A once thriving region in California’s central belt often referred to as the “breadbasket of the world,” has morphed into a federal government-created Dust Bowl not unlike the drought so many of our ancestors fled nearly a century ago. And while an assortment of farmers continue to produce a remarkable crop, much of the brown, fallow land now sports large signs accusing the feds of favoring fish bait over the lives and livelihoods of millions of humans.
The response from our illustrious leaders? A sound as quiet as the idle equipment lined up from Stockton to Fresno and many parts beyond. In fact, Barry and Jerry have presided over unprecedented poverty, unemployment and foreclosures in the Central Valley and neither appears to have the slightest clue how to fix it. Looking at a recent Field Poll reflecting Obama’s abysmal approval ratings in California, one might assume that voters would be just as confident in Ben & Jerry or Tom & Jerry overseeing the world’s eighth largest economy (and falling).
Obama in particular has had ample time to demonstrate he can go beyond his Community Organizer skills and positively affect the economy. But blaming others while pursuing wealth-confiscation has evidently consumed all of his time (outside of golf and fundraising).
Meanwhile it is understandable why The Economist and others refer to California’s central valley as “the Appalachia of the west.” US Census data reveals that nearly a quarter of all people residing in the San Joaquin Valley live below the poverty level. Perhaps this is one reason why the region is the most displeased among respondents with Obama according to the aforementioned Field Poll, with fully 56% of central California residents not appreciating the president’s lack of achievement as an alleged chief executive.
Despite the horrendous economic conditions in California, Brown seems to escape the voters’ ire – so far. A state of affairs likely assisted by the savvy career politician limiting his public employee labor union genuflecting to behind closed doors. Should the state’s unemployed ever use their free time to peruse Jerry’s campaign contribution list, they may make the obvious connection between him and the unions’ wholesale destruction of the once golden state.
The Obama/Brown team has a similarly dismal record with respect to unemployment as California’s double-digit-and-rising 12.1% was once again begrudgingly reported by the duo’s fan magazine, The LA Times. While this is the country’s second highest unemployment rate, it pales in comparison to central valley counties’ rates in the teens with some approaching 20%. While residents crowd the unemployment lines, both Brown and Obama, in a typical display of serial stupidity, seek additional taxes on those who otherwise might afford to employ them.
And finally, in another all-too-common barometer of the economy, foreclosure rates as reported by RealtyTrac identify the biggest contributors to California’s ranking as third highest in the nation, with the central valley counties of Madera, Merced, Fresno, Kings and Tulare “leading” the way in housing loss.
The palpable thirst for water and jobs in the once-bountiful central valley is a modern day tragedy that the current leadership has demonstrated a woeful ineptitude to address. There is no amount of irony for San Joaquin Valley residents as we watch the First Lady, Michelle Obama, traipse out each spring to plant her White House garden, in order to teach all of us rubes that we should grow our own cilantro, tomatillos, hot peppers, lettuces including red romaine, green oak leaf, butterhead, red leaf and galactic; spinach, chard, collards and black kale, as well as berries and other choice crops. Why what a novel idea! Of course, the Obama’s little garden is a lush green paradise demonstrating no visible lack of water, with legions of taxpayer-funded White House employees to tend to it.
If only millions of real people beyond photo op acreage warranted such largesse.
I’m an old but furious California fisherman who has been appalled at all of the many negative ramifications this smelt worship has caused – you only touched on a few!.
The environmentalists and EPA have gone too far and need to be confronted; the EPA should be reduced in size and maybe even eliminated (they have stopped fossil fuel powered plants, too), especially in this economy! California unions and environmentalist coalitions rule this state.
Although I’ve a history in pollution control systems, and am a Chemical Engineer, this obstruction of California’s agricultural must be abated – there must be a sane method to reduce the number of smelt trapped on the pump screens, while providing enough water to our farms; OR we must sacrifice this fresh water smelt. My heart and prayer goes out to the farmers and workers.
Can you forward this with my contact info to a politically conservative group who wish to take action re this atrocity?
Daggett
you idiots try and grow oranges in regions that receive less than ten inches of rain a year. not saying its your fault, but come on now, you didn’t really think that was gonna last did you?
^ no you’re an idiot….All the water used for watering crops comes from underground. The water gets pumped from norcal which is being restricted by environmentalist to save the delta smelt. Know what your talking about before you post.
Wow Trent missed the point. It’s not your water! That’s the freaking point, we’ve been importing it to the central valley for decades, but with years of draught conditions have seriously damaged the natural ecosystems; that water doesn’t belong in that location in the first place (although certainly there needs to be compromise for the sake of future agriculture). Ag needs have all water metered as a mandatory condition before we even attempt to give them more water. Many farmers are responsible, but those flooding their fields in the middle of the desert can use more water per acre than 3+ fields combined, and in many areas there’s no financial incentive to conserve, since water is not metered but paid for per acre covered. They also pollute the highest percentage of water, so those using pesticides need to pay more for the excess water treatment that is required. Ag uses the vast majority of the water in the state, more than double all residential, commercial, and industrial combined.