The question not addressed to any length, unfortunately, was "Do you think your property would be worth a dead mule if your well and our groundwater runs dry?"
Note: Election Day for this important election, and several other local elections around the county, is Saturday May 8, 7 am to 7 pm. Go to the groundwater district's website (www.haysgroundwater.org) for information about the district, its mission and the candidates' bios. Go to this link to the Hays County Elections Office for the voting locations and map: http://www.elections.co.hays.tx.us/May082010brElections/tabid/110/Default.aspx
Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to the Kyle Sisters at http://kdrplive.vpweb.com/CONTACTUS.html, or click on the "comments" button at the bottom of the story
Click on map to enlarge
If you're not as informed as you'd like to be (and did not vote in early voting or even if you did) in the election for three seats on the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, we recommend listening to the interviews by the friendly and chatty Kyle Sisters on local Dripping Springs radio station KDRP. Here's the link: http://kdrplive.vpweb.com/The interviews are pretty thorough and very informative. Kudos to the sisters and the station. They did an excellent job. They interviewed the four candidates running for District Board positions 1 & 3. The candidates are Kristen Carlton and Jimmy Skipton for Position 1 - Henly/Dripping Springs, and Andrew Backus and Mark Key for Position 3 - Dripping and points south to just outside Wimberley.
The three seats up for election (the third is Position 5 - Wimberley) represent a majority on our groundwater district board of directors. The decisions they make will set the future course of groundwater management in western Hays County. And we couldn't be in a more crucial time for careful and wise management – and not just of our groundwater, but so many other growth-related issues. We already know that our aquifer can barely sustain current users AND support our creeks and streams; and it certainly cannot serve the kind of growth that some people have on their dream development drawing boards.
Some key questions addressed in the KDRP interviews: Does the District intend to fund its operations through a property tax? (Only the District's voters can decide that, but it can't happen now anyways because the district has no taxation authority). Does the District want special authority to meter people's wells and gain access onto private property? (All single family private wells are exempt by law). Should new commercial interests be allowed to pump more groundwater from the aquifer? Do we want to deplete our aquifer (drain it) quickly, slowly or preserve it for future generations?
The question not addressed to any length, unfortunately, was "Do you think your property would be worth a dead mule if your well and our groundwater runs dry?"
15 comments:
After receiving a robocall for the Backus campaign, all I can say is "Got some syrup for those waffles?"
Can you believe the lack of comments on this blog in support of Andrew...Backus? That dude is a major flub when it comes to just telling the truth. Can you believe he actually called Mark's copies of the minutes and the draft legislation that he HELPED TO AUTHOR "props"? That's as if he were calling them false, obviously he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and he was backpedaling to avoid getting called a liar. (Duh, he already is.)
This is the first time I decided NOT to vote in a local election. The reason I did not vote is because my home and cell phones were bombarded by automatic robotized calls from all candidates. I happen to be on the Federal "No Call" List which none of the groundwater candidates cared to honor.
I received the most calls from Backus, who I actually had intended to vote for before all these idiotic phone calls. While I understand the importance of the issue and the almost neurotic determination to win, I was completely turned-off by the constant barrage of calls. I receive at least two phone calls each day from each candidate. Some people may say, so what's the big deal --- that's politics. But that is not the way the political process should be run.
I honestly don't give a crap who wins this election as I believe it doesn't matter. Those in charge with power and big bucks will rule, as they usually do.
By writing this on the local blog of the RoundUp, I hope it will be read by all the candidates in the hope that they will calm themselves down and act more professionally in future elections.
I know I don't have to be constantly hammered over the head by candidates who obviously want the office. It is not the way to get my vote. Hopefully, a lesson will be learned from this.
Anon 3 - Well Backus lost by two votes. He sure could have used your vote.
Jimmy Skipton trounced Kristin Carlton by better than 2 to 1 and Mark Key unseated Andrew Backus by a slim margin. Craig Reitz was soundly defeated by Joan Jernigan which shows that anybody can beat a somewhat arrogant and unmotivated candidate. When Joan sits on the board, let’s hope she can stay awake during the really long meetings of the HTGCD.
Let’s see now, the Roundup actively supported Liz Sumter for County Judge, Andrew Backus for State Representative, and Andrew Backus for the HTGCD and they all lost. Maybe an endorsement from the Roundup and its followers is the kiss of death. More than likely it is that they present a view that is not indicative of the Hays County electorate. The very rabid liberals that post here are quite a vocal group but probably put more people off than they convince. Name calling and negative speak is a turn-off to the modern voter.
Being a conservative of the Tea Party type, I’m loving it. The same old crew of reactionary liberals will certainly come back with more vitriol directed at me. I say bring it on since it just shows the desperation within that losers club.
It's sad commentary on the intelligence of District 1 voters. Ms. Carlton is way more qualified to be on the board than Skipton. She's actually a learned person. So what if he's been going to meetings for 15 months, all he did was whine about it at commissioner's court and then doesn't understand why he's quoted in the press for his rants. When one day your well is dry and stays that way, you lovers of using the land and resources however you want can celebrate that with your neighbor who beat you to it. First come first serve.
Amen Anon # 5! I can't wait to see who the Roundup supports next! Maybe Karen Ford? Maybe Bill White for Governor? Dr. Chuckie O'Dell for who cares...czar of hypocrisy, as he is the chief of such.
I don't know who that struttin A-hole tea partier is, but man, you ain't seen nothing yet. You mess with my well and try giving my groundwater away to water speculators and developer profiteers and you'll have hell to pay.
Well, one out of three is better than none out of three.
Sadly, Andrew Backus turned out to be Jim Backus. And I don't know who these Dripping Springs voters are.
I hope these yahoos are at least smart enough to not sell their souls to the "foreign" water companies who lock stupid people into long term contracts that inevitably go bad and the city or subdivision is stuck with either a wasteful contract buyout or simply bad and expensive water service.
Just ask Woodcreek North residents. Don't end up being municipal water whores.
TO: Take back my groundwater,
Quote “You mess with my well and try giving my groundwater away to water speculators and developer profiteers and you'll have hell to pay.”
It may not be YOUR ground water, jerk! Where have you been lately, the “Right of Capture” law or idea is fading away and that was Backus and like-minded government water grabbers’ goal all along. He believes the State should own the groundwater under your property and you should have to say, “Mother, may I...” and pay for it when you need or want it. I think you are confused.
Take back my groundwater -
Shut up already, you lost the election stupid. The candidates who won are now in control; the same thing that you president told John McCain during the health care debate applies - he won the election, McCain didn't. Okay, fair play. Our guys won, yours didn't - tough stuff loser, get over it. We're shutting your well down first by selling the water to the highest bidder. (HA!)
So, let's see, the agenda posted for this week's Hays Trinity Groundwater District was cancelled. Guess what was on the agenda? Installation of newly elected officers. Imagine that - Andrew lost, and now there is no meeting to rub it in. I wonder what the legality of this is? Absconding with the meeting? Holding off until the last possible moment?
Hey tea party jerk, your true colors are showing. The aquifer is NOT exclusively yours either. It's clear you and yours also belong to the Drain the Aquifer Party. Small well owners around here will be watching your every move. The new developer boot lickers on the district board had better behave themselves and stick to the business of preserving and protecting our aquifer. If not, we will kick their asses out of office and back out on the street where they belong.
Anyone who quotes Rush Limbaugh must have a small dysfunctional Johnson.
And us lefties will be smart enough to sell our properties and move before the water runs out and you H2o pigs will get sick from polluted water and go thirty from dry wells. Or worse, your unfortunate children will drink chemical-treated water.
You need to hear the truth. Your own mind obviously can't see it.
Hey last Al-Anonymous.
Go swim in the polluted Gulf waters. Those oil companies are the real terrorists. File a terrorism threat about them and show some real integrity.
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