Senator Melissa Hurtado said she believes the problems facing the Central Valley and California, while myriad and complex, have a common denominator:  data manipulation. And that is restricting Valley residents from living the American dream. In a recent interview with the Times, Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) touched on multiple topics, including the state budget deficit, homelessness, the high cost of living, water shortages, Proposition 47 and the skyrocketing cost of energy. … In May 2022, Hurtado wrote a letter to the U.S. Attorney General, Merrick Garland. In her letter, Hurtado expressed concern that non-ag entities, including hedge funds, have engaged in anti-competitive prices with respect to purchasing water rights. She said these same entities potentially profit from the drought affecting Western states. In August 2022, Hurtado again wrote Garland. In this letter, she asked him to take urgent action “to address potential fraud and market manipulation practices that result in less water availability in the Western states.”