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http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2009/10/03/viewpoints/letters/doc4ac6ea23b25c5012019874.txt

Water Users group at first opposed bill

Herald and News Letter to the Editor October 3, 2009 by Carole Canevari, Dairy

The Sept. 25 letter submitted by Klamath Water Users Association employee Belinda Stewart is somewhat misleading.

I was, and remain, an active member of the Klamath Off-Project Water Users and remember when we asked the Klamath Water Users Association to jointly pursue legislation with us for the rate shock bill that their representatives flatly refused and even tried to persuade us not to pursue.

Several months later, we learned of their support when both organizations were at a Public Utilities Commission hearing in Salem. They were falling all over themselves telling us they thought the rate shock bill was a great idea. We Off-Project people were more than amazed at the turnaround.

The Klamath Water Users did provide some testimony in support for the rate shock bill, but real credit for getting the bill passed has to go to Rep. Bill Garrard, Sen. Doug Whitsett, Melinda Davison and Water for Life.

The other issue with Stewart’s letter is that she fails to mention how the Klamath Water Users Association actively supported the $175 million power rate increase on all Pacific Power rate payers to help pay for dam removal with this increase coming out of all our pockets.

It is rather ironic that, in a separate letter, Hollie Cannon admits if the restoration agreement fails, dam removal may happen “without any benefit to the local economy.” Maybe Klamath Water Users Association should have thought of this before they helped push the legislation to raise our rates to help fund removal of the dams without guarantees Klamath County residents would be protected.