For many years, I always kept my political preferences to myself. I didn’t tell people who I was voting for in upcoming elections because I was afraid I would be judged negatively. However, everything changed during the 2016 presidential election cycle. I supported one of the candidates wholeheartedly. Because I felt this person could make a positive difference in my country, I shared my support of him on social media outlets. I encouraged my family and friends to vote for him. I even wrote blogs outlining my preferred candidate’s strengths. On this blog, I hope you will discover the importance of publicly supporting a political candidate. Enjoy!
For people living in the Central Valley region of California, environmental issues are at the forefront of many political campaigns. It's important to know where the candidates stand on issues pertaining to the Delta, as well as their commitments to farmers.
Here is a breakdown of Senator Cathleen Galgiani's record on environmental issues relating to Central Valley, as well as those that effect California as a whole.
Strong Opposition to The Twin Tunnels Plan
Cathleen Galgiani is one of the leading voices in opposition to the Twin Tunnels Plan. The Twin Tunnels Plan is a controversial plan that would involve the construction of huge underground tunnels( 35 miles long and 40 feet wide) that would carry water out of the Delta region and funnel it into the lower San Joaquin Valley.
The opponents to the tunnels point out that this water, which is being diverted from the Sacramento River, would have a dire ecologically effect on the wildlife in the region. Additionally, the water would be heading straight for large agribusinesses, not local farmers. These agribusiness are involved in growing crops that require huge amounts of water, which they then export overseas. Additionally, these corporations turn around and sell the water to other private businesses.
Finally, there are serious doubts as to the final cost of the tunnels. The advertised cost of the tunnels (fourteen billion) is considered by many to be far too low an estimate.
Protecting Water Rights For Small Farmers
Galgiani has a track record of fighting for the rights of small farmers. Water, once again, was at the forefront of the issue, as is often is in California. The Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010 had wording in the bill that was overly severe towards small family farmers. The bill originally included wording that allowed for permanent revocation of water rights for small offensives. Also, the original wording allowed for a "bounty hunter provision" which stated that agents of the Board had virtually unlimited abilities to start investigations on farmers in order to collect fines.
4 Million In Funds To Fight Invasive Weeds
The waterways of the Delta are vital to the livelihood of the people in Cathleen Galgiani's district. There are marina owners, boat rental shops, restaurants on the river ways, and many other businesses that rely on the healthy waterways.
An invasive weed known as water hyacinth was threatening to overgrow the Delta during a drought. To combat this, Galgiani secured 4 million in federal funding to help curb the weeds spread.
Billions For High Speed Rail
California is known as a place where everyone drives, but it's also known for having a lot of air pollution. Part of the solution to this problem is to create alternative, and easy to use, public transportation. Galgiani was at the forefront in securing billions in funding for the California High-Speed Train Bond Act. This is an enormous step towards ridding California of toxic exhaust from the millions of automobiles that pollute the highways everyday. It would also bring many jobs to the Central Vally region in the form of construction work for the rail system.
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