Screw the fish. We want all the water.

Strolling down Golden Gate Ave. earlier today, I came upon an obviously-staged-for-TV protest outside the Federal Building. I walked right by Mark Matthews from Channel 7, actually.

What was the protest about, you ask? Water.


I know you can't read the signs in this picture, but they say things like "People are more important than fish!" and "ESA puts fish ahead of people." They're obviously referring to the recent changes made to the allocation of Delta water done to help preserve fish populations. The allocations done under Bush were pretty much all done to help out Big Farming Interests (i.e., Big Donors) and fish populations were being decimated. The new changes restore a little balance to the system and the farmers are MAD MAD MAD.

Now, I don't have the time to get into a complete rundown on the history of water allocation in California, but you should read Cadillac Desert and learn about how and why it came about that you and I as taxpayers are essentially paying wealthy businessmen to grow rice in the middle of the desert by subsidizing their water.

So now the allocation is slightly changed to keep the salmon population from disappearing, and you farmers are mad about that? How about this: Get the fuck over it.

No question that agriculture is an important part of the California economy. But it's also only TWO PERCENT of the economy. 2%.

That 2% of the economy uses EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE WATER. That's right. But these guys have the gall to say that 80% isn't enough to support their 2% share of the economy. They want it all. And I guess you salmon fishermen out there can just go straight to hell. Unbelievable.