Valley Voices
Supervisor Buddy Mendes faults Rep. TJ Cox for not supporting farmers water needs
As chairman of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, I know how important it is to have a member of Congress who fights for our water needs. Our current congressman, TJ Cox, does not work with our communities to bring water to the San Joaquin Valley, nor does he represent our needs in Congress. Instead, TJ Cox works with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and accepts their money to help get him reelected.
After two years in office, it is clear TJ Cox does not adequately represent the needs of our farmers and farmworkers. This might be news to Cox, but CA-21 is the No. 1 agriculture producing district in America. Agriculture is our economy in the Central Valley, and access to water is the single most important issue affecting our livelihood.569
Congressman Cox has failed us with his allegiance to Bay Area environmentalists while completely ignoring the hard-working people of the Central Valley. For decades, the NRDC’s mission has been to prevent water from reaching the Central Valley and our farmers. This anti-farmer, radical organization is responsible for stealing 1 million-acre feet of water from our communities. They ensured South of Delta CVP contractors received no water at all in 2015 and sued against the new biological opinions that David Valadao helped secure to bring us more water.
NRDC repeatedly supports legislation to shrink aquifers, reduce water quality, and raise water prices for us in the Valley while supporting San Francisco’s hypocritical water grab. If it wasn’t obvious before that TJ Cox isn’t from the Valley, his endorsement from the NRDC makes his outsider status abundantly clear. NRDC and TJ Cox work together to push their radical agenda and we suffer at their hands. Our water is wasted, being flushed into the ocean, while our congressman stands by and collects checks from Bay Area environmentalists who hate our way of life.
TJ Cox is on the wrong side of this critical issue. Don’t be fooled by Cox’s false claims to have brought water to the Valley — he hasn’t. In fact, the legislation he boasted as having included funding for water infrastructure actually prevents funding for critical water infrastructure projects for the Valley. The only water we have seen come into the Valley since Cox’s election is thanks to the hard work done by our former congressman, David Valadao. While he was serving in Congress, I could always count on David to work with the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, stand up for farmers, and fight against NRDC’s attacks on our communities.
As a lifelong Hanford farmer himself, David Valadao is well-equipped and motivated to work on the issues that matter to us because he has lived and worked here his entire life. In stark contrast, TJ Cox can’t be bothered to even live in our district while posturing as our representative.
David Valadao has a successful history of fighting to bring more water to the Valley. TJ Cox has a record of favoring Bay Area environmentalists over those who live and work in California’s 21st Congressional District. We have an opportunity before us to replace TJ Cox — an anti-agriculture, failed congressman — with the experienced, trustworthy, and proven leader on water, David Valadao. The choice is clear.
Ernest “Buddy” Mendes represents District 4 on the Board of Supervisors, which includes Reedley, Selma, Riverdale and Coalinga. He operates a family farm and dairy business in Riverdale.
.jpg)
.JPG)
Comments