Letters: Farr apparently likes smelt more than farm industry

Dear Editor

There has been considerable publicity about the agriculture water being turned off in the San Joaquin valley. The magnitude of the government-made disaster was very apparent during a recent trip to Bakersfield. 

The fallow fields were bad enough. It was heartbreaking to see dead orchards, without a leaf on a single tree. This continued for mile after mile.   

A recent bill before Congress to expand recycling of water in the bay area rejected an amendment to allow the San Joaquin agriculture water to be turned on – on an emergency basis as it was in 2003 for Albuquerque, NM. Our Congressman, Sam Farr, voted for the bill without the amendment. (Roll call vote 789, October 15, 2009). Farr spoke against the amendment which failed. 

Apparently Congressman Farr thinks the Delta Smelt is more important than farmers and farm workers in the San Joaquin. 

Marvin L. Jones, Hollister