EDITORIALEDITORIALEDITORIAL
By Jim Keyworth
Gazette Blog Editor
One of the quirks of living in Arizona is that too often decisions are made that are really, really stupid. When two such decisions happen in close proximity we have a harmonic convergence of stupidity, and we have an obligation as journalists (at least some of us do) to point that out.
First up, the Town of Payson decides to sell some of its precious groundwater reserves to water local golf courses used primarily by the very rich who contribute little or nothing to the local economy. Besides the fact that golf courses are a stupid idea in the West, it's especially stupid here in Payson where, according to Salt River Project, our groundwater supply is overtaxed.
And think about it: whose water is the Town of Payson selling? Why, it's the excess water it gets from the Tower Well in Star Valley, a reminder of the great water heist Payson water guru Buzz Walker pulled off a few years ago after he promised Star Valley residents he would never take their water.
Up next on the stupid meter is a news item in today's (Friday, June 29) Arizona Republic. According to the article in Valley & State, none of the three bears killed by Arizona Game & Fish happened to be the bear(s) responsible for several attacks on campers (which resulted only in superficial injuries.) Unfortunately the innocent bears are now dead.
It's their forest folks, and camping in it comes with some inherent risks. The answer is not to shoot first and test later, but that's been AZGFD's modus operandi for many years.
Come on guys. Kill the golf courses and let the bears live. And many thanks to our local newspaper for the responsible stand it didn't take on these two issues.
4 comments:
Many times you complain claiming the local paper reports stories with a slant instead of just reporting the news.
Now you complain because they didn't take a stand. They're not supposed to. They're to report the news and let the reader decide.
Maybe you should give that a try.
Thanks for the comment, but the point you make about reporting and letting the reader decide is simply not true. My complaint about the Roundup is, and always has been, that it will not ask the tough questions of those in power in reporting the news. It simply prints whatever they say unchallenged. In other words, if there is another side, you, the reader, are not getting it.
On its editorial page, it pretty much does the same thing - echos the party line. What I am asking Pete to do here - and always - is to take a stand on the editorial page that challenges policies and procedures that demand to be challenged - like selling potable water to golf courses and killing bears before they have their day in the lab.
Newspapers are supposed to report the facts - all the facts - on the news pages and TAKE A STAND ON THE EDITORIAL PAGE - not simply reinforce the information provided by those whose positions and policies they support.
Without any competition, the Roundup will never change, but we can all express our outrage over the dead bears and live golf courses. Let your town councilors know how you feel about watering golf courses with your drinking water. And tell Game & Fish to leave innocent bears alone. Oh yes, and cancel your subscription to the Roundup.
What will we tell our grandchildren when they ask us why we let our precious groundwater be used to water golf courses? They are the ones who will pay the price for our stupidity. How can we stand by and let this happen?
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