I’ve come to the conclusion that Washington is nuts…BUT it’s
not the only seat of government that’s a train wreck.
Recently I went up the Austin with the plan of fighting
against a bill in the state legislature that was/is a threat to sustaining
underground water reserves across the state.
At the base of the bill, historical water permits in groundwater look to
be threatened, the appropriation plan would carve up water to reflect how much
land you have equaling the amount of groundwater you would get from the
conservation districts. The language was
confusing, and contradictory in many sections.
The one obvious fact was that it was a huge boon for large land owners
and potential “water supply companies” who could lease this water up and sell
it to the highest bidder.
So, long story short, I arrived at the state capitol about 1
pm on the day of the hearing. The hearing
was slated to start at 2 pm or upon adjournment of the senate. Fun story, the senate didn’t bother showing
up that day until 2 pm. Nothing like
your tax dollars hard at work huh?
The hearing finally gets rolling about 530 pm, if memory
serves. It’s a full house, with people
pouring out into the hallways. We took
up all sorts of business. Business of
the state, of the people… you know, like making jokes, and talking about what a
great legislator you are. How committed
you are to taking care of the people… I swear I’ve not heard that much glad
handing in years.
So, all the bills are heard before they get to the one I’m
there for. Before the chairmen starts he
tells us all how if we are there to talk about the historic use aspect, that’s already
been solved and we need to respect the time of this committee.
Now I’m not sure where the honorable Senator Perry is from,
but in my Texas, everyone’s time is valuable.
For instance, the nearly 12 hours I pissed away just to have him tell me
and those like me there that our time really wasn’t as important as his. I submit that the people’s time is ALWAYS
more important than the politicians who serve the people.
Needless to say, I had gotten access to his staff
earlier in the day and had made my points well known, as did a few of my colleagues
from other utilities. So, I sat quietly
and watched the mess unfold. The
chairmen would roll his eyes, and he would get defensive and he would distract…
calling it political theater hardly does it justice.
Long story short, no action taken. The fight continues.
Point to the story is this, as bad as the war on water, soil
and air is locally, and to be sure there are dozens of bills here in Texas in
the legislature currently that fundamentally erode our environment; just
imagine how bad this is at the federal level.
Get out there and fight the good fight.
March in the streets.
Donate your time.
Donate your money.
Resist.
- until next time
- until next time
