Western Farm Press/Agribusiness Push for Ill-Advised Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Agribusiness supporter Harry Cline, in a recent blogpost for Western Farm Press, says that he "loves" the name of activist group the Raging Grannies but accuses them and others who oppose the Bay Delta Conservation Plan of being selfish.

In his blogpost he stated: ”The Raging Grannies and friends target most of their criticism on the twin tunnels proposed to move water under the Delta. They say developing more water would cost too much and water rates would increase. Critics claim water rates would go up $7 to $10 per month, probably half what the Raging Grannies spend each month at Starbucks.” The Raging Grannies responded on their own blog that "as a matter of principle we oppose large, powerful corporate interests that represent oil and corporate agribusiness, and join with like minded groups in our actions". They further stated that the author doesn't know much about their coffee drinking habits if he thinks members of their group can be found at Starbucks.

In the past the Harry Cline has been called out by Lobbywatch.org and other groups for extreme rhetoric, referring to anti-GMO activists as an anti-society, anti-science crowd and likening them to Neo-Nazis and the KKK. (See link below).

Mr. Cline even takes a skeptical view of farmers’ markets writing in a separate blogpost that: “…fruits and vegetables are no better there than at the local supermarket. Some are worse. Farmers’ markets are popular because people think they are buying from ‘local growers’ and it is somehow better from a five-acre grower than a 500-acre grower…”. Elsewhere he refers to anti-GMO activists as whackos.

Western Farmer Press Corporate’s website also includes recent blogposts and commentary that are decidedly against gun control.

Many groups stand in opposition to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan out of concern for serious environmental effects. The list includes Food and Water Watch, Restore the Delta, 350 Silicon Valley, the Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, the Environmental Water Caucus, the Sierra Club of California, the Winnemem Wintu tribe, the Planning and Conservation League, Earth Law Center, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations,  California Striped Bass Association, Local Areas of the North Delta, the Butte Environmental Council, and the South Delta Water Agency amongst others.