klamath water issue divides gop 062709

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Water issue divides GOP followed by H&N reader comments

Official: General conservative issues should be local focus

By Ty Beaver, Herald and News 6/27/09

The chairman of Oregon’s Republican Party says local Republicans need to focus more on promoting general conservative issues rather than taking a stand on the controversial Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement.

Bob Tiernan told the Herald and News Thursday that given the state of the economy and other issues, the restoration agreement is an unneeded distraction that pits party members against each other.

The Klamath County Republican Central Committee voted to oppose the restoration agreement, which allocates water in the Klamath River Basin among fisheries, farmers, conservationists and tribes. “

Those are the things the local party should stay away from,” he said.

Tiernan and Andrew Over, executive director of the Oregon Republican Party, were in Klamath Falls to attend Thursday’s meeting of the Klamath County Republican Central Committee.

The focus of the visit was to encourage the local organization to continue registering Republicans, putting forth good candidates and advocating Republican principles such as fiscal responsibility, free enterprise and public safety.

Tiernan said respective Republican Party members have addressed strictly local issues, and that isn’t a problem when those issues mesh with accepted Republican priorities and don’t divide the organization.

Unfortunately, that’s what the local organization’s vote on the restoration agreement has done.

“ There’s arguments on all sides,” Tiernan said.

Instead, the local party needs to focus on keeping Oregon attractive to business and industry, making sure citizens are safe and promoting a balanced approach to budgets. He added that the Klamath Basin plays an important role in the state party and w ill be needed in the future.

“If it wasn’t for Southern Oregon, this state would really be in trouble,” Tiernan said.

Joe Spendolini, chairman of the local central committee, said individual party members are free to deal with local issues, but that those efforts don’t have to involve the entire organization.

“I believe the job of the central committee is to represent all Republicans,” he said.

Reader Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of HeraldAndNews.com. Comment Disclaimer: The editors of heraldandnews.com reserve the right to refuse publication of any comment posted for consideration. We may refuse for any reason, including use of profanity, disparaging comments, libelous comments, etc. Any reader who notices a comment they believe is particularly offensive, should notify us at webmaster@heraldandnews.com.

JJ wrote on Jun 27, 2009 9:46 PM:

" Our local representatives are elected to represent us, not to worry about causing a distraction amongst their party. If they want to make the Oregon Republican Party their second priority, fine, but the first priority needs to be what is best for the people of their district, period. "

Terry wrote on Jun 27, 2009 7:45 PM:

" You just can't fix stupid!

I will repeat this again for at least the third time. ESA has the final say whether irrigators recieve water or not!

"The Tribes" (not all local members agree) give up nothing.

"John Q. Public" gives up four hydro-electric generating dams. Buys the "Tribes" the old Mazama Tree Farm.

Wow! What a deal!

Tired of the same old song and dance? I urge Dems and Repubs alike to re-registor Independent. Maybe, just maybe that will make our elected offal sit up and start doing something for the constituency "

Good Grief wrote on Jun 27, 2009 6:16 PM:

" "no dam removal" seems to be a VERY angry person. If you read the entire article you would have seen that Mr. Tierman promoted people to be involved in the KBRA issue, but was very direct, and rightly so, that this is not a Democrat, Republican, or Independent issue. The focus for any party is to get their people elected!! By the way, maybe you better pay attention to the Democratic House who just voted on bills that will raise our utilities 50%. It will make the $1.50 per month power increase seem like pennies!!! By the way, if we could get back to the basic idea for KBRA and the 2001 water issue, we can be in agreement that water is the basic and fundamental issue we need to agree on. This agreement, as far as I can see, gives us more of a chance for irrigation than if we didn't have it.. We all need to come to a place where we can be in agreement and that is water!! Let's find a place where we can promote our Basin and it's need for water and quit tearing each other up!!!! We are more mature than what is happening-we all need to grow up alittle more and find what is good about the agreement and not always what is wrong with it. "

NO DAM REMOVAL wrote on Jun 27, 2009 4:50 PM:

" Many of us don't care to be in a political party that condones destruction of our nation's infrastructure (the removal of hydro-electric generation facilities), if that's what Tiernan is supporting. Maybe you should have asked him if he supports that concept. The Klamath dams removal is being heralded as the first in a domino effect for pushing for dam removal on the Snake and Columbia Rivers - does the Republican party support that also?

Does he know dam removal is the first item in the KBRA? Did you ask him, Joe, if he supports eliminating green hydro power for from 30,000 to 70,000 homes, because that is what this AIP/ KBRA agreement is about. Can he tell us from where he is going to produce the replacement electricity (guess he must like coal fired) and can he tell the elderly and poor and middle class how they are going to pay for their increased power bills?

Furthermore, if we wanted to support "secret meetings" with government officials and private government supported interests, while leaving the general public out of these meetings, we would be Communists.

And while we are at it, we're not interested in the destruction and devaluation of private property along the Klamath River and dams on the Klamath, either ( also another communist/ Marxist tennent).

So the Republican party can take its choice - speak out against the unwarranted removal of productive green energy producing dams across this nation or lose some of their base supporters. They will not have it both ways.

Many of the old guard faithful are ready to leave, if this is the path the party choses to pursue. Pass the message along, Joe. "

win the WAR instead wrote on Jun 27, 2009 3:10 PM:

" You need to be looking at the larger picture of not winning this battle but wanting to win the war (Republicans in office in 2010 and 2012). If you lose that war...no other future battle will even be important. And if you alienate a l goup of Republicans by taking one stand against others then you're looking at this from a selfish perspective. "

Tearing out hydro dams wrote on Jun 27, 2009 11:01 AM:

" Tearing out hydro dams is part of everyone's business and if the Republican Party can't take a stand against that, then theyare going to loose ALOT of members. "