U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina today discussed the impact of the state’s severe water crisis on Bakersfield’s economy and called on Senator Barbara Boxer to take immediate action to bring relief to the farming community at Kern Machinery, a local, family-owned farm equipment business in Bakersfield.

“Bringing relief to the almost 40,000 California farmers and farm workers who are out of work and also to the many other family-owned, agriculture businesses in the Central Valley due to the water crisis is one of my highest priorities. There is action that can be taken today by the U.S. Senate to get water flowing to the Valley and other parts of the state, but Barbara Boxer has refused to act. I find that outrageous, particularly since in the past she has been willing to take action to help other states facing similar emergencies,” said Fiorina.

A significant amount of water cannot be transferred through the State Water Project Central Valley farms because of a biological opinion issued by the federal government that invokes the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to protect a fish called the Delta Smelt. At the same time, the state is facing three years of drought conditions. As a result of these two significant factors, the State Water Project announced it will only provide a record-low 5 percent of its usual allocation of water to its contractors next year.

Congress, however, has the authority to suspend the ESA for a period of time to provide relief to the Valley agricultural community during these difficult economic times. A measure to do just this was voted down by Barbara Boxer earlier this year. However in 2003, Boxer voted to allow an exemption to the ESA for New Mexico when that state faced a similar situation.

“Over her last 18 years in the Senate Barbara Boxer has very clearly failed to act on behalf of the people of California and specifically on behalf of California’s farmers, farm workers and all of the businesses that support our state’s largest economic sector. It is time to bring common-sense back to Washington and that is why I am running to be California’s next U.S. Senator.”

Earlier this year, Fiorina visited the California Central Valley and wrote the following after calling for immediate federal action to get increased water supplies flowing to the region.

California’s farmers continue to wait.

Barbara Boxer is much too interested in climate change, global warming plus cap and trade legislation than dealing with the mundane survival of the Delta Smelt and preserving California agriculture.

Boxer has been AWOL for the majority of Californians and should be voted out of office next November.

Update:

Here is another news piece about the Bakersfield event.