© 2013 Concerned Citizens of Western Montana
On Tuesday evening the compact commission voted 8-1 in favor of moving the CSKT water compact forward to the legislature. Our sincerest thanks to Senator Debby Barrett who courageously voted no. We also now officialy know where our own local representative Dan Salomon stands. As hard as he tried to convey neutrality to his local constituents, he fooled no one. We know he’s been actively lobbying for it in Helena for months.
The meeting, held Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. in Helena, confirmed that the commission was determined to move forward with complete disregard of any constitutional or legal problems with the documents. Three of the four legislators clearly were also not concerned about their oath to uphold the Constitution, and through their participation on the commission and endorsement of the compact, will ultimately have to be held accountable by their constitutents.
After a dissertation from Jay Weiner explaining changes between the November and February versions of the documents, the commission opened the meeting up to comments before they voted to move it forward. The public was told they would not be allowed to talk about the FIP Agreement or the lawsuit, but they did afford everyone the opportunity to sit through a litany of compact supporters busloaded in for the special occasion. As to the local irrigators who testified for it, if we cannot blame their position on being generally misinformed, or uninformed, then we must assume that instead they are fine with relinquishing their own, and and their neighbor’s water rights.
The vote we were told, would use some “technicality of the law” to allow them to ask legislators to vote for an incomplete compact because the state was not party to the FIP Water Use Agreement for irrigators (WINK, WINK). Unless there is some further sleight of hand by the commission, it seems the legislative vote will be made contingent upon a FIP agreement being inserted later. STUNNING! Ask legislators to vote on an incomplete document without seeing or understanding how or if irrigators will have any protections at all, and without debate. Wow! Who’s the genius that came up with that brilliant idea? Oh yes, that would be Chris Tweeten and Jay Weiner, attorneys representing the state.
This is a becoming a trend people should be concerned about. Apparently legislators are expected to vote for something before they or the public can learn what’s in it. In other words vote for legislation, on a FOREVER DOCUMENT, with a big fat blank check included, to be filled in later.
Note: If you’ve been following the compact you are aware that the Western Montana Water Users Association filed a lawsuit in December concerning the irrigator water use agreement. The commission announced the Joint Board filed an appeal to the Montana supreme court and expect the ruling to be overturned, and mentioned the tribe had filed suit of some kind as well. A copy of the amended WMWUA suit, filed on Friday February 22, 2013 can be found at the following link: https://westernmtwaterrights.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/amnded-petition-writ-of-prhbtn-2-22-13-2.pdf
Forgot to mention: Please be sure to contact the WESTERN MONTANA WATER USERS ASSOCIATION to thank them for their efforts to defend our water rights. Please talk with them about how you can support their efforts. 406-745-9287 or email them at wmt.h2o@gmail.com
Good thing those opposed to the compact weren’t also “busloaded in for the special occasion.” Oh wait! They were. I saw their mini-bus idling in the parking lot. Just another lie–or blatant misrepresentation of reality– from your blog and your media campaign of lies.
Your posts are filled with venom and hate. You are whipping up neighbor-against-neighbor, labeling any of us who support the CSKT compact as misinformed. You whine and complain about not being heard. The negotiating team held monthly meetings in Polson for YEARS, and yet you continue to spread the lie that this is some kind of secret deal.
But here’s the real secret: where does your venom-spewing organization gets its funding to hire your lawyer from Wyoming and the likes of “Dr.” Kate, the fabulous for-hire hydrologist/birther blogger who thinks President Obama ordered the shootings at Sandy Hook elementary schools?
If you truly care about our area, why would you want to create a nightmare in which individual landowners will have to face their neighbors in court to determine water rights? Why are you manufacturing a crisis? You seem to think that if you wreck this deal, everything will stay the way it is. Maybe it will for right-wing activists like you, with no actual stake in the deal. But for those of us who need some certainty about our water–like the Compact proponents who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting (those folks you dare to imply don’t care about their neighbors and call misinformed) your campaign of lies is dangerous to our future.
My guess is that your backers (whoever is funding the lawsuit, paying the looney hydrologist, chartering the bus to the meeting, paying for the media blitzkrieg of lies) aren’t from the Flathead Valley or Montana. That means they won’t have to live around here after they’ve used you to crater this Compact–which really is the right choice for those of us actually on the ground here. They won’t be paying our legal fees; they won’t be repairing relationships with our neighbors.
Change is coming. One way to face it is to indulge in name-calling, threats, intimidation, and lies. You’ve chosen this path. The other path is to work with our neighbors, listen to the experts who’ve devoted many years of hard work to finding a solution, and working towards a future. You keep on spreading your conspiracy theories and hiring expensive conspiracy theorists like “Dr.” Kate. You keep on spreading lies and spitting venom. It helps us see you for what you really are. It helps us remember to stay true to the real Montana.
No More Lies About the Compact
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Dear “nomoreliesaboutcompact”,
I’m guessing that if ‘ignorance is bliss’, you must be one of the happiest people on earth….or in this valley. You’ve addressed no issues, you’ve refuted no fallacies or distortions of truth, you’ve substantiated no claims – you’ve merely lashed out like an ego bruised child at those who won’t play by your rules in the sandbox. A pity, but actually you’ve displayed a real life example of how ‘low self-esteem’, ‘self pity’, ‘lack of intelligence’, ‘unadulterated selfishness’ and ‘general ignorance’ can be exposed through this new, magical and anonymous media.
Now that you’re out of the closet and have stepped into the sunlight, welcome to our world; you know, the one occupied by adults.
We didn’t invent this tragic compact. We didn’t spend 10 years and waste a ton of taxpayer and tribal money on this illegal and unconstitutional taking of people’s rights and then lie through our teeth to the public. What would ever give you the impression that we would agree to this total diversion from the tried and true, legal path (as displayed by the 6 previously, properly negotiated Indian Reservation Compacts) for settlement of water rights? What on earth, would make you so angry about our efforts to display the truth and expose the graft, corruption, illegal, unconstitutional taking buried in this pitiful excuse for a Reserved Water Right Compact for the OPEN Flathead Reservation?
I’m wondering what the term “neighbor” means in your language? To be included or excluded as a neighbor based on skin color or genealogy, was never a valid definition in my dictionary – but has been overtly practiced by many here. I’m a neighbor when it suits your purpose and then an old white man (thank you Mr. Ducheneaux) when it doesn’t…..a contradiction in terms, I believe. I think I might have passed some of your marbles on Hwy 93 while going into Ronan yesterday; sorry, I apologize for not stopping and picking them up – my bad.
We have never personally attacked the expert, sent-from-God hydrologist, Mr. Seth. Even though his black magic, bad juju water science has been repeatedly found to be lacking in “science” and foundation and he repeatedly has to back up and cover his presumptuous mistakes in calculation (gee, I guess the New Math isn’t all that accurate after all). We have not exposed any of his personal beliefs as “character damaging”. If “shooting the messenger will debunk the truth” is taught in your schools – we need to have some serious adult conversations about the funding for your schools.
Selling your friends and neighbors down the river for your own personal gain is not the act of a reasonable, moral, person; we’ve chosen not to participate. When you’re finished feeling abused, ignored and treated poorly by the big people’s world, talk to someone besides a mirror and gather in a little truth and perspective before you “go public” with your marginalizing and school yard name calling; nice try, but you’ve scored no points for your childish, futile effort.
We support any and all efforts to start this Reserved Water Rights Compact over and base it on the rights and process defined by the 1908 Winters Doctrine, as executed in the other 6 compacts…..QUANTIFY the water needs to fulfill the purpose of the reserved land. We deny the tribes nothing that is legally coming to them – they are more than welcome to identify, quantify, verify and take possession. Beyond that – you will not like what comes next. I will not go quietly away and let you have your pitiful, selfish way; sorry.
Please, suffer unto me no idiots – they should remain in their villages where they provide a valuable service, setting an example of what not to grow up and become.