Little to show for decade of negotiations
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Editor,
How is that after roughly 10 years of “negotiating,” the Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission for the Flathead Reservation has only a skeleton document to present to the Montana State Legislature during the next legislative session in 2013, before the commission sunsets in July 2013? Doesn’t this seem disturbing to anyone?
Assuming we’ve (the State of Montana) had a full commission of about 18 people on the payroll for roughly 10 years, the financial costs for a skeleton compact agreement becomes unbelievable — well, more like unacceptable.
I’m amazed that no one with oversight responsibility has questioned this drain on the state coffers for pretty much nothing of significance. Guess we truly are the “Treasure State,” with treasure to burn, donate or flush down the toilet for a skeleton document, full of air, hot or otherwise. Somehow, I can’t get my mind around the fact that these people actually expect their offering to pass the proverbial “smile test” and the state legislature to accept and sign this “blank check.”
At what point do we act like adults and hold these folks accountable for their complete lack of credibility and product? They’ve produced nothing beyond a decade of employment for themselves and a travesty for us, the taxpaying residents of this state.
Michael Gale
Ronan
