Subject: Why do I have to keep going to public meetings to protect myself and my neighbors against my own government

Excellent comments by Richard Hild! Thank you = for this brilliant and well stated letter below.

I am forwarding to my friends in hopes they may read your letter and forward = it on to their friends. Lets spread the word = out to the rest of the state and U.S. so everyone can see what is goi= ng on behind our backs in our governments!

This is a must read for everyone with property!

You have to wonder how much more freedom will be stolen by the government before people will wake up and fight. Losing our property rights wasn't enough apparently and now the WA State DOE is working on stealing water rights then of course the state and counties especially King County corrupt= ed the last election so bad nobody knows who rightfully won the governorship.&= nbsp;

One thing you can say for sure is that dyfunctionality never improves left alone. The rural AND urban voters need to all wak= e up and see that the DOE and the DDES all end up with no jobs ASAP.=

Jack Venrick

Enumclaw, WA

----- Original Message -----

From: Ric= hard Hild

To: cbeecher@capitalpress.com

Cc: news@peninsuladailynews.com ; pjohnson@co.jefferson.wa.us ; buck.jim@leg.wa.gov ; hargrove_ji@leg.wa.gov ; kbaril@wsu.edu ; news@= ptleader.com ; dsullivan@co.jefferson.wa.us ; progers@co.jefferson.wa.us ;= <= span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt'>kessler.lynn@leg.wa.gov ; wria17@yahoogroups.com ; gealwolf@waypt.com

Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005 3:36 PM

Subject: [Capr-discussion] [wria17] = WRIA17 Jefferson County Washington (Why do I have to keep going to public meetings= to protect myself and my neighbors against my own government?)

October 23, 2005

Cookson Beecher

Washington State Staff Writer

Capital Press

P.O. Box 2048

Salem, OR 97308

Re: WRIA17 Jefferson County Washington (Why do I have to keep going to public meetings to protect myself and my neighbo= rs against my own government?)

Dear Ms. Beecher,

Thank you for your article Small-scale farmers face unexpected hurdle - wat= er in the Friday October 21, 2005 issue. I and many other concerned citi= zens here in Jefferson County greatly appreciate your interest and reporting.&nb= sp;

This whole issue came to light when, as I understand it, at a local social event, Dennis Schultz mentioned to Judi Stewart (both in the local fruit growers club) something about Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) = is trying to institute a new rule which would limit the watering of fruit tree= s or any other of the local produce gardens.

Judi sent an Email to all of the fruit club members (including my wife Nadi= ne) saying that we should all come to a meeting at the Chi= macum, Wa. Tri area building a few days hence to hear a presentation by the DOE about this= new rule. When we arrived at the meeting room it was jammed with w= hat is estimated by various people to be between 100 and 150 people (standing r= oom only). Most of the people there had reviewed the DOE proposed rule wh= ich seemed to say that we, the DOE and the people, need to cut down on our, Jefferson County's, water use in order to save = the salmon.

The session began with the DOE representative trying to do a computerized s= lide show. The audience was having nothing of that and the questions began= .

Citizen question: How did you arrive at this conclusion that we need = this in-stream rule. DOE answer: That's a= very good question. We have this scientific study and it cost about $745,0= 00. They seemed very proud that they had spent $745,000.

Citizen question: And exactly what did this study say? DOE answer: We didn't bring our hydrologist with us. We will have to get back to you.

Citizen question: Who got the $745,000? DOE answer. Well,= we paid about $145,000 to a scientist.

Citizen question: Who got the remaining $600,000.= DOE answer: We will have to get back to you. We are not prepared for that question.

Citizen question: Why haven't you included us, the citizens who will = be most affected by this rule, in previous meetings? DOE answer: We have had a lot of notices of meetings in the local paper.

Citizen question: How many in this room, raise your hand, have seen a= ny notices in the paper? Three hands went up. = The three people from DOE.

Citizen question: What is this about you are going to put meters on a= ll the wells? DOE answer: No. We are not going to do that.
Citizen question: It says in this proposed rule that metering will be necessary. Does that mean you are not going to put meters on the wells? Or does it mean you are going to put meters on the wells? DOE answer: No we are not going to put meters on wells. But how= can we determine how much water is being used = if we don't have some sort of metering? Besides, you have an old version of= the rule.

Citizen question: The version we are working from is the version we g= ot from your web site today. What version should we be working from?&nbs= p; DOE answer: You have the wrong version. We will get back to you= .

Citizen question: Why are you making this rule and putting it on the = very people who are so absolutely conscientious about conserving water? DOE answer: Look, we are just doing what we have been tasked to do by the legislature. Don't blame us. If you have a problem with this, c= all the legislature.

Citizen question: You have said a number of times, "we will get = back to you." I don't see any body taking minutes or notes. How will you know what questions we asked later if = you don't record what we are asking? DOE answer: Don't worry. = We are taking notes. (Note: There were 3 DOE people there, none of them had a pencil/pen/paper in hand. One of them at that point picked up a lap top computer and pecked at it a bit but that didn't last.)

There were a lot more questions. I can't, at this time, remember them all. I do remember that they, the representatives from DOE, did not answer a single question to the satisfaction of the citizens at that first meeting. So, the DOE representatives promised to have another meeting with answers to all of our questions and to bring the DOE hydrologist to the second meeting to explain the "science" which is the basis for the rule.

The second meeting was held at the USO Building at Fort Worden and had by s= ome estimates 250 people, again standing room only. Many of the same questions were asked and still no real answers.

It is my opinion that the DOE has decided that they are the best stewards o= f my and my neighbors' water and that they, the DOE, wi= ll take over all control of all water above, on and under my property. T= hey have told me and my neighbors at the two meetings described above that the legislature has told them to do this. They have been very clear about that particular point at all of the public meetings I have attended. = They seem to be saying, "we are just following orders". That sort of thinking has an interesting ring to it.

DOE has said at these meetings that their rule is based on science which sh= ows something called "continuity" which, if I understand them correct= ly, means that if a gallon of water is taken out of my well in the Port Townsend area, the Quilcene River flow will be reduced b= y one gallon. I am not a scientist just an ordinary citizen. However, among my many neighbors here in the Jefferson County area there are a numbe= r of retired scientists/engineers. Some of those folks have also been at t= hese public meetings. At the second standing room only public meeting which was held at the USO building at Fort Worden the DOE hydrologist was challen= ged by these retired engineer type folks and the DOE hydrologist admitted sever= al times that they, the DOE, doesn't really know if what they, the DOE, is presenting as fact/science is actually true.

It is becoming very apparent that the DOE is trying to ram through a "rule" which they, the DOE, know is based on fictitious or perhaps even manufactured findings. It is also becoming very apparent that the DOE is engaged in some grandiose scheme of empire building. The first= time I read the proposed rule my initial impression was that this, the rule, is nothing more than a job description for yet another huge enforcement bureaucracy. My second reading confirmed that suspicion.

After the meeting at the USO building at Fort Worden the group from DOE, he= aded by a Ms. Hadia Adelsman, assembled at the foot of the stage where they had been speaking and, in fro= nt of at least one witness, congratulated themselves for having allowed the "locals" to "vent". Is that what the legislature wants from public hearings, "allowing the locals to vent"?

I personally believe that the DOE has shown that they = can not be trusted by the general population or more specifically, the legislature. I believe I share this opinion with many others. I personally believe that the DOE should be disbanded, its employees fired and not laterally transferred to another agency (in order to expunge our state government of such an arrogant corporate attitude) and that their budget, reportedly $165,000,000, be portioned out to the various counties and PUDs = who are much more aware of the local water conditions. Their beautiful ne= w, massive building complex and grounds could be put to use as a new school for those in need of such a facility.

There is a lot more to this Ms. Beecher.   The following web sites have a lot more information: http://groups.yahoo.com/grou= p/wria17/ ,   http://wria17.blogspo= t.com/ .

I have sent a letter to Rep Lynn Kessler, Rep Jim Buck and Senator Jim Harg= rove with this information.

Thank you for covering this story. I have just scratched the surface = with this letter. Every day brings yet another story of the DOE trying to = insinuate itself into the lives of the good citizens of Jefferson County (and other counties we are coming to find out). The latest is DOE trying to get = the Jefferson County Commissioners to accept a $110,000 grant to start a local water-police force., I guess they consider our l= ocal commissioners as their own personal sort of collaborative Vichi government.

William O. Douglas is quoted as saying once, "the right to be let alon= e is indeed the beginning of all freedoms."   Please help us to be just let alone to live our lives and husband our land as we see fit and to continue our fledgling market farming program.

Sincerely,

Richard Hild

1571 Cape George Rd.

Port Townsend, Wa.&n= bsp; 98368

Phone: 360-385-7371

Email: richhild@olypen.com=

Cc:    Rep. Lynn Kessler, Rep. Jim Buck, Senator Jim Hargrov= e, Port Townsend Leader, Peninsula Daily News, Katherine = Baril - WSU, David Sullivan - Phil Johnson - Pat Rogers - Jefferson County Commissioners,
http://groups.yahoo.com/g= roup/wria17/ ,   http://wria17.blogspo= t.com/

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