Gazette Blog Editor
Water - that's one problem we don't have. That's what Payson Roundup Editor Pete Aleshire likes to say - or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof.
And so, in a community that gets its water news from a newspaper that continues to distance itself from its glory days as one of the state's best (see its recent front page story about its ragtag collection of second and third place certificates in the annual Arizona Newspaper Association competition), it's important that intelligent residents are aware of the following from the front page of the Sunday, Sept. 28 Arizona Republic:
"Water scarcity is one of Arizona's most serious, ever-present problems.... If Arizonans don't change how they consume water and start brainstorming new solutions for dwindling supplies, shortages won't be a choice, they will be an unavoidable reality." (You can read the complete story and several other stories on looming water shortages in Arizona at azcentral.com.)
Pete and Payson Mayor Kenny Evans will tell you new solutions have been brainstormed - the Payson Town Council has decided it's a fine idea to give potable water (while pretending it's not potable) to a private golf course in a gated community for 99 years. Wink, wink. Besides, once we water that private golf course with Blue Ridge Reservoir water, we'll just pump that water back out of the ground and sell it again. Wink, wink.
Funny thing is, enroute to Flagstaff yesterday, an illuminated sign on AZ87 near Lake Mary Road advised that "Blue Ridge Lake" is closed. After all that rain.
But water is one problem we don't have.
It's easy to see why the Roundup is no longer the best in its classification. Even the stodgy Arizona Newspaper Association is starting to notice.
My fellow Rim Country residents, it's time we see through this water charade and demand accountability from our elected officials. And it's time the Payson Roundup starts calling Kenny and his rubber stamp council on their shameful water decisions.
3 comments:
Do you realize how many people voted for Kenny Evans to enter his 4th term as Mayor (despite his initial promise to be a one-term Mayor) because they honestly believe that he "brought Blue Ridge water to Payson"? News Flash: There is no Blue Ridge pipeline. There is no water purification plant in Mesa del Caballo. There is no funding to provide the $38 Million (maybe more now) that it will cost to build a 14 mile pipeline from Washington Park to a water purification plant that doesn't exist. It's a modern-day version of "The Emperor has no clothes".
"You can fool some of the people all of the time." Obviously in Payson "some" is a majority. What Kenny is doing with Blue Ridge water is a travesty. No, it's worse - it's criminal. Methinks the man is lacking a moral compass. Or he really is just a dumb farmer as he likes to joke. Kenny, this is no joke.
Moral compass, hell - he's lacking common sense. You don't throw water away in the Southwest. And watering a private golf course is throwing water away. Plain and simple.
As much as I hate to give Buzz Walker credit, he pulled off the Blue Ridge deal way before Kenny was elected mayor. In fact, Kenny is the third mayor who has taken credit for Blue Ridge. Good thing they're paying Buzz well for keeping his mouth shut.
Kenny, Blue Ridge is our future. It's not a plaything for elitists who live in gated communities.
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