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McCook Gazette
Letter to the Editor

Suspiciously silent

Monday, July 12, 2010

Dear Editor,

I have been following with interest the reports of the water cheaters caught in the upper Republican NRD.

I am in agreement with the outrage expressed by the Lower Republican NRD over this intentional theft of resources shared by all of us, and appreciated them putting their constituents on notice that any similar incidents of thievery in the Lower NRD would be diligentlypursued.

The Upper NRD board did impose sanctions on these cheaters. In addition to the sanctions imposed, I would like to see the Upper NRD board have the cheaters pay restitution to those harmed by their illegal activity, including the surface water irrigation districts, the taxpayers of Southwest Nebraska (who were assessed a property tax and an occupation tax to purchase and replace the water stolen) and the State of Nebraska. I can't help by wonder why we haven't heard anything from our own Middle Republican NRD. I guess it's possible that people who operate land in both the Middle and Upper NRD would only be stealing water on the land in the upper. But what are the odds?

A prosecutor friend once explained that his first priority in a property case was to make his victims whole. I always respected that statement.

In this case, the victims were all of us, farmers, ranchers, white collar, andblue collar, landlord or tenant. One way or the other, this money is coming out of your pocket just as surely as if they were shoplifting from your store, breaking into your car, or stealing equipment from your field.

The NRD boards are tasked with looking out for your water interests. We know what the Upper did, and we know what the lower will do.Why haven't we heard anything from the middle?

Thank you,

Bill Hoyt,

McCook

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  • My father explained to me many years ago, that the water beneath the surface of one's property was considered to be a mineral, and, as such was considered to be owned by the owner of that property. Since that time, the NRDs have decided that the water under the property belongs to the state, but no compensation was paid to the landowners for taking their water. What's next, maybe the property itself?

    Perhaps those "cheaters" felt as I do, that their property, or a part thereof, was unjustly taken by an overzealous government. And now, they must pay a penalty for what was originally theirs!

    There's is always more than one side to a story.

    John Trail

    -- Posted by j_trail on Mon, Jul 12, 2010, at 9:57 PM

  • I agree with you totally Mr. Hoyt. The URNRD cheaters cost everyone. With the legal situation with Kansas, yes, they should have to cough up the cash and reimburse the state. They should have to reimburse all their neighbors who had to drill new wells, livestock and irrigation, because their wells went dry.

    One name has been a continuing source of conflict, and that is Jack Bond. How many new laws and regulations has his presence been responsible for in the URNRD and MRNRD?

    -- Posted by Hugh Jassle on Tue, Jul 13, 2010, at 4:52 PM
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