Gisela resident takes exception to editorial

  LETTER TO THE EDITOR  

Mr. Keyworth,

    As an eleven year resident of Gisela I take issue with your whining about water use in Gisela. Are you aware that the major part of the valley is irrigated by irrigation ditches dug by the Mormon settlers that date back to the 1880's and those ditches receive water from Tonto Creek via a diversion dam on the creek. Most residents of the north end of the valley moved here expressly for that amenity.  In Tonto Creek Shores there are special garden lots for that purpose only, no dwellings allowed. The interesting aspect of those lots is they have neither water nor electrical power to pump well water, but some lots are within 150ft of the creek and a hand-dug well and gasoline engine powered pump would provide all the water one could desire.

    I was sitting close enough to the speakers on Friday evening that I could have reached over and touched them and I never heard one utterance from any lady such as you accuse of admitting to using 12-14,000 gallons of water a month.

    Face it man, in Gisela we live in a river bottom. Have you ever been to Gisela other than to dine at the Steak House?

    Rather than use the high level aquifer for domestic use and the creek for irrigation, should we just not use any of the water except what you and PWC want us to use in the interests of "conservation"?  To what end would we conserve it? With that scheme, all the creek water will flow into Roosevelt lake to be impounded for irrigating the 206 golf courses in the greater Phoenix area.  If you don't believe that number, I suggest you avail yourself of the 2007-2008 copy of THE YELLOW BOOK - PHOENIX METRO and count the golf course telephone listings.  Hey now,  there's a much better use of water than gardening in Gisela!  If you're jealous of our abundant water supply,  you had a chance to live here, just as I did, and probably turned your nose up at the thought of living with all those rednecks.

    I really don't have a dog in this water rate fight, I'm on my own well, but I do get pissed at people who take advantage of my neighbors via the stupidity of faceless, unelected, can't do anything right bureaucrats. i.e., "the staff".  Forget the commissioners, they're just parrot spokesholes for the staff. My main argument with the rate increases is this: WHY does the Commission bend over backwards to ignore PWC's shortcomings and guarantee them a 9% return on their investment (would you guarantee them 9%?) when even oil companies don't make that kind of money. PWC just happens to operate here but all their ill-gotten gains go to COLORADO.  ACC is aiding and abetting the screwing of Arizonans to benefit a COLORADO COMPANY!.  If as you infer, you live in MdC with a little garden and only use half as much water, then you're applauding being screwed and don't even realize it. It's a waste of time to try and reason with people like yourself, "Don't confuse me with facts, I have my mind made up".

No sniveling,

George Demack 

Editor's note:

Thanks for writing, Mr. Demack.  I was at the meeting too and there is no question that the lady stood up and said she and her husband were "raising a little garden" that required 12-14,000 gallons a month in the summer.  She was one of the earlier speakers.

Yes, I have spent many days in Gisela working on the census.  I went door to door and met many very nice people.  In fact, the photo that accompanied my editorial was taken during one of those visits when I was out looking for a ranch in the boonies.

I totally agree with you about the Valley and its golf courses.  Their water use is obscene.  In fact, I have ripped Payson Mayor Kenny Evans on many occasions for his stupid decision to guarantee a 50-year water supply to the gated Chaparral Pines golf course.  He's taking that water from Blue Ridge Reservoir and pretending it is not potable.

My point remains: none of us, whether we live in a river bottom or on top of a mountain, can afford to waste water - especially in the southwest.  And it's probably going to take higher rates before we value water as we should.

Again, I appreciate your letter, and I especially appreciate you putting your name on it. 

Jim Keyworth