A sampling of recent editorials from Colorado newspapers:
NATIONAL:
The Daily Sentinel, Aug. 6, on water agreements in the West:
Two axioms have long held true in the West: Water flows uphill to money and the U.S. government doesn’t keep its word when it comes to agreements with Indian tribes.
Both of those statements appear to be playing out in the latest plan to provide more water for the sprawling metropolis of Las Vegas, Nev.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management last week approved a final environmental impact statement on a proposal that would allow the Southern Nevada Water Authority to build a 300-mile pipeline to carry water up and over the mountains from near the Utah-Nevada border. Separately, the Nevada state engineer in March approved a plan for the water authority, which supplies water to Las Vegas, to pump up to 84,000 acre feet of groundwater a year from four rural valleys in eastern Nevada.
The problem is, according to the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, the drilling will deplete the aquifer beneath the Goshute Reservation and, as the tribal chairman put it, allow Las Vegas to “steal” the Indians’ water.
The Goshutes aren’t alone. Ranchers and local governments in eastern Nevada, as well as environmental groups, have challenged the state engineer’s decision in court.
But the Goshute Indians say the federal approval of the pipeline is especially distressing because it means the BLM and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have abdicated their responsibility to protect and preserve all tribal assets, including natural resources such as water.
“What is most unconscionable here is that the BIA agreed that this was in the best interests of the Indian tribes in the area without ever talking to us,” said Madeline Greymountain, vice chairwoman of the confederated tribes.
Such high-handed decision-making on behalf of the Indian constituents it is supposed to represent sounds more like the corrupt BIA of the late 19th century than the supposedly enlightened agency that exists in the 21st century. But it is, after all, the same agency that lost billions of dollars of tribal funds over many decades. Only a lawsuit by multiple Indian tribes finally allowed Indians to receive some of that money last year.
Las Vegas is, of course, an economic powerhouse in Nevada and the Southwest in general. It already takes millions of gallons of water each year from the Colorado River and periodically comes up with schemes to acquire more. But existing law and river compacts make that difficult.
The fact that Vegas visionaries are looking elsewhere for water to meet future growth for the desert city is understandable.
But the Goshutes have claims to the water on their reservation that long predate the development of Sin City. And federal courts have—in recent decades, at least—been inclined to support such Indian rights. If this latest water plan is to move forward, Las Vegas and federal authorities must do more to ensure that the Indians’ water is protected.
Editorial:
———
The Pueblo Chieftain, Aug. 5, on drought in the U.S.:
The nation is suffering its worst drought in decades. Only in the 1930s and 1950s has a drought covered more land, a recent federal report noted.
The National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., said 55 percent of the country was in a moderate to extreme drought by the end of June. And thus far, despite a few showers here and there, things aren’t getting any better.
Topsoil has turned dry while “crops, pastures and rangeland have deteriorated at a rate rarely seen in the last 18 years,” the climate center said. The percentage of affected land is the largest since December 1956, when 58 percent of the country was covered by drought, and it rivals even some years in the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s, according to the data.
Corn, wheat and soybean crops have been hit hard, particularly in the traditionally productive Midwest. Some farmers have been plowing up non-productive crops, hoping for better weather over the winter and next spring.
Cattle growers, with little productive rangeland and less corn for feed, have been selling off herds. In the short run, this might cause a dip in beef prices at the supermarket, but over the long haul, those prices are likely to rise.
In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture anticipates that food prices as a whole will rise by 3 percent next year. That’s an unsettling prospect when the economy continues to stagnate.
Climatologists have labeled this year’s dry spell a “flash drought” because it developed in a matter of months, not over multiple seasons or years. One good bit of news is that better farming methods and modern grain hybrids have lessened the effects of the drought compared to the 1930s.
If you are of a mind, a rain dance or two might be in order.
Editorial:
———
STATE:
The Denver Post, Aug. 3, on Rockies ownership:
Just when it seemed that the Colorado Rockies couldn’t sink any lower, the team’s owner and CEO outdid himself.
With the Rockies in a battle with the hapless Houston Astros for the worst record in Major League Baseball and unable to make any moves at the trade deadline that might have given fans hope for the future, what did Dick Monfort do?
He continued to confound.
Instead of showing General Manager Dan O’Dowd the exit—a move we called for last month—Monfort opted to, if you’ll forgive us, move manure around the barnyard.
The announcement was equal parts laugher and head-scratcher as Monfort unveiled the “shifted responsibilities” as part of the constant quest “to improve our organization” (that’s not a tall order given the team has made the playoffs twice in O’Dowd’s 12-plus season as GM).
As near as we can tell, O’Dowd keeps the GM title, but will focus on the minor leagues and player development. Assistant GM Bill Geivett will oversee daily operations for the major league club.
But the guy who oversees the minors is in charge of the guy who’s running the big league club.
Oh, and the team that currently employs two pitching coaches plans to hire a director of pitching.
Got that?
It’s the modern-day equivalent of Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First,” but with the local major league club as the punch line.
This experiment will likely be as successful as their boneheaded “paired pitching” arrangement for the same reason—the Rockies don’t have the right people for the jobs.
Monfort should have fired O’Dowd and brought someone in to clean up the mess he’s made at 20th and Blake.
This isn’t about a privately held business making bad decisions. It’s about a violation of the public trust.
And make no mistake, the Colorado Rockies are a public trust.
The public investment in the team—$215 million in tax money to build Coors Field—outweighs the $103 million that it cost to bring the team to Colorado. (Disclosure: The Denver Post is a minority owner in the team, with no say in operations.)
Rather than continuing to thumb his nose at loyal fans, we hope Monfort comes to his senses.
Otherwise, when his latest shuffling of the deck chairs undoubtedly fails, we’ll be left to ponder: How does one go about firing the owner?
Editorial:
———
The Coloradoan, Aug. 4 , on rabies vaccinations:
Rabies has gotten too close for comfort in Larimer County.
With rabies counts in the animal population booming and the alarming spread of the affliction to animals other than bats, the risk of human infections along the Front Range is a growing threat. So far this year, 23 skunks have tested positive for the disease. Last year? None.
Before you rush out for human vaccinations, though (which can cost up to $400), it’s important to remember that the real danger is to our four-legged friends.
If you’ve delayed a vaccination for a four-legged companion, it’s time to rectify that procrastination.
Do it for your pet, or, if nothing else, for your pocketbook. If your dog or cat isn’t licensed and vaccinated, it’ll set you back a $100 fine. But that cost is small when compared to the alternative.
If your pet catches rabies, it’s untreatable and always fatal.
Beyond pets in the home, livestock shouldn’t go ignored. While vaccinating a herd may be impractical or costly, Colorado State University officials suggest that animals who frequently interact with humans should be vaccinated. That especially should apply to 4-H animals routinely handled by youth and teenagers.
As the Front Range becomes increasingly crowded with humans, pets and livestock, the alarming spike in rabies counts is of particular concern.
Keeping your pet safe will help ensure not only a long, healthy life for Fluffy and Fido, but will help stop the spread of a disease that appears to be with us to stay.
Editorial:
