Note: The RoundUp made contact yesterday with accomplished local musician and guitarist Slim Richey. He forwarded the e-mails below to help explain things, including an apology. Richey was accused - unfairly we think - as having sent a threatening e-mail to members of the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Board of Directors. The accusation was made by the District's board president Jimmy Skipton (District 1 - Henly) in front of a large crowd Thursday afternoon at the Wimberley Community Center (see story & video below). Skipton said Richey's "disturbing" e-mail had been referred to the Sheriff's Office. Richey was not present. Richey, we know, is not a "disturbed" person nor dangerous.
Slim Richey
Visit Richey's website where you can follow his schedule of musical engagements: http://www.slimrichey.com/shows.phpSend your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to Mr. Richey at slim@ridgerunner.com, to Mr. Skipton at jimmyskipton@gmail.com, to board member Mrs. Jernigan at jerniganjs@austin.rr.com or click on the "comments" button at the bottom of the story
Bob, I sent an apology letter to the three people I had emailed. I copied you on it. You have permission to reprint it.
Slim ~ Not Really Dangerous Guitarist in Texas
Original e-mail to board members . . .
From: Most Dangerous Guitarist
Date: November 15, 2010 10:45:16 PM CST
Subject: Wasting ground water.
Hey Jimmy, David and Joan,
Your names were given to me as persons who want to waste ground water. I protest and think you should be ostracized for this. I've pledge to do this. I'm for conserving water. I'm told you are putting profit over the general welfare of society. Perhaps the water is on your own property and as such, it belongs to you. But wasting it is unnecessary and we all pay for the unnecessary shortages you cause. I will pass your names to others and recommend forceful action. Your names are known by the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) and activist Brenda Freed.
Slim ~ Most Dangerous Guitarist in Texas
slim@slimrichey.com
Apology e-mail . . . sent Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
To Jimmy, David and John (Joan),
Let me assure you that I am not violent, don’t recommend violence and that my being a dangerous guitarist is because I play explicit notes. That’s my regular email signature and not designed to intimidate you, though I can see I should have edited it in this case. Back-ground on this matter: I got a letter from Brenda Freed saying that some bad people were wasting ground water. I asked her who was doing it. She sent me three names.
So I didn't apologize to David because I didn't think he got the email. It was returned as undeliverable. I've known David for a long time. I was surprised that he would be listed as someone wasting ground water. The other two, I didn't know so I was taking Brenda Freed at her word.
The forceful action I recommend was one of protest and political action and not one of violence. See my above letter to Brenda about protesting forcefully, (but not armed protest)!
Origin of Richey's moniker . . .
My moniker, the "Most Dangerous Guitarist in Texas" wasn't just on my email to these guys but it's my regular signature. I played guitar for the Jazz Pharaohs for about 15 years. I was introduced as Slim Natural Smiles Two-tone Shoes Richey, the most dangerous guitar player in Texas, banned in Pflugerville and Sun City. For any one naive enough to ask Stan Smith why I was banned, he would say for playing explicit notes. The joke was kinda like if you want to sell a book or movie or music, it's best if someone calls it dangerous and it's banned.
My moniker, the "Most Dangerous Guitarist in Texas" wasn't just on my email to these guys but it's my regular signature. I played guitar for the Jazz Pharaohs for about 15 years. I was introduced as Slim Natural Smiles Two-tone Shoes Richey, the most dangerous guitar player in Texas, banned in Pflugerville and Sun City. For any one naive enough to ask Stan Smith why I was banned, he would say for playing explicit notes. The joke was kinda like if you want to sell a book or movie or music, it's best if someone calls it dangerous and it's banned.
39 comments:
Jimmy Skipton was afraid of this
harmless "Big Bad Wolf?" Sounds
like Skipton is just trying to
drum up sympathy for himself -- as he fearlessly takes on the "dangerous" job of HTGCD Board
member.
So instead of investigating further this idiot Richey takes pure hearsay as the gospel truth and sends the email to the board members? His sole basis was because a Wimberley yahoo said it was so?
No doubt Brenda Freed's "research" was limited to Jim McMeans' and CARD's false propaganda leaflets. McMeans relies on the ignorance of the typical "true believer" found in Wimberley. Their HTGCD representative is David Baker. They operate mostly by misrepresentation - a tactic commonly used by their HTGCD representative as well.
Fortunately, there are five single member districts to ensure representation of all the members of the district. Not everyone in the district succumbs so easily to the Baker and McMeans propaganda.
This whole thing stemmed from CARD’s overzealous campaign of hate directed at the three conservative members of the HTGCD. The hate was over the top and is a product of desperation by the No-Growth organization. Slim Richey can’t be all that bright to take some leftist singer’s word for something neither he nor she apparently knew anything about. If you were to trace the lying rumor back it would certainly land at the feet of Jim McMeans. Brenda Freed must be super stupid since she named the two liberals on the board, David Baker and Joan Jurnigan. A case of the blind leading the blind started by a hater.
Interesting that the very first 2
things Jimmy Skipton (HTGCD Board president)talked about at the Nov. 18 meeting were 1) an outsider somehow stole money from the HTGCD
bank account (but it was recovered)
and 2) Skipton & Jernigan received
this "worrisome" email from Slim
Richey. It was as if Skipton were
pleading, "Now, guys, go easy on me
tonight. I've had these 2 horrible
things happen to me."
What ever happen to the common courtesy by Skipton et al of contacting Slim Richey directly asking him what the term "forceful" meant and give him a civil and professional questioning? Why would Richey - a well known local musician - send an email for all to see if he were going to commit violence or some heinous act?
This is pure reverse fear mongering on the part of Skipton and the other three Board members. Let's see, intimidate the critic by turning the e-mail over to the authorities as some form of potential terrorist act. Pure cowardly bullshit.
On the other hand, Richey is a also a spineless turd for bringing Brenda Freed's name into the fray. So what if she sent him the information. It is up to him to check out the validity of the information before he sends out an e-mail. He should apologize to her for his not taking responsibility for his actions and playing the "poor victim" of her misinformation. Get some balls, Slim.
Finally, this is all a sad commentary of the massive dysfunction that exists in Hays County. Politicians try to stifle necessary dissent and input by scaring critics with police action - and the critics are too afraid to stand up for their right to promote and justify civil disobedience.
And #2 Anonymous does the same thing he is accusing Richey of doing - being an uninformed ass!
What a pathetic group of people.
I surmise from reading this post that Mr. Skipton is a very large cry baby. Boo! Hope I didn't scare ya Jimmy.
My good neighbor Slim perhaps needs to write "This machine kills Fascists" on his guitar just like Woody Guthrie. "This Land Is Your Land" thanks Slim for keeping the tradition alive. Skipton is a public official who can't seem to understand the impications of his actions, at least not until he see them in print. Thanks again Mr. Ochoa.
Btw Anonymous # 3, you are also what Ralph said about Anonymous 2: an uninformed ass.
You both make your assumptions based on your own ignorant hate and anger at the lefties (who are really just "middies" - but you two Al-Anons are too right wing nut to see it).
In the end you two are no better - actually worse - than what you say about Richey, Freed, and McMeans. At least they have the courage to state their name and stand up to criticism.
Anon 2 and 3 are right wing eunuchs.
Three members of the groundwater district board are pure demagogues, acting on what they "think" and are "told" by their right wing developer owners rather than what are the scientific facts and much studied research and history of the Trinity. They couldn't hold a science-based candle to at least one of the other current members and former members of the board such as Hollon, Day, and Backus. The battle is joined. It is now time for the citizens and voters to get educated, up to speed and active. Our life giving water is at stake now more than ever. Which will it be, political demagoguery or science?
Jimmy Skipton is big enough to handle "Slim" and more than a few of the Wimberley yokels.
If you listen to the video at 1:50, Jimmy reported that it was Dr. Jernigan who called the Sheriff.
Anonymous #4 said:
"Interesting that the very first 2 things Jimmy Skipton (HTGCD Board president) talked about at the Nov. 18 meeting were 1) an outsider somehow stole money from the HTGCD bank account (but it was recovered)"
Who said it was an outsider?
Fred,
Funny how it's about "our" water - but CARD and the other demagogues want to a) grandfather their wells, b) prevent people that don't have a well from having one (keeping them on the utilities), and c) prevent the utilities from being able to renew their permit or adjust it to accommodate the residents who aren't allowed to have wells. Item c) was the primary focus of McMeans, et al. last week.
Suddenly your version of "ours" means "yours to take from everyone else".
Look up the definition of "demagogue". The only demagogue on the board is David Baker.
When I said "outsider," I was
assuming that it was someone other
than those on the HTGCD Board and
its employees. Do you imply that
I was being too trustful, Anonymous
6?
Ralph:
Fear-mongering and the over-the-top reaction to what otherwise is harmless commentary are what the HaysCAN and Friendship Alliance (and apparently the CARD) crowds do best. What goes around comes around as sad as that appears to be.
The battle is not "joined", the fact is that Backus lost - period. Get over it, he apparently hasn't. His "science" was junk, and as Skipton has said to the sad reality that the other board never said is that no matter what we do here; there are eight other districts that would love for us not to use our water so that they could.
There isn't too much smart about saying that we shouldn't have some say in how far down the water should be allowed to go, and to somehow think that we will be able to prevent them from out-voting us is ludicrous.
This County is schizophrenic when it comes to politics due to the apparent history that the likes of O'Dell and the others that sued the former Commissioners Court for doing what the soon to be former Court did (violate Open Meetings Act). The history that has since evolved from what I can gather from the archives of local (San Marcos, Austin, the local papers, and conversations with former observers of the Court, et al) reveal that this present psychosis of shameful behavior is no less the work of "Dr." Charles O'Dell and his cronies of mayhem and misfortune.
There appears to be no lie or conspiracy too big for the likes of this fellow. What he lacks in facts, he makes assumptions and inuendo to portray those whom he has disdain for in a bad light. Then he shrugs his shoulders and says he is not wrong, just read his "reports" or "stories".
This County would be much better off without the likes of the O'Dell menagerie acting as the Righteous High Lord Sheriff of the People; and rather slink off into the sunset never to be heard from again. That would return the peace and quite that we all so soundly deserve and desire.
R.K, I hear what you are saying but the anger and dysfunction is on both sides. I know all these people and they are all decent folks who are just passionate about their water issues. Don't demonize them because you don't like their community tactics.
We do, in fact, have a water problem in Hays County. And as you and the water huggers blame each other, the developers and the politicians steal you blind with projects that enrich them, not you.
What would happen if you ran out of water? Would you leave - or fight for your rights?
Prevention is the best cure.
"Jimmy reported that it was Dr. Jernigan who called the Sheriff."
IF this is true, then she should have her paranoid attitude dismissed from the Board. What is she thinking?
If true, she should resign immediately.
Dear Slim Chance,
Dr. Jernigan felt threatened and had every right to call the authorities and report what she felt was a danger to her and others. It is laughable; actually it is sad that you say she should resign for doing so. This is America, if you don’t like her, wait until her term is up and you can vote her out.
This uninformed guitar player acted on an unsubstantiated rumor that he received from an equally ignorant singer with a less than eloquent e-mail. He probably didn’t even know the HTGCD existed. The e-mail was so poorly written; I would have been concerned that it was from a nut case that would create some kind of mayhem. Mr. Richey should stick to what he does best, play the guitar and leave public comment and politics to those that have the awareness and intellectual capacity to communicate.
Dr. Jernigan is a valuable and calming influence on the Board and although I don’t always agree with her votes, I want her to continue her work. You Go, Joan!
Richard, I have read your comments past and present. You seem a level headed sort. However, on this one your conclusion is a bit far afield and far too critical of people you know nothing about. There are bigger things at work here.
What we do know is that Skipton and Key primarily blew in on the board in a whirlwind of scare mongering and political demagoguery leading up to the election in May. What we do know is that member Nesbitt in the past used his position to secure inside district information for his personal business.
The motives of every member of the board have become suspect which is not surprising due to the very sensitive and potentially explosive nature of the board's business in a time of looming water shortages.
What are they really doing to prevent the huge documented volumes of groundwater waste they are sworn to prevent? What guiding principles will the board adhere to in deciding permits in the months and years ahead? Will they allow mining of the aquifer or treat it as a sacred resource to be conserved for future generations to use? As of yet, six long months past the May election (one quarter of a term), there are no clear answers from these five board members and I'm wondering if that isn't their game, to cover it all with a big blanket of uninformed confusion and posturing.
I believe Slim and Brenda Freed are merely expressing their disdain and dislike for wasters of groundwater, rightly so, and they expressed that to the HTGCD which has the exclusive authority and responsibility to prevent.
If Skipton and Jernigan can't handled the heat, or the waste, they should resign from the board. It could be that their overreaction to Slim's email was a reflection of their own impotence to get a firm grip around what they are sworn to do.
The public should not be treated as the enemy. The public is who the board answers to. Jernigan and Skipton could very easily have answered Slim's email, but they resorted to their own form of intimidation as their first reaction. Doesn't say much to me of the character representing the public on this board of directors.
Fred said... "What we do know is that Skipton and Key primarily blew in on the board in a whirlwind of scare mongering and political demagoguery leading up to the election in May." What we do know is that member Nesbitt in the past used his position to secure inside district information for his personal business.
"we" have a different recollection of events, Fred. What cannot be denied is that Backus, Weirman, Baker, et al. were seeking an authoritarian GCD to rule from. They sought to control who could be on the board, to control virtually all real estate in the district, to impose new taxes, to eliminate prohibitions against salaries and retirement plans (gotta spend the new taxes), to charge transfer fees, etc. Backus was so desperate to succeed in this agenda that he ran against Patrick Rose in the primaries with the hopes of floating the legislation himself. Even now you will see that these individuals were behind and are still involved in attempts to create a new "Hill Country GCD" in a SOAH contested case proceeding which is moving forward in San Marcos as SOAH Docket No. 582-10-5643. The existing HTGCD entity stands in their way and would have to be dissolved in order to achieve such an outcome. The current board opposes dissolution of the district.
In short, "We" disagree with your recollection of history regarding current board members.
Fred said..."What guiding principles will the board adhere to in deciding permits in the months and years ahead?"
If you are referring to a "management plan", you seem to forget that those formerly in charge had 5 years to come up with a "management plan". No one complained then. The vetting of the current management plan should not stop issuance of permits, registration of wells, or any other business. There is a revised management plan currently under consideration by TWDB. You can download it from the HTGCD website. This version says "revised" because one of the board members surreptitiously sent in a bogus management pla. No doubt it is the same board member that has publicly tried to discourage the board from sending in a management plan - hoping not to get discovered. The official board had to file a "revised" version once the unauthorized act was discovered.
Fred said...."Will they allow mining of the aquifer or treat it as a sacred resource to be conserved for future generations to use?"
The structure carrying the water is going to be there and there is nothing sacred about it. The water is not sitting stagnant in a confined chamber underground. The water is harvested, not mined. Do you "mine" hay? To the extent water is not harvested here it continues flowing out of the district to be harvested by landowners elsewhere. Jim McMeans and his ilk use incorrect terms like "mine" because such words encourage ignorant people to do stupid things in furtherance of McMeans' agenda.
Fred said..."If Skipton and Jernigan can't handled the heat, or the waste, they should resign from the board."
Who said Skipton and Jernigan weren't up for the job? "Fred" doesn't decide who represents the citizens of the single member districts. Board members are elected. You lost an election, get over it.
Richey's poorly crafted and bumbling e-mail to the HCGCD was handled with equal ineptitude by the Board. There is no other reality that can be believed. If the local paranoids want to justify the Board's response, then corporal punishment for our children is the logical next step.
What kind of society have we become? Have the local seniors become nothing more than old coots who are afraid of their own shadows?
If so, then the terrorists have won - by making our elected leaders nothing more than informers for the thought police. Hays County seems to have been taken over by the gated community mentality.
Common sense and community decency appears to be A lost skill and missing with the new local leadership.
@R.K. Barnes
You write:
“There isn't too much smart about saying that we shouldn't have some say…”
The HTGCD Management Plan was fully vetted in numerous public hearings. Where were you?
“His (Backus) ‘science’ was junk…”
What specific HTGCD science do you consider to be “junk.”
“…there are eight other districts that would love for us not to use our water so that they could.”
Could you name those other eight districts that want to use our water?
“The history that has since evolved from what I can gather from the archives of local (San Marcos, Austin, the local papers, and conversations with former observers of the Court, et al) reveal that this present psychosis of shameful behavior is no less the work of "Dr." Charles O'Dell and his cronies of mayhem and misfortune.”
I take “shameful behavior” to mean exposing special interest corruption in our local governments and holding elected officials accountable. You honor my work. Thank you.
Oh, dear. I’m told I’m a spineless turd with no balls and an idiot. Gosh, can I put that in my resume.? As for those who said I should have checked my facts, let me remind you that this wasn’t a letter to the editor. It was a private missive to the 3 people involved. I didn’t accuse them but said I was told. That’s pretty good research. They could have answered and said Mr. Richey, you are misinformed, I’m not in favor of wasting ground water. No, I’m awaiting any response. Instead of denying, Jimmy Skipton chose to embarrass me publicly. It’s hardly private now that Jimmy Skipton has quoted a misleading part of my email in a public meeting. That took it from private to public. The implication of some of the above responses is that I was misled by Brenda Freed. Oh, yeah? How so? Are you saying these individuals who haven’t denied, with ample opportunity to deny, are not guilty of wasting ground water. I’ve read the above responses and haven’t seen that claim. If you are saying that, please respond. As for Dr. Jerigan showing my letter to the police or sheriff I just wonder what kind of doctor she is. No, I haven’t researched it. I’ll take a wild guess.: Doctor of drama.
hey anonymous! why don't you tell us your name so's we can know who is talking such trash about my husband and others? you make some bold statements yourself, but at least my husband owns up to his mistakes and" jumping ahead of the cart"s. don't be shy.... and they at least represent themselves. who do you represent?
and stop calling people names, for chrissake! are you guys adults? maybe you're just posing as adults and you're really bored highschoolers..... that's why i don't read the wimberley paper anymore. y'all are just ugly name-calling unhappy people. why are you living here? this is a beautiful valley but full of malcontents, polluting the 'air' as well as peoples' minds.
Hey, Mr. bad ass guitarist. I think the Skipton group acted like asses. Yet you apologized. Or was it simply a clarification of your thoughts? Don't respond if you believe you are correct about your thoughts. You are not a victim here.
And you did try try to slough off your responsibility onto Brenda Freed, which I thought was tacky. She did not make you say what you said. Own it - and move on.
In my mind you did nothing wrong other than not taking total responsibility for your email. And you are probably right, by the way.
Btw, there is one Anonymous that keeps writing right wing responses almost always ending them with "get over it," or some such annoying nonsense.
Hey Bush-breath, if we "got over it," your life would come to an end because you wouldn't have anything to write about.
So go back to watching your favorite reality show: reruns of "The Beverley Hillbillies."
From Brenda Freed, Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Dear Wimberley Community,
On Nov. 15th, I was forwarded an email press release from CARD about the meeting which was to be held on November 18th.
I pass on information about issues that I think are important to the community. Obviously, this water issue is an important one given the attendance and spirited comments that ensued, both at the meeting and on this blog. So let’s not lose track of the real issue here, people: making sure that we and our great grandchildren’s children all have the water we need to survive here in the Texas Hill Country. To me, that is the issue here, folks.
When I read in the CARD press release that “an intentional lowering of the aquifer level by an average 30 feet over the next 50 years” was voted as the HTGCD “Desired Future Condition”, I thought as many members of the public as possible should know about this.
I always do my best to verify information before sending it around. So, FIRST, I did some research which involved talking to some informed citizens. I also contacted a member of the HTGCD Board directly who confirmed that yes, indeed, the Board had voted to “undo the conservation plans of the previous board and support a policy of depleting the aquifer 30' on average over the next 50 years.” The Board member added: “This policy would increase pumping by 52% and certainly cause more wells and springs to dry up during even short dry periods.”
After receiving that information, I simply forwarded the CARD press release without comment to let people know about the meeting. The only thing Slim received from me was the CARD press release and the names of three Board members: all public information. Slim’s comments are his own. These are mine.
I passed on information that was obviously important to a lot of people! Now, I have not heard ANYONE dispute this intention of the HTGCD, so I don’t feel the least bit stupid, nor was my research limited to CARD. And, to “Anonymous” I say: I sent Slim the names of the Board Members that I had without comment, because they are presumably the ones that voted on this issue. If “Anonymous” had contacted me directly, he would have known that. I have not named ANYONE, ANYTHING.
I have passed on information for us all to debate. However, debate cannot happen when it starts with name calling and insults. The issue here is our water, people. Let’s focus on the issue and be thankful this Thanksgiving that we live in a country where we can have these debates.
In all of this blogging, no one has ever even tried to contact me directly. For the record, this, in fact, is my first comment about anything to do with CARD and HTGCD. Please, let’s talk about whether we, as a public, want to allow the aquifer to be depleted 30’ on an average over the next 50 years? For 17 years, my Wimberley business was on Cypress Creek. I clearly remember Cypress Creek being bone dry for the first time (I’m pretty sure) in those 17 years during the recent drought.
I like what Ralph said: “Prevention is the best cure.” Let’s talk about that – how to keep our rivers and creeks flowing AND water in our wells. Remember, there are three types of people; those that MAKE things happen, those that LET things happen and those that say, "WHAT happened?
Which do you want to be?
Thank you.
Brenda Freed
Thanks Brenda. Public information sure upsets the private interests and it should. The water board seems to represent the private interest pretty well and not the publics' rivers, creeks and wells. A 30 foot authorized reduction in the aquifer level IS a big deal and the water board SHOULD be replaced just for this one vote. Thanks again to Brenda and Slim for starting the discourse.
Good for you, Brenda. And I believe you.
So, Guitar Slim, do your own research and own the stuff you write. Words like "forceful" are not illegal, except in a police state. And I don't think we are quite there yet.
Have the courage to stand up for your convictions. Hiring a lawyer is better than having to wuss out to paranoid public officials - or to blame your friends when you get into trouble.
Besides, the Anonymous fools et al who chastise your opinions without knowing you aren't bright enough to hire you and your band in the first place.
Let all the hot air out of Skipton and he's not very big
Well, let me clarify another aspect of this misunderstanding:
The REASON why only those Board members' email addresses were in Slim Richey's possession was because they were the only ones in MY possession when Brenda asked if I knew how to contact the HTGCD. (Another reason we need all the board members complete bios and contact info readily available.)
Slim was sent the addresses I had (via Brenda) and jumped to the conclusion that these were the same people who who seemed to be wanting to draw down the aquifer to unsustainable levels.
This was simply a misunderstanding.
Yes, Mr. Richey needs to get involved in the discussion at a closer level so that he knows personally who the players are and doesn't have to jump to conclusions. But you know, not everyone can devote five and half hours on a Thursday night to sit through one of these meetings!
Why are Earth is Brenda's name being slimed on this blog? Because she forwarded an email or some addresses? Good lord, have we lowered the bar on sin this low?
Not wanting to attract the ire of these bloggers who think that wanting water to continue to flow down Cypress Creek or in our wells is tantamount to a communist conspiracy, I prefer to remain anonymous.
I think it is time we all stepped back and got a view of the big picture here, folks.
Don't we ALL want to preserve, protect and keep recharging the aquifer?
Reading Mr. Richey's email, I cannot help but wonder why anyone found this threatening.
This is just showbiz talk.
Somebody needs to get out more.
Attributed to Brenda Freed:
“I always do my best to verify information before sending it around. So, FIRST, I did some research which involved talking to some informed citizens. I also contacted a member of the HTGCD Board directly who confirmed that yes, indeed, the Board had voted to “undo the conservation plans of the previous board and support a policy of depleting the aquifer 30' on average over the next 50 years.” The Board member added: “This policy would increase pumping by 52% and certainly cause more wells and springs to dry up during even short dry periods.”
Ms Freed,
Don’t believe everything you read and do more than just ask around your group of liberal friends to confirm facts. The board member you talked to was in all likelihood, David Baker. It sounds like the kind of stuff he likes to spread about the present board. He most likely wrote the so-called press release for CARD as well. He is known to obstruct the HTGCD meetings with statements that are almost word-for-word with the press release. I have heard him referred to as the Propaganda Minister of the “water hugger” movement.
Mr. Baker’s pseudo conservation mantra is mostly about his precious Jacob’s Well, from which he is paid a very good living. You see, he has an agenda to protect the Well at all costs even if he has to cut your water off. His conflict of interests with the HTGCD has been brought up before.
Madam, the fact that you didn’t even know who the Board members were, is an example of the fact that you don’t know what you are talking about and are ignorant about a subject you claim to be passionate about.
Why is it so hard for Nesbitt, Key and Skipton to see things the way the people in their community see it?
Never expect a man to see your point of view if his livelihood depends on him not seeing it.
David Baker is the only member of the HTGCD who knows anything about water science and this is why people listen to him. David Baker knows what he is talking about.
Can you say the same thing about Skipton, Key or Nesbitt?
He knows the history, the hydrology and the consequences of allowing this font to dry up better than anyone.
The fact that David loves Jacob's Well and has lived for 20 years a stone's throw from that essential water source is not a reason to discount his opinion, quite the contrary.
I would think loving a place is the first step to protecting it. I would think protecting the source of Blue Hole and Cypress Creek was a worthy goal.
The HTGCD used to be composed of geologists and engineers, now it is composed of just plain ol' everyday people, the majority of whom know absolutely nothing about how aquifers work.
Now, this wouldn't be a bad thing if they would study up and learn a thing or two about the groundwater they were elected to protect and manage, but seems to me, they don't know much more than they did back last May when they got elected.
Well, they do know one thing: There is money to be made in the short-term by mining the aquifer to allow massive new development into Hays County, then again later to pipe in very expensive water from some place else once our local reserves are gone.
Is this bright?
This is really depressing. And potentially disastrous for the long-term health of our underground water sources.
Are some of you out there actually AGAINST the idea of keeping the springs flowing, the creeks filled with clean water and the wells functional?
Please someone, tell me why a plan to deplete the aquifer faster, is a good idea?
If that is your position, Anonymous, then please defend it and help all those opposed to the idea understand.
Thanks,
Brenda (no need to be anonymous) Freed
What you water huggers don’t seem to get through your thick heads is the simple fact that if the HTGCD Board were to set the DFC to a zero drawdown today, it would not make a difference since the other 8 members of the GMA9 have theirs set to 30 ft. which means they would be pumping our share of the aquifer while we would be limiting ours and letting the water flow down to Comal County. Is that fair, does it conserve water? Does anyone out there think we can plan anything for 50 years out, or even 10 or 5 years. Think about where we were 50 years ago and compare that to today.
Is it wasteful that Vineyards are multiplying like roaches across Hays County and sucking up tons of water through underground drip systems from exempt wells? Think about that when you are sitting around sipping the fruit of the vine. I drink Beer!
No, Anonymous Nov. 24, 9:04 p.m.,
this is what YOU don't get through
your thick head: even if GMA 9 says
it agrees to a 30-foot drawdown of
Trinity Aquifer over 50 years, even
then our HTGCD Board can go on
record as not agreeing with that.
Every GCD can set its own local
goal. The point is to go on record
(vote, if you will) as not wanting
HTGCD to deplete ("mine" is the
technical word for it, no matter
how you feel about that word) the
aquifer more than 0-5 feet over the next 50 years. Yes, I understand that that stand won't
keep the other GCDs in GMA 9 from
using water at a 30-foot-drop rate,
but we want to be ON RECORD as
opposing that!
Let me put it in terms you may be
able to comprehend: let's say you
are a Republican. Maybe in 2008 all
the polls told you that Obama was
likely to be the next president.
So, would you not bother to go to
the polls and vote for a Republican -- just because you
thought your guy probably wouldn't win? Wouldn't you want your opinion
to be tallied or noted? Same with
HTGCD. We can stand for our real principle, even if we can't get it
adopted.
Or another example you might understand: if you were on a jury
trying a capital crime (i.e., one in which the death sentence can
be delivered), and you were truly convinced the evidence did not
support a guilty verdict, would you
go ahead and vote to convict the
defendant just because you knew a
majority of the other jurors were
going to vote for "guilty?"
A person or an organization can
make a stand on principle.
As many people have experienced,, some people like to promote themselves and deny their actions even as they throw someone else under the bus. More to this story
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