POLITICAL THINKING FROM SANTA FE & HALLOWEEN WEIRDNESS

Edited from a report by Carol Pittman

Eileen Dodds from the San Augustin Water

 Coalition attended the Aug 31-Sept 1 meeting

 of the Legislature's Interim Committee on

 Water and Natural Resources, and listened to

 some informal discussion about the

 WATER GRAB.

Here's her synopsis of what was said by some

of the members:
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Representative Bealquin "Bill" Gomez, District 34

(Dona Ana), said that he was not in favor of transferring 

"that much water and hurting the small communities."

  He further stated

"This transfer will likely impair existing water rights,

and I will not let it happen"  In a personal email message

to this writer Rep. Gomez reported that he had "read out

the section of the reasons the state engineer could use to

turn down a request to move water from one region to

another.  It states that if the change would harm the rights

of other people in the area it would be one of the main reasons

to turn down the request for transfer of water."
********

Bill McCamley, who represents the 33rd District

(Dona Ana), stated that he wants to see subsidence studies

first.  State Engineer Blaine admitted that subsidence

would be a problem, but that no study was planned.
********

Senator Cisco McSorley from Dist 16 (Bernalillo),

asked for the OSE to do a psychological impact study

of the effect on the citizens losing the water.  He pointed out

that there were multi-generational families ranching

the Plains, and that they had hopes of their children and

grandchildren continuing the tradition.

He is opposed to those families "losing their heritage."
********
Senator Peter Wirth, Santa Fe, asked about states
that had legislation that put large transfers in the
hands of the legislators.
********

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And last, but not least, 

Representative Candy Ezzell, a rancher from

District 58 (Chavez) stated:

"I'll fight this transfer with every bone in my body."

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 A Note to Representative Ezzell: 

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 Our blog is sponsoring a SPECIAL PRIZE at

The Golden Spur Saloon's Halloween Party!

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 “The dead weren’t scary. 

It was the living you had to watch out for.” .

Eileen Wilks, Mortal Ties

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