Governor to farmers: Water storage a priority

» December 6, 2006 «

Speaking from his office and surrounded by California-grown farm products, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger thanked family farmers and ranchers for their continuing support today and outlined plans for the future.

Speaking by video uplink, Gov. Schwarzenegger shares a light moment with, right to left, CFBF President Doug Mosebar, 1st Vice President Paul Wenger, Secretary/Treasurer Joe Peters and 2nd Vice President Kenny Watkins.

"Thank you to all of you for your great help," he said during an address to the California Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting in Anaheim, delivered via an Internet video uplink from Sacramento. "The Farm Bureau has been there from the beginning."

As he prepares for his second term, the governor said projects to store and move water must be a priority in the state's next set of public-works bonds.

Schwarzenegger hailed voters' passage last month of $42 billion in bonds to rebuild roads, schools and other public facilities. He told the Farm Bureau gathering that he will insist that water facilities be a priority in future bond measures.

"Even though I want more infrastructure and to have more bonds approved, it would never happen unless above-the-ground water storage is part of this package and unless we also have conveyance," Schwarzenegger said.

The governor said he will work to continue a spirit of bipartisan cooperation in Sacramento after what he called one of the most successful legislative years in decades.

"I tell you that in the Capitol there is a great mood with Democrats and Republicans," he said. "I think we will do a good job of following through and continuing this kind of bipartisan cooperation and getting things done."

Schwarzenegger pledged that he will continue to promote California farm products both at home and abroad. During the video uplink, he showed farmers containers of almonds, strawberries, grapes, spinach, wine and other products that he keeps in his office.

"Even though we have the best products in the world, I think that if the world doesn't know about it then we don't have much, so I want to continue doing this promotion," the governor said.

The California Farm Bureau Federation, the state's largest farm organization, works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 92,000 members

Contact: Dave Kranz
Phone: 916/561-5550
news@cfbf.com

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.