriculture
programs. Without these specifically designated funds, most agriculture
programs, including Galt High’s, could be devastated and the remaining ones
would lack opportunities provided for students, teachers claim. Wednesday’s
showcase effort, including an ag facility tour, aimed to change that. A number
of community members, Galt alumni and current students spoke at the event in an
attempt to help highlight returns made on the state’s fiscal investment,
according to ag teacher Dane White.
Drakes
Bay oyster farm files new appeal of shutdown order [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
The
owner of Drakes Bay Oyster Company asked a federal appeals court Friday to
reconsider his bid to continue harvesting shellfish in the Point Reyes National
Seashore. Lawyers for Kevin Lunny filed a 22-page request with the 9th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, a move that could potentially delay a court-ordered
shutdown for up to a year. Federal judges twice have rejected Lunny’s bids
since last November, when former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar refused to
renew his permit to grow oysters in the federally protected waters of Drakes
Estero, a 2,500-acre Pacific Ocean estuary teeming with wildlife. By appealing
both decisions, Lunny has gained the right to continue his business, which
employs about 30 people and harvests $1.5 million worth of oysters a year from
the estero.
Editorial: Continuing
Salmonella Outbreaks [New York Times]
Months
after salmonella-contaminated chicken distributed by a California company
sickened people, the dangerous food is still being sold around the country. This
disturbing situation is the result of weak federal regulatory powers and the
company’s irresponsibility….The F.S.I.S. did not ask or order the company to
recall any of its products. Instead, the agency told the public to look for
numbers on the chicken packaging identifying the three facilities in case they
wanted to avoid Foster Farms’ products. Nor did the company recall any
products, claiming they were safe if handled and cooked properly…. Congress
should hold hearings to determine if the Agriculture Department and its food
safety service need more power to protect the public from potentially serious
harm.
Commentary: Norm Groot: River
thick with flood overgrowth [Salinas Californian]
We
now have a streambed choked with sand and plants, where in some instances fish
cannot even pass through, and landowners are prevented from maintaining and
protecting their own land (yes, landowners here actually own the riverbed
itself, unlike other rivers in California). What should have been a continuous
operation performed each year by the landowners and farm operators has now
become a river impeded by its own sediment and vegetation. Circumstances are
far different now for farmland that becomes flooded; because of food safety
requirements, production cannot resume until extensive tests are completed to
ensure that no pathogens remain in the soil or water supply. This will fallow
farmland for considerable periods of time, meaning many months….Farmers and
ranchers were maintaining the streambed, at their own expense, and are willing
to do so once again, for the greater good of our collective community. What is
needed to restart this process? First, issue permits from all the agencies
involved to get the exotic vegetation under control, as well as the accumulated
sediment.
Ag
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