During the debate in Congress over the San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act, there have been a lot of excuses used to defend government-imposed water shortages. Many of the most troubling statements about our region have been posted on my YouTube Channel or are discussed in my blog. However, I prepared this document because it is important for us to understand the distortions used against reform and to respond to them with facts.
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Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed the state government’s response to the capital and entrepreneurial flight from our state: Taxes remain high, and lawmakers employ all the tricks in the book to produce “balanced” budgets from shifting expenses around to borrowing ever larger sums of money. In this edition of the Washington Report, I outline a plan that would restore California’s economic vitality, while fundamentally reforming the state’s tax system and improving government efficien...
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Taxpayers across America are preparing to file their 2007 tax returns. Many are finding that they owe the federal government money and even more are questioning whether or not the growth in federal spending, which reached $2.6 trillion in 2007, is in our national interest. The threat of tax increases and economic insecurity have resulted in a tightening of belts across America, but not in Washington. As a result, many Americans have come to believe that the current budget process has failed to p...
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On September 13, 2006, an agreement to restore water flows for salmon in the San Joaquin River below Friant Dam near Fresno, including one of the West's largest river restoration efforts, was announced by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Friant Water Users Authority (FWUA) and U.S. Departments of the Interior and Commerce.
It has become increasingly clear that the agreement was one-sided and seriously flawed. Setting the Record Straight provides details about the effort to rush a deal through Congress, bypassing regular order and the Democratic process. It also demonstrates that some of the settling parties have consistently misrepresented facts concerning their deal to farmers and the general public.
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Inexpensive and reliable access to energy is a driving indicator of technological development and growth around the world. In the United States, this has given us a significant advantage. However, this advantage is not assured. Today, Americans are experiencing double digit increases in utility bills and gas prices are at record highs. Yet there are options that would immediately lower energy prices, while assuring long term energy security for the United States. The Nunes legislation would make historic investments in alternative energy and eliminate our dependence on foreign oil- all at no cost to the taxpayer. Does this sound too good to be true? Why hasn’t Congress acted? Read In Search of Energy Freedom starting on page 3.
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