From Bill Palmer
Bakersfield:

I understand your lambasting the reception Congressman Costa received on the Sean Hannity Show. However, if you was one of the unemployed standing in food lines, one of the farmers losing their future because of government lunacy, I suspect you would not be so kind to a member of the political party snatching your future from you.

People are fast getting fed up with their government forcing them to to become "peasants" to satisfy special interest wing nuts. I strongly suspect that things will get more and more disrespectful if someone does not help correct the wrongs of our government.

I would suggest you among others start beating the drums of the media for local, state, and federal officials to begin standing up and supporting the rights of the hard-working taxpayers of our community, state, and country.

It is easy to be critical of folks when you are not walking in their shoes. These folks are getting desperate and desperate people will take desperate measures.


  

From  Michael Der Manouel, Jr., Chairman
Lincoln Club of Fresno County

I am really surprised you had to ask why he was booed.
 
I can tell you:
 
He holds himself out as a moderate, and he isn’t. This year, he has voted 97% with the leadership, 93% last year.  His fellow “blue dog” to the north is even worse, Dennis Cardoza. Here is the link to Costa’s record:           http://projects.washingtonp...  - the Westside knows that he is not a moderate and is not telling the truth about himself.  That is reason enough to boo him all by itself.

A junior member, Devin Nunes, has introduced several amendments to help with the crisis.  Costa has not spoken up for any of them, nor has he proposed a legislative solution, even though the areas in the worst shape are in Costa’s district.
 
Costa bringing the Secretary of the Interior out for a visit only inflamed the situation. The Administration, and the Secretary, have done nothing but deny the obvious man made calamity on the westside.  So is “work” and “expertise” have amounted to no solutions. 
 
So we have a water expert in the majority party who cannot get anything done in spite of voting almost 100% with Nancy Pelosi, the most unpopular Speaker of the House in modern history, according to Gallup.
 
There you have it.

From: Margie Hoff
Merced, CA
(18th district - represented by Dennis Cardoza, who also isn't doing much except yak-yak and take credit for "doing" things.)

You can see by my signature that I am fed up with our current representation. On both sides of the aisle...
However, that doesn't change the fact that Jim Costa is working his own plan for water (which isn't very productive) and sabbotaging the efforts of others.

A contingent of farm workers, farmers, politicians, Paul Rodriguez and KMJ talk show host Ray Appleton was scheduled to fly to DC to meet with democrats in congress to discuss the water situation. Jim Costa, instead of being part of the contingent, called Paul Rodrigues at the last minute and squashed the deal.

The representative who has really been busting his hump working on this is Devan Nunez, who authored the two gates project. Costa is taking credit for the idea. Costa is not well thought of in his own district by the very people on whose behalf he claims to be working.

I was not a bit surprised that be was booed. Your article says he was responsible for bringing Interior Secretary Salazar out. Salazar's meeting was a waste of time. He gave us a long string of platitudes, and assured us his best man was on top of the issue. Unfortunately, "this best man" Hayes, is an appoiontee recommended by George Miller who has stated publicly that the Central Valley should be returned to it's native state. (All those pesky farmers and farm workers are polluting the natural beauty of grasslands and the most fertile soil, arguably, in the world.-my words). So what kind of help should we expect from Jim Costa's efforts? Just what we are getting. Plattitudes and promises. Those don't help alleviate the 40% unemployment in several Westside valley communities. It doesn't stop the need for bread lines, a la Russia.

Costa is no hero. Just another politician whose job is to get re-elected. He doesn't serve the valley, only himself.

The tea party movement started because people have finally had enough of self serving politicians. Are we being rude? You bet. Sometimes it's the only way to get our point across. Costa needs to know that WE know he isn't working for the people of the Valley. He knows now. As do everyone who watched Hannity's show.

From John Keyes
Springville,Ca

Costa is not friend as he is a puppet for Nancy Pelosi. Costa might talk a good talk but he has not helped Nunez and the other  
Republicans in this water fight; Costa and Cardoza have bad mouthed Nunes,they have balked on votes needed to  get bills passed in  Washington. The people booed because they know a traitor when they see one.

From Brad Herbold:

Perhaps if you aquainted yourself with more than just Thursdays event, and actually followed the history of Mr. Costa you would understand better. (?) I totally understand that when an issue, like water, has been transpiring for over 2 years, and you don't understand the issue because you don't care, that you would want to hear Jim. Those of us who have been paying attention know that Mr. Costa is anything but a water crusader! In fact nothing could be further from the truth! But I get it, your a journalist, and reporting on your feelings is what we want, not facts but that you were upset that you couldn't hear the guy you support, throw more empty words at the constituients he no longer represents. Good job! How do you think you'll feel when there is no food in your stomach?

I know this space was supposed to be for people upset about Christine's column, and Congressman Costa, but I think Costa is getting a bum rap here. I have no connection to Costa except that as a reporter I covered much of his state legislative career — the good and the bad of it. No one understands the water issue better. He chaired committees that oversaw California water policy for many years and personally negotiated bond issues that financed hundreds of millions of dollars of water and sewer projects, making sure the valley got its share. Devin Nunes is a very nice man but the “two-inch minnow” that he and Hannity blame is just the tip of a very large iceberg of problems for the valley’s water supply. There’s no room to go into all of them here, but the political reality is that there will be no solution until there’s agreement on a comprehensive plan that not only stabilizes the valley’s water supply but solves the massive environmental and earthquake safety problems of the Delta. And the economic reality is that California is outgrowing its water supply. Whatever solutions are found, it will mean that everyone, including farmers, will have to adjust to a future with less and less water that will cost them more and more.  I’m sure that’s what Costa understands, and it’s why he is not willing risk his political capital going to the wall for naïve “solutions” that have no chance of being accepted, or even solving the problem.   Vic Pollard

 ** NEWSFLASH **

Behind the Smokescreen .......  50 yrs has been invested into creating this water shortage.  Cities secretly rebuilt on top of a new water system designed specifically for secretly re-directing the water for upcoming development.   Not up to State or Federal guidelines - many of the people are not authorized or licensed.  They are conspiring with Public Works in overriding the Planning Depts.  Parcel maps are altered in escrow.  Aerial views altered.  

The joke is that no one will ever figure this out.

For photos and more information click here: http://www.myspace.com/marl...

 

Just my two cents here! If we think we are being held over the barrel due to relying on foreign governments for our oil, you haven't seen anything yet. What will it be like when we can't even feed ourselves? Which by the way is fast approaching. Seeing that dry dirt made my heart sick. The bread basket is being allowed to just blow away. I smell a fish, and it isn't a smelt...

not only is it sad, but bordering on seditious when our elected representives dont even have enough sense between all of them to

1. see and know that agriculture is a major economic force driving the Valley's economy
2. have a vision to ensure that #1 is taken care of now and into the future
3. allow environmentalists to make policy that is so far outside the commonsensical realm, that all the policies brought to the table by them need to be examined with a microscope.

Well I don't know if what I heard is true or not, but maybe someone can let me know.

I 'heard' that the powers that be are going to waive all the water/environmental restrictions so the state can build an NFL stadium but will not waive restrictions so farmers can water their fields.

It is true or rumor??