A great read from Restore the Delta

More Information on Jobs and the Plight of Central Valley Farm Workers

April 22, 2009 --As reported yesterday, Restore the Delta believes that the economic hardship experienced by farm workers in the Central Valley and throughout California must be dealt with in a moral and compassionate manner that recognizes the dignity of the work performed by farmer workers in the present and offers all farm workers a chance to become part of California's diverse middleclass economy. We affirm this position, regardless of the source or cause of farm workers' employment/unemployment. 
 
With that said, it bears investigating as to how much unemployment in the San Joaquin Valley is directly attributable to a reduction in water exports. 
 
While Governor Schwarzenegger was attending the March for Water with farmers and farm workers on April 17, 2009, where he once again called for the construction of the peripheral canal as the solution to meet California's water needs, the state released its latest payroll data through March. 
 
While Restore the Delta is neither an economics think tank, nor has any economists on staff, there are a few points worth raising regarding the economic claims made by water contractors in the southern part of the state. A few Restore the Delta supporters whipped out their calculators and came up with the following using EDD data: 
 
In Fresno County, farm jobs increased by 3.2% (1100 jobs) over the last 12 months; 3.8.% (1300 jobs) over the laswt 24 months; and 12% (3800 jobs) over the last 36 months. In contrast, non farming jobs decreased by 3.4% (7900 jobs) over the last 12 months; 5% (11,700 jobs) over the last 24 months; and 3.5% (8000 jobs) for the last 36 months. 
 
In Fresno County, farm payrolls have been growing faster than any other economic sector over the last 3 years since the drought began. Could it be that the collapse of the construction industry and the recession has had more to do with unemployment than a decrease in water exports? Why is a decrease in water exports from the Delta being used as the sole reason to explain away the economic woes of the southern Central Valley? 
 
Moreover, town unemployment figures quoted by contractors, particularly for the town of Mendota, are extrapolations from the 2000 census, and tell us more about 2000 then they do about the present. For instance, in 2000, which was a good water export year following a string of good water years, unemployment in Mendota was at the highest for that decade at 32%. While unemployment is 41.6% presently in Mendota, it seems that more water exports do not bring about full employment in that community. 
 
Restore the Delta hopes that social science and economic experts will look more closely at these numbers so that public policies can be created that will foster a sustainable and diverse economy for our brothers and sisters in farming communities, like Mendota, and throughout the state. We also know that such an economic survey will elucidate that reduced Delta exports are not the primary reason for economic hardship in these farming communities, and that new conveyance will not solve the numerous factors contributing to the economic hardships experienced by farm workers. 
 
For a look at state employment numbers by county and city go to http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/? pageid=131.