Spending bill to aid those affected by '06 salmon disaster

Eureka Reporter

May 12, 2007

With a strong bipartisan showing, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an emergency spending bill by a 302-to-20 vote late Thursday that would provide much-needed relief for the West Coast’s beleaguered fishing industry.

The nearly $5 billion spending bill includes $60.4 million for California and Oregon’s commercial salmon fishing families, businesses and tribes — a provision introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena.)

The bill, titled the Agriculture Disaster Assistance and Western States Emergency Unfinished Business Appropriations Act of 2007, is now headed for a vote in the Senate.

Thompson indicated there is already enough support in the House to override any presidential veto, according to a news release.

President Bush has reportedly threatened to veto the spending bill, which Thompson called “a slap in the face to millions of hardworking Americans.”

Thompson says the relief is needed for fishermen, tribes and businesses impacted by the federally declared commercial fishery failure of 2006, which he said was due to irresponsible Bush administration water policies.

“The emergency relief for our salmon industry is long overdue,” Thompson said. “Last year’s commercial salmon fishing closure was the largest in U.S. history.”

Thompson indicated that salmon fishing families and businesses are suffering because of the president’s “wrong-headed” decision to divert water from the Klamath River .

“To suggest that these people don’t deserve federal aid is like rubbing salt in their wounds,” Thompson said.

Thompson added that affected families and businesses need aid right away, and the president’s claim that they should take out loans is illustrative of his disconnect from the real needs of working Americans, according to a news release.

“Due to the fishing closure last year, my business lost $50,000,” said Deniel Caouette, owner of Deniel’s Place Café in Klamath, in a news release. “That may not seem like much to the president, but we’re holding on by a thread and his suggestion that we just ‘borrow’ the money reveals how out of touch he is with plight of working people on the Klamath River .”

The emergency spending bill also includes money for rural schools, agricultural disaster relief and wildfire emergencies, including $425 million owed to rural counties, which would go to areas largely made up of federally owned land that is exempt from property tax. Funding would go toward schools and roads.