Letter to the Editor

The truth always comes out

Monday, October 25, 2010

EDITOR'S NOTE: Despite the Gazette's policy against letters from, for or against individual candidates, in the interest of fairness, the following letter is being published in response to Claude Cappel's Open Forum letter Thursday. No further Open Forum concerning the Nov. 2 election will be published after Tuesday, although paid advertising will be accepted.

Dear Claude Cappel,

Thank you for your ever ongoing comments and articles on water issues in the paper. However, we are wondering about your motivation for writing these articles and whether you are interested in the success of all of Southwest Nebraska or something more personal. Four years ago you supported our campaign. Since then the views you keep representing in the opinion column seem to represent only your best interest. On Thursday your letter to the editor was solely based on challenging our views and what we stand for from an ad that we previously ran.

You are not the only farmer being represented by the NRD. In fact, as the board recently addressed the new IMP, it is actually your area that has some of the greatest hydrologic challenges. The NRD's records show the groundwater aquifer levels in your area have some of the biggest percent declines of anywhere in the district. Wells in that area have some of the greatest stream depletions in the entire district and some much greater than even in the Upper Republican of which you keep commenting on. Our goal is to work together and fairly represent and keep everyone in business for the long haul. In addition, the nitrate levels measured around your area show some of the highest nitrate levels in the district and that issue has yet to be addressed. We're not blaming all these problems on your operation. However, when we're trying to represent your area and keep from more severe ground water restrictions, it makes it difficult. We're at a loss trying to confirm whether you already know these facts and are consequently trying to bring everyone else down to your level of sustainable pumping or whether it is a personal agenda that is driving your motivation to spread fear and discontent about the water issues. Either way the truth always comes out; it just takes a little time.

Claude, let the candidates run their own campaign based on what they believe. Just for the record, we're not running against anyone. We're running for the success of Southwest Nebraska. We are all in this together. We want fair representation for the entire district, and economic stability for everyone involved.

Respectfully yours,

Marty Schurr

Josh Friesen

Kevin Fornoff

Dan Nelsen

Benjie Loomis

Middle Republican NRD board members