Who signed compact?

Dear Editor,

I would like to say AMEN to Tom Kiplinger's letter.

First, I do not think that just people from Southwest Nebraska signed the original water compact. I believe it was signed in Lincoln as an official policy of the State of Nebraska. Why does it now become Southwest Nebraska's financial problem? It is a state compact; the entire state should bear the burden. We pay our fair share of taxes for the costs of issues that arise in the eastern part of Nebraska.

When is the state going to wake up and realize that something needs to be done to protect the aquifer, it brings to mind the story of the goose that laid the golden egg.  To make the point, the Legislature could not even pass a well-drilling moratorium state wide to get a handle on the situation. We have known what is happening for the past 20 years. Enders Reservoir and the Frenchman River are good examples.

As for the NRDS being put in charge as well as getting the power to levy taxes.  WAKE UP! We have put the fox in charge of guarding the chicken house.

If you will look at the NRD board membership, it is almost all big irrigators, it was so important to them that they even campaigned in blocks so they could get complete control of the boards.

Where is the representation for recreation, private citizens house wells, and city water supplies? That is hard to answer because there is very little, if any.

Any time I wanted something, I had to pay for it myself.  I could not levy a tax to pay my bills. Why don't those who use the water pay?  The surface irrigators that used water from the area lakes had to pay for their water, why can't a price per acre foot of well water be applied? These wells are already supposed to be metered.so it would be quite simple to invoke. It is quite simple, if you cannot afford the water, you cannot afford to irrigate.

I do not feel I should have to pay the bill for those who plowed up thousands of acres of marginal land and made millions on their investments because they could get free water and government subsidies.

Just my point of view

Paul J. Forch,

Trenton