ALERT !!!

Your water use is threatened!

Karuks released their 6 month ground water study and it is demanding 30 percent less water use by  Scott Valley residents

Learn how to stop this threat

at

Scott Valley Protect Our Water

Meeting

June 27, 2012

Fort Jones Community Center

7 p.m.

Pie N Politics is first, please bring a dessert to share

For more info, contact President Tom Pease at 468-2414

News in Jefferson Country – to KSYC

June 15, 2012

169 words

News in Jefferson Country from Pie N Politics dot com editor Liz Bowen: More variables are cracking the Department of Interior’s Klamath dam removal project, which translates to several more reasons why Pacific Power should not be granted a second surcharge by the California Public Utilities Commission to pay for dam removal.

The terms for dam removal have not been completed because of a — lack of congressional funding, lack of funding from the State of California, lack of full completion of the Environmental Impact Report and Statements, questions of conflict on the interest of Secretary Ken Salazar, alleged lack of scientific integrity in the environmental science; and last but not least is the question concerning the validity of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, because the Stake Holders Group conducted secret meetings.

Greenies, Tribes and government officials may scream another spin, but because of these issues, Klamath dam removal is no longer on the fast track.

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LA Food Dialogues focus on agriculture, June 20-21

Announcement

From Western Farm Press – Friday, June 15, 2012

The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance’s second Food Dialogues event – “Lights, Camera, Food: Perceptions and Realities of Farming and Ranching in America” – is set for next Wednesday and Thursday in Los Angeles.

www.asm.ca.gov/Nielsen
Assemblymember.Nielsen@assembly.ca.gov

From CA. District 2 Assemblyman Jim Nielsen

June 15th is the constitutional deadline to adopt the 2012-13 budget. Democratic leaders have declared they will meet the deadline. As the budget moved through the process, Democrats argued that their majority vote budget is balanced with $8.6 billion in tax increases and $8 billion in cuts. The California Budget Fact Check analysis found that:

Less than $1.1 billion of the items characterized as “cuts” are true permanent spending reductions. Almost $400 million of the permanent cuts are a continuation of policies from last year’s spending level which means less than $700 million are new permanent cuts. The majority of the so-called “cuts” are funding shifts, deferrals and the delays in program increases.

General Fund spending grows by $4.9 billion in the Governor’s proposal and $5.4 billion in the Democrats’ proposal. Overall spending grows by $12 billion under the Governor’s proposal and by at least $12.5 billion under the Assembly Democrat proposal presented on Tuesday.

According to the Governor, the Democrats’ budget rejects the Governor’s long-term spending reform proposals and substitutes one-time cuts which will not slow the growth in government spending.

Click to continue reading “Are We Cutting $8 Billion in Spending?”

From Americans for Prosperity — California

Watch the Video.

How will the EPA’s New Utility Rules Affect California?

The U.S. Senate will soon hold what is likely to be the most important energy vote this year: an up-or-down vote on Senator Inhofe’s resolution (S.J.Res. 37) to overturn the EPA’s onerous Utility MACT rule. This may be Congress’ last chance to stand up to the EPA and stop this rule, the most expensive power regulation in American history.

Finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in February, Utility MACT has the stated goal of reducing mercury emissions at U.S. power plants. However, the real aim is to fulfill the President’s promise that under his administration, “if somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can – it’s just that it will bankrupt them.” It’s a senseless approach that will force power plants to close across the country, cause electricity prices to spike by an average of 12% nationwide, and cost the economy well over a million jobs.

Learn more and take action today!

PNP comment: This survey was so bogus. It was sent to a few people throughout the U.S. The questions were so slanted that “of course the Klamath dams should be removed” was the answer.  And then they even put in $2 bills for a response — and that was the first survey sent out. $20 was promised with a returned second survey. But a bill should not have to be made to stop this fraud, officials in government agencies should possess decent values and know this was wrong. — Editor Liz Bowen

http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/news/x721959980/Klamath-dam-survey-inspires-bill-amendment

by John Bowman, Siskiyou Daily News June 12, 2012

Yreka, Calif. — The U.S. House of Representatives on June 6 passed an amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill that would ban the Bureau of Reclamation and other federal agencies affected by the bill from offering cash incentives to citizens for the completion of surveys.

The amendment, authored by Colorado Congressman Scott Tipton and passed by a bi-partisan vote of 355 to 51, was inspired by a 2011 U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) survey that sought to gauge public opinion of removing dams on the Klamath River.

A similar amendment will be considered by the senate in the coming months.

Several waves of the survey were mailed out last year to 10,400 households across the country, with an increased density in the Klamath region. The first wave of surveys contained a $2 bill as incentive to complete the survey. Of the recipients who did not respond, 1,245 received follow-up packets promising an additional $20 for the completion of the survey. A total of 286 second-wave respondents received the $20 payment upon completion of the survey.

According to DOI’s final report on the survey, “To comply with the Secretary [of Interior’s] responsibilities, a full accounting of the project must include the social benefits associated with ‘nonuse value.’ Nonuse values accrue to members of the public who value Klamath River improvements regardless of whether they ever consume Klamath fish, visit the Klamath River basin, or otherwise use the resources from the Klamath River basin. Nonuse value is one component of the total value individuals place on the environmental change.”

Tipton says it is unethical for the federal government to offer cash incentives for the completion of such surveys.

“Enticing survey responses with cash incentives to prove a societal need for a project is wrong on so many levels,” Tipton said in a press release. “First and foremost, it’s a blatant waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars. Collecting data this way is disingenuous, and a downright sneaky move by this Administration’s cadre of out-of-touch bureaucrats.”

The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors has expressed its opposition to the survey since it was first received by residents of the county last summer.

The board sent a letter to DOI requesting that the agency not use the results of the survey in its determination of whether to remove the dams.

Siskiyou County Counsel Tom Guarino has said the survey is “heavily slanted toward a predetermined result.”

Budget assumes tax increase, contains no reform and increases total spending over $12 Billion

(SACRAMENTO) – Senator Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) and a bipartisan group of Senators voted against approving Governor Brown’s state budget proposal Friday. The annual budget approved by a vote of 23-16, with two Democrats joining Republicans in opposition, increases spending by $12.9 Billion over last year. Under the approved plan California will spend $225.6 billion (including the general fund and special funds).

“Business as usual continues in Sacramento today,” said Senator LaMalfa.  “Another year goes by and the legislature makes more pie in the sky assumptions about magically appearing state revenue and the citizens wanting to tax themselves even more. Nothing in this budget reforms a state program, moves to eliminate waste or deals with pension reform. Bottom line, total spending increases and this year’s budget becomes the largest in California history.”

Total spending has increased in California by $31.3 billion since the onset of the recession in 2007-08.

“This budget was designed with one objective in mind, to extort voters into supporting taxes while protecting the bureaucracy.  When this budget falls apart in a few short months there will be no threat to the vast amounts of administration and those who the public will never meet. Instead, teachers and public safety will be placed on the chopping block,” continued LaMalfa.  “It is a shameful tactic and one the voters will reject.”

Senator Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing the fourth Senate District including Shasta, Tehama, Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Siskiyou, Sutter, Del Norte, Placer, Trinity, Yuba and Nevada counties.

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