Pictures always enlarge if clicked. Isn't it strange how some people seem to shoot themselves when they're aiming at someone else?
That header doesn't read Mr GCD. Honest. It stands for Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. The running banner on their web site proclaims "Keeping the valley Green".
They are responsible for seeing to it that our share of the water in the Rio Grande river is disbursed as equitably as possible to all the farmers and orchards in the valley and along the river. (Yes, Albuquerque is situated in a valley that runs for miles.)
Over the years there have been rumors and criminal charges filed against a few members of the board. They are all elected positions so that the taxpayer really can't ask the Governor to get rid of anyone. Works pretty good for job tenure.
One of the board members, Jim Roberts, accused a citizen of costing the board way too much in legal fees because they had to defend their actions against lawsuits filed by one Mr. Bill Turner, another Board member and water broker.
Seems the District had paid a law firm some $853,000 from April 2005 through June 2007. Of that amount, a measley $14,000 (about 2%) was used to defend the District in the actions Bill Turner started aginst them.
However, it turns out the District had spent $140,000 (about 16%) suing Mr. Turner.
These people really need to be appointed by an elected body to whom they'd have to answer. But this is the Wild West and we don't like change much, y'all hear? Besides, then the Board members might have to get regular paying jobs.
I think this petty, internicine warfare between politicians is funny. All the Board members seem to have water related jobs, interests or businesses outside the District. (My source for this has moved out of the country. At least that's what he said he was going to do.) Politics as usual in the beautiful Rio Grande Valley.
Clicking on the header will take you to Jim Baca's blog site. He's got water information, also.
2 comments:
Where did the rest of the money go?
Also, try to stop as many wells as possible. The amount of water they consume is incredible. The amount the Oil Sands use is astronomical and the sludge ponds are a real pollutant.
Any government body can find innumerable things to spend money on, moose. There's a breakdown of the spending, it's just the stupidity (couldn't find a nicer word for it) of Jim Robert's remark
that set me off.
It's a little different in New Mexico than where you live. Many of our homesteads would have no water at all if they didn't have wells. Where mains have finally been run in, most of the old wells are reserved for laundry and watering gardens. We really can't stop their use. Wouldn't want to hurt people by doing that.
Trying to get a politician to take on Big Oil is doomed to failure. The companies just contribute to election funds for those who will do their bidding. Vicious cycle.
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