Food Aid Grows in California's Agricultural Heart [Third World Poverty in Central California!]

Wall St. Journal ^ | September 01, 2009

[Steelfish]

SEPTEMBER 2, 2009

Food Aid Grows in California's Agricultural Heart

Central Valley Residents Struggle as Recession, Limited Water Supplies Hit Farms; 'This Is the Worst I've Ever Seen It'

By JIM CARLTON

SELMA, Calif. -- The combined punch of drought, water restrictions and recession has created an ironic situation in California's Central Valley: Officials are handing out tons of food in the heart of one of the nation's most productive agricultural regions.

At a dusty flea market in this Fresno County town last week, more than 800 people -- many farmworkers -- lined up for two weeks' supply of cereal, rice, canned tomatoes and other basics. They waited in 99-degree heat as the food was distributed from 6 a.m. until late afternoon.

"We either have money for gas and medicine, or food -- not both," Helen Hernandez, a 51-year-old mother of four, said after collecting a pallet of food from the relief drive. Ms. Hernandez said her husband, David, 49, has been out of work since losing his $1,200-a-month job at a tomato-packing house last year.

[Califreak]

As long as these little guys are happy/

[GonzoGOP]

If California has a crop failure on top of all the other problems they are having they are going to have fiscal problems that make their current mess look like a mere overdrawn check. With the last car plant closed, Silicon Valley moved to Shanghai, Hollywood moving much of their production out of state to avoid the taxes and union issues and now the farmers going bust, they are running out of people to tax. And just when the left’s Cloward Piven Strategy is hitting them with bills they couldn't have paid off even in the best of times.

[ecomcon]

He who smelt it, delta’d it.

[Flavius]

[kabar]

That’s because the Third World has taken over CA.

[GeronL]

Thanks for turning off that water eco-jerks.

Just part of the process to lower the standard of living

[GeronL]

crop failure? The govt turned off water to farms.

[Saundra Duffy]

And so it goes. In some areas the unemployment rate is 40%. Turn on the water!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Semperfiwife]

They did not ‘turn off” the water, they SOLD it. When you are paying $5.00 a head for lettuce, please thank the idiots who run our third world state.

[GonzoGOP]

crop failure? The govt turned off water to farms.

Well that would tend to cause a crop failure, in much the same way as bombing the power plant causes an electricity failure.

[diamond6]

I’m from Fresno and this makes me hopping mad!!!!

[Califreak]

I’m from the SF Bay Area & it makes me mad too.

Next time I go to LA & don’t see any crops growing on the way, I’ll probably cry.

I can’t believe what these nuts are doing.

[Mr Inviso]

“I’m from the SF Bay Area & it makes me mad too.

Next time I go to LA & don’t see any crops growing on the way, I’ll probably cry.

I can’t believe what these nuts are doing.”

Well, if you know anyone from the East Bay, tell them to dump that nitwit George Miller (D-Looney Bin) who is their Representative. He is the primary mover and shaker behind all this.

[Califreak]

Thanks for that piece of information.

I live in his district.

Local politics (in our area) is a strange and elusive thing.

All I ever hear is that they are owned by unions and our fishwrap seems to keep a tight lid on everything.

[diamond6]

It’s criminal to put animals before humans and their livlihoods. I pray about this matter every day and hope others do as well.

[leilani]

I'm from TEXAS & it makes me hopping mad.

There are very few places on the entire planet which have been blessed as abundantly with as many natural resources as California. That control-mad politicians are callously forcing residents of its own argricultural belt to go H U N G R Y isn't just shameful, it's criminal.

[diamond6]

I feel absolutely helpless and it’s happening in my own home town Fresno.