Why allow any more water to be pumped when area's in a drought?

Published August 29, 2004

By SHIRLEY McGILVRAY

Shirley McGilvray is a long-time rancher on East Langell Valley Road in the Bonanza area.

Guest columnist

I have just finished reading "Get mad, stop Cob plant," by Stan Heidrich of Bonanza." My thanks to him and "ditto" his words, for my family and friends.

I had to back off writing letters to Herald and News. All this newspaper has done is upset me, but Heidrich's letter and another great one from from Gene Dunlea and his family on a different matter changed my mind.

First: Backers of the Cob Energy Facility, and the plant's developers from People's Energy should quit lying to the people. The developers should pack up and go.

I didn't hear or see any of the power plant developers at the fairgrounds at our fantastic Klamath County Fair. Country people, ranchers and farmers were everywhere to give their families and their children a great big thank you for their great loving display of ranch and family animals. They were great.

Peoples Energy officials should have been there to see how real country and city friends and all small towns from miles away participated. They'd have seen real love and hugs, kisses and also tears when the kids had to part with their animals after they were sold.

Get out, Cob, because the developers will never will know what real love and life's about - even with the great big full-page advertisements that were publisher. There was no name of who placed the ad until real people started to holler. The ad was lopsided: 1, 2, and 3. Yes, maybe 210 gallons of water on one place the plant's developers purchased, but what about the one on East Langell Valley Road? A well that doesn't even have a well log, and the developers' future plans of drilling two or three more?

If we're in a drought, why pump and take water that's on land zoned for exclusive farm use? This is from a community dead set on providing good food for a whole world, not just California.

Ranchers and farmers raise good products from hard work, sweat and very little money, and raise good decent families that work together, play together and try very hard to stay together. We don't plan on changing.

Our county commissioners, except for Steve West, seem to have forgotten who they work for.

Bud Hart and his Klamath Falls City Council members said it best when they said that putting the power plant in the city would be the city's worry, and putting it in Bonanza is the worry of the county and country people.

We all have to pay taxes. Who gives Peoples Energy the right to say no taxes? It has support from union workers as well, but we're non-union.

Our commissioners have been recalled in the past by this same little community and we can do it again. We are true Americans standing up for what few privileges we have left. Speak up and out or be crucified.

Bye-bye, Cob, Rob Trotta and People's Energy. Go home. We do not want you, your mouths or your money.

Editor's note: Rob Trotta, who has been People's Energy representative in the area, has left his position.