Water Education Foundation
This is just one post in the Drought, Weather & Snowpack Category
Click here to view all posts

Drought is the cause of economic suffering, says commentary by valley mayors; “To suggest that our jobless residents are not impacted by the drought conditions is an outrageous, outright fallacy”

Posted by: Maven on May 17, 2009 at 11:34 am

From the Sacramento Bee, this commentary by Amarpreet S. Dhaliwal, mayor of the city of San Joaquin, and Robert Silva, mayor of Mendota:

Central Valley farmworkers – a large share of whom are Latino – have worked with farmers and business people for decades to make California the world’s major producer of fruits, vegetables, nuts and other commodities. The agriculture industry is a major producer of California jobs as well as food.

History and firsthand experience tell us that when there is water there also are jobs and prosperity.

However, this year we face devastating drought conditions and hyper-unemployment, greatly intensified by court-ordered water cutbacks. We have been vocal about the primary cause of our hardship: drought.

At the same time, we also are being attacked by those who would like nothing more than for us to just shut up, accept our terrible conditions and take our place quietly on the sidelines. Recently, an associate professor at the University of the Pacific in Stockton released an economic forecast that said high unemployment in the Central Valley was not caused by the drought. Incredibly, he went on to suggest that farm payrolls are somehow a jobs bonanza.

As mayors representing two cities in which farming is the dominant industry, we know this is not true. More important, we and tens of thousands of our constituents will not allow these so called “forecasts” to be unquestionably assumed to be credible while our towns are parched out of existence for lack of water.

It is a fact: We have been hit hard by terrible drought conditions and it is impacting our economy.

Read the full text of this commentary by clicking here.

May 17, 2009 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

Comments

One Response to “Drought is the cause of economic suffering, says commentary by valley mayors; “To suggest that our jobless residents are not impacted by the drought conditions is an outrageous, outright fallacy””

  1. dfb on May 18th, 2009 12:24 am

    Water may bring jobs and prosperity; however that prosperity is not generally shared with the farm laborers.

Leave a Reply