TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Jim Costa declared political "war" against a fellow member of the California congressional delegation Monday over the ongoing fight to both protect fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and keep delivering desperately needed water to the San Joaquin Valley.

Costa, D-Fresno, offered to do battle with Rep. George Miller, D-Richmond, after Miller was quoted as promising at a political rally last week to push for tougher restrictions on water diversions to valley farms and cities.

Northern California fisherman in large part blame the water pumping for declining salmon populations and, by extension, their livelihoods.

"That one side of the state gets to rip off the other side is not sustainable, politically or environmentally," the San Francisco Chronicle quoted Miller as saying at a San Francisco "Salmon Summit" Thursday. "For 10 years they've violated the laws and the science in the name of greed. But we've beat them before and we'll beat them again."

Costa came out swinging Monday.

"If he wants to fight with the Latino community and valley farmworkers whose futures depend on water allocations, we'll give him a fight," Costa said of Miller in a news release titled "Rep. Costa Declares War Over Water."

"If he wants to fight with people whose economy hinges on farms getting a fair share of water, we'll give him a fight. If he is willing to destroy the entire Valley way of life to suit his own ends, he'll get the fight of a lifetime."

In a meeting with Californian reporters and editors later in the day Monday, Costa said he was not referring to any specific Miller proposal but rather his long history of making the valley a "scapegoat" for the delta's ecological problems and ignoring the damage also being done by a polluting power plant, effluent from cities and pesticide runoff from housing tracts and farms in Miller's district.

Miller has long failed to recognize the valley's economic struggles and contributions to the world's food supply, Costa complained.

"Unfortunately politicians from other parts of the state don't recognize our way of life is as important as theirs," Costa said.

He said valley farmers and water officials have drastically cut production of thirsty crops like cotton, given up water allocations to protect the environment and found ways to be more water-efficient.

Miller's staff couldn't be reached for comment late Monday afternoon. The Chronicle story quoted fishermen and their supporters as saying two years of canceled salmon seasons have cost California $2.8 billion in revenue and at least 23,000 jobs.

Costa's harsh words come at a time he's been repeatedly pummeled by Republicans in the valley for not doing enough to get the federal government to ease water pumping restrictions. It's been a major theme of Republicans running in the 20th Congressional District GOP primary: Hanford farmer Andy Vidak, Fresno businessman Serafin Quintanar and Fresno-Clovis CPA Richard Lake.