“Nearly unanimous” support for Proposition 1? I don’t think so!

Article from Daily Kos.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/13/1336335/-Governor-Brown-doesn-t-enjoy-near-unanimous-support#

ON OCT 13, 2014 AT 12:27 PM PDT
by Dan Bacher

Governor Jerry Brown has claimed in his current special interest-funded ad campaign that Proposition 1, the $7.5 billion State Water Bond, has nearly “nearly unanimous” support for public funding for water transfers to enrich huge agribusinesses and to enable the biggest dam-building program in California history.

The diverse coalition opposing Proposition 1 strongly disagrees with the Governor’s contention. “The governor falsely claims near unanimous support, but that just means he doesn’t pay attention to those who disagree with him,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla from the Vote NO on Prop. 1 campaign. “It’s insulting and false to make that claim.”

Who opposes Prop. 1? The unions, environmental groups, Indian Tribes, fishing groups and water agencies opposing the tunnels include those on the following list:

AFSCME District Council 57
Ballona Institute
Butte Environmental Council
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance
California Striped Bass Association
California Water Impact Network
Coast Action Group
Center for Biological Diversity
Central Delta Water Agency
Concerned Citizens Coalition of Stockton
Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC)
Environmental Water Caucus
Factory Farm Awareness Coalition
Friends Committee on Legislation of California
Friends of the Eel River
Friends of the River
Food and Water Watch
Foothill Conservancy
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations
Potrero Hill Democratic Club
Pulga Rancheria Concow Maidu Indians
Restore the Delta
Sacramento River Preservation Trust
San Francisco Baykeeper
San Francisco Crab Boat Association
Save the American River Association
Small Boat Commercial Salmon Fishermen’s Association
Sherman Island Duck Hunters Association
Sonoma County Conservation Action
South Delta Water Agency
Southern California Watershed Alliance
Tar Sands Action
Wetlands Defense Fund
Wild Heritage Planners
Winnemem Wintu Tribe

Proposition 1 definitely doesn’t enjoy “nearly unanimous” support among Sacramento Valley fishermen and Sacramento and American River protection advocates, who on October 13 announced that they will oppose Proposition 1, the State Water Bond, at a news conference on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, at 10:30 am at Discovery Park in Sacramento. The park is located at the junction of the Sacramento and American rivers, two major salmon and steelhead fisheries.

Bill Jennings from the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Ron Stork of Friends of the River, Lucas Ross-Merz from the Sacramento River Preservation Trust will speak about why people who care about salmon, rivers and the public trust must vote against the water bond.

“Prop. 1 is a poster-child of why California is in a water crisis: it enriches water speculators but accomplishes little in addressing the drought, solving California’s long-term water needs, reducing reliance on the Delta, or protecting our rivers and fisheries,” said Bill Jennings, of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance.

For more information go to http://www.noonprop1.org

Danielle Vigil-Masten, Chairwoman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe on the Trinity River, also urges people to vote down the water bond, further exposing the falseness of the claim that Proposition 1 enjoys “nearly unanimous” support.

“CALIFORNIA – VOTE NO ON CALIFORNIA PROP. 1,” Vigil-Masten wrote on Facebook. “This bill will kill the natural ecosystem and rivers tributaries on the North Coast. This is for money to construct a Dam in Maxwell or in that area. There has been no information provided to the damage this can cause to environment as well as to who will receive the benefit. It will also flood SACRED SITES of tribes.”

“Northern California does not have enough water to supply the State of California – it’s time for people to CONSERVE and use common sense to not build or grow farms where there is NO Water! Vote NO, and Stop this MADNESS! Please share with everyone you know in the State of California! Water Warriors…..stand up now!” she emphasized.

The Governor, Republican and Democratic Party establishment, corporate agribusiness interests, construction unions, corporate “environmental” NGOs, prominent billionaires and big water agencies are backing the Yes on Prop. 1 campaign. In contrast, a grassroots coalition of fishing groups, environmentalists, consumer organizations, two Indian Tribes, family farmers and Delta water agencies is enlisted in the battle to defeat Proposition 1.

The Governor and his allies have many millions of dollars to spend on false and misleading ads for Prop. 1 during this election campaign. The contrast between the Yes and No on Prop. 1 campaigns is illustrated by the respective money each campaign has raised. Governor Jerry Brown’s Yes on Proposition 1 and 2 campaign has raised $6,621,946 and has spent $817,276, while the Vote NO on Prop. 1 campaign has raised a total of $71,000 and has spent $41,036 as of October 6, 2014, according to Ballotpedia and the Secretary of State’s website, (http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/…)

Corporate agribusiness interests have donated a total of $850,000 to the Yes on Prop. 1 campaign. Stewart Resnick, the Beverly Hills agribusiness tycoon, owner of Paramount Farms and largest orchard fruit grower in the world, contributed $150,000. The California Farm Bureau Federation contributed $250,000, the Western Growers Service Association donated $250,000 and the California Cotton Alliance contributed $200,000 to the Yes on Prop. 1 campaign.

For more information, go to: http://www.indybay.org/…

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