MIKE: RECENTLY THE HEADLINES HAVE FOCUSED A LOT ON WATER. NOT JUST FLOODING, BUT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO CONTAIN WATER AND MOVE IT THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THIS EVENING, CALIFORNIA CONGRESSMAN JOSH HARDER IS TRYING TO START A CONVERSATION ABOUT ALL THE WATER ISSUES WE’RE SEEING THROUGHOUT THE STATE. HE JOINS US LIVE WITH WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IF YOU JOIN TONIGHT’S TOWN HALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. REP. HARDER: THANKS FOR HAVING ME. MIKE: THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO ASK QUESTIONS OF SOME OF THE FLOODING EXPERTS YOU WILL HAVE ON HAND. REP. HARDER: ABSOLUTELY. LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING. 175 HOMES WERE JUST DESTROYED WHEN FOUR FOOT HIGH FLOODS SWEPT THROUGH A WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD, DESTROYING EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH. WE LIVE THROUGH FLOODED HIGHWAYS, BROKEN DOWN LEVEES, AND FOLKS PUTTING UP SANDBAGS DAY AFTER DAY HOPING THEIR HOME MAKES IT THROUGH THE NEXT STORM. TONIGHT’S TOWN HALL IS ALL ABOUT HEARING DIRECTLY FROM OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT SOLUTIONS WE SHOULD BE EXPECTING, WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING TO MAKE SURE FLOODS LIKE THIS DON’T HAPPEN AGAIN. MIKE: ALSO ON THE AGENDA, THE DELTA TUNNEL PROJECT, $16 BILLION PROPOSAL. A LOT OF FOLKS WONDER HOW IS THIS SUPPOSED TO HELP WITH FLOODING? YOU HAVE ANY ANSWERS TO THAT? ORKO: THE SHORT ANSWER -- REP. HARDER: THE SHORT ANSWER IS IT IS NOT. THE DELTA TUNNEL IS A ZOMBIE PROJECT. INSTEAD OF SPENDING TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS SENDING OUR WATER DOWN SOUTH TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE IN BEVERLY HILLS HAVE GREEN LAWNS AND ARE LIVING LARGE WHILE OUR COMMUNITY IS FLOODING, LET’S USE THAT MONEY TO FIX OUR RESERVOIRS AND LEVEES AND MAKE SURE WE CAN KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. WHAT’S WORSE IS THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WANTS TO BUILD THIS PROJECT THAT WOULD DEVASTATE OUR COMMUNITY WITHOUT A SINGLE PUBLIC HEARING. WE DECIDED WE WOULD DO THE PUBLIC HEARING OURSELVES EVEN IF THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS DOES NOT WANT TO SHOW UP. MIKE: WHAT ABOUT THE WATER ISSUES IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY, PARTICULAR THE CENTRAL VALLEY FLOOD PROTECTION PLAN? IT FORECAST SOME NOT SO GREAT NEWS AS FAR AS THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING WITHIN THE CENTRAL VALLEY. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR FROM FOLKS TONIGHT? REP. HARDER: WHAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN THE YEARS TO COME. THERE WAS A REPORT LAST YEAR THAT SAID WE ARE THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED FLOODPLAIN IN THE ENTIRE NATION AND SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE CENTRAL VALLEY IS AT GREATER RISK OF CATASTROPHIC FLOODS THE NEW ORLEANS WAS BEFORE HURRICANE KATRINA. YET WE STILL HAVE NOT SEEN THE INVESTMENTS IN THE LEVEE SYSTEMS THAT ARE NEEDED TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. WE HAVE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THAT CAN LOOK LIKE WITH THE REINS OVER LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. IT COULD GET A LOT MORE DEVASTATING THAN WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN. LET’S USE WHAT WE HAVE SEEN RIGHT NOW AS MOTIVATION TO GET THE RESOURCES TO FIX THE LEVEES AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE. MIKE: WE HAVE ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT. WE KNOW THE PRESIDENT WILL BE GETTING A TOUR OF CALIFORNIA TO SEE THE DAMAGE. WHAT MESSAGE ARE YOU HOPING TO RELATE TO HIM AS FAR AS THE KIND OF HELP, FEDERALLY, YORK COUNTY MAY NEED? REP. HARDER: WE HAVE BEEN VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE REPORT FROM FEMA AND SEE WE ARE GETTING EMERGENCY RESOURCES TO HELP PEOPLE KEEP SAFE AND GET OUT OF DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. LONG-TERM, LET’S MAKE SURE WE ARE GETTING THE RESOURCES FROM SACRAMENTO TO ENSURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. WE HAVE NOT BUILD A NEW WATER PROJECT IN CALIFORNIA FOR 50 YEARS AND WE ARE LIVING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW. THIS IS WATER THAT NEEDS TO BE GOING TO OUR RESERVOIRS, NOT THE PEOPLE’S LIVING ROOMS, LET’S MAKE SURE OUR VOICES HEARD TO MAKE SURE WE GET EVERYTHING WE NEED. MIKE: IF FOLKS ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING PART OF TONIGHT’S TOWN HALL, WHERE CAN THEY GO. REP. HARDER: HARDER.HOUSE.GOV HAS ALL OF THE DETAILS.