Letter to the Editor

No big deal?

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Dear Editor.

We don't hear anything from the MRNRD about the water theft. It is common knowledge that at least one of the offenders mentioned in the URNRD discloser has a huge, huge foot print in this district.

What sort of investigation is taking place? Have they dug down to see if any devices are being used in this district?

Odd that someone running about 150 pivots would miss this kind of an opportunity.

This, of course, is immaterial. The water already stolen from the Ogallala Aquifer belongs to all of us. We wonder how long this has been going on? Five, ten, fifteen or twenty years? What punishment is being considered by MRNRD? None? Does the majority of the board think this is a "No big deal" item?

Two of the present board members have just been placed on the Governor's "Task Force." This is to ferret out ways to solve the problems of Southwest Nebraska water sustainability. How do they feel about the out-and-out stealing from a short water supply?

About three years ago, it seems that the NRD's purchased water from the dams to pay Kansas for compact compliance. This one-year "no big deal" water cost a mere nine million. Every real estate owner along the Republican paid an illegal tax to the NRD's -- Remember? When we are considering this amount of money and if they ever find out the value of the stolen water, it will fall within the range of grand larceny, not petty theft.

Sanctions that cost the thieves little or nothing, (they still hold title to the land) is not just punishment.

Tom Kiplinger,

McCook

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