We’ve been jousting windmills
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
Editor,
Our (we the citizens) fight for truth, justice and the American way, against the forces of obstruction, intimidation, harassment and incompetence levied at us by the State of Montana’s Compact Commission (with their huge support staff), the CS&K tribal negotiating committee (legal representatives), the Department of Interior (BIA reps) and the Water Policy Interim Committee has been nothing short of “The Man of La Mancha’s Impossible Dream”; we’ve been jousting windmills.
It seems that the current end run (mounted by the Governor, since the compact’s spectacular defeat during the 2013 legislative session) is now focused on the irrigation and power project of the Flathead; a magician’s attempt to distract our attention away from the unconstitutional and outrageous heart of the previously defeated compact.
Well, some of us aren’t looking at the “other” hand. We are still prepared to joust with the windmill itself. Our quantifications come after the federal reserved quantification; not before… This poor excuse for a negotiated settlement of federally reserved water rights (for what’s left of the Flathead Reservation) needs to meet its final end. I’ll supply the burn-barrel, the fuel and the match; you bring the 1,400 pages.
Starting over, from square one, with the same rules used for settlement of the other reservation-reserved water rights so that we may get on with the state’s general stream adjudication, would be a wonderful thing. We don’t need litigation, we need real negotiation with the proper parties seated at the table.
To be clear, the Flathead Joint Board of Control did not ask or contract the governor’s compact commission to negotiate on their behalf, for water rights that were appropriated, assigned and sold to the irrigators and the project by the Congress of the United States more than 100 years ago. It’s an outrageous act of insolence by our state government and an unlawful and unconstitutional taking of private property that has no business being entertained by anyone, at this point. It’s not part of a federal reserved water right. What part of that doesn’t anyone understand?
Focus people, focus.
Michael Gale
Ronan
