McCain suggests raiding Colorado's water
By Bob Ewegen
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 08/15/2008
Memo to: John McCain.
From: Five million thirst-crazed Coloradans.
Subject: Forget about winning our nine electoral votes next November. We don't vote for water rustlers in this state; we tar and feather them!
Yes, fellow citizens of the state whose official motto is "Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting," John McCain has thunk the unthinkable — and proposed renegotiating the 1922 Colorado River Compact.
To quote from Charles Ashby's story in the Friday Pueblo Chieftain:
"The water compact that Colorado and other upper basin states have with California and Arizona should be renegotiated," U.S. Sen. John McCain said Thursday.
"In a telephone interview with The Pueblo Chieftain, the presumptive GOP candidate for president said the water sharing agreement reached in 1922 between seven Western states doesn't take into account increases in population and changing water needs."
You can read the rest of McCain's politically suicidal ramblings at www.chieftain.com. Suffice to say, they aren't pretty.
As a senator, McCain has long represented a state, Arizona, that would love to steal Colorado's water. But now, he wants our votes. Apparently, nobody bothered to brief the candidate who Paris Hilton called "that wrinkly, white-haired guy" that stealing Colorado's water to benefit Arizona, California and Nevada isn't as popular an idea in Colorado as it is in Arizona, California and Nevada.
Who knew?
As Ashby notes: "The Colorado River compact allocates 7.5 million acre-feet of water to California, Nevada and Arizona. Anything left over is split between Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming."
None of the latter four upper basin states whose snowmelt feeds the river is ecstatic about giving up our meager share of our birthright to fill those artificial lakes beloved by Las Vegas casinos. By the time Ashby's story finishes rocketing around the Rockies, McCain's name will be McMud among the water buffaloes.
The problem, from Colorado's perspective, is that in the 76 years since the compact was signed, California, Nevada and Arizona have grown much more rapidly in population — and political power — than the upper basin states. So when the lower basin states talk about "renegotiating" the compact, that's their code for a process of give and take — in which Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming give and California, Arizona and Nevada take.
Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, an expert on water law, sprang at McCain's blunder like a mongoose throttling a cobra.
The compact would be reopened "over my dead body," the normally mild-mannered Salazar roared.
Even the Sierra Club, rarely a friend to water buffaloes, piled on. Southwest regional director Rob Smith said, "Scientists have predicted a 10 to 30 percent reduction of water flow in the Colorado River due to long-term drought and higher temperatures associated with climate change in the Southwest. Instead of threatening a diminishing resource, it would be better to help states and communities with water conservation projects and stream restoration."
Here's some free advice, wrinkly guy: When campaigning in Colorado, you might survive advocating atheism, taking our guns away or outlawing apple pie. But never, ever, mess with our water.
McCain would have been wiser to heed the warning a visitor got years ago when he arrived in Pueblo to speak to the annual Lincoln Day Dinner. His hosts cautioned him that water is always a controversial topic in the Arkansas Valley. The speaker, whose former life in water-rich Iowa left him ill-prepared for the intensity of the wrangles over our liquid gold in semi-arid Colorado, asked, "What should I know about water?"
"Well, it's all right to drink some," his host replied. "But don't talk about it. And for God's sake, don't spill any!"
Bob Ewegen (bewegen@ denverpost.com.) is deputy editorial page editor of The Denver Post.
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At least Salazar is showing some loyalty to his constituants, finally.
David
Joined: May 17
Points: 1559 Permanent link to this commentDavid (aka Elwood) | 7:32 AM on Saturday Aug 16
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Last year Mark Udall gave away Colorado water rights that no one believes exists to help his cousin in New Mexico. Did you write a similar article blasting him?
Mark Udall actually gives away Colorado water and gets a complete pass from Bob Ewegen. John McCain makes a proposal that probably won't go anywhere and gets hammered.
Consistency has never been your strong point, Bob.
Anon
Joined: Jun 6
Points: 1922 Permanent link to this commentAnon (aka A Watcher) | 7:45 AM on Saturday Aug 16
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I understand why many people are turned off by Obama's "I'm God's gift to mankind attitude." McCain has the same attitude, but also supports dumb policies like staying in Iraq, taking away water rights to the detriment of farmers and the environment, and running a dirty political campaign. The only area where I agree with McCain is I support nuclear energy since it is better than oil and coal. I will vote for Obama this election.
Scott A
Joined: Aug 16
Points: 210 Permanent link to this commentScott A (aka scott88) | 8:06 AM on Saturday Aug 16
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Of course, this is NOT what McCain said. All he recommended was opening the issue for further talks. Ewegen's article is thinly veiled politics, and as usual from the Left, it is distorted.
A. Commentator
Joined: Dec 5
Points: 2324 Permanent link to this commentA. Commentator (aka Commentator) | 8:30 AM on Saturday Aug 16
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This news would make Colorado go blue in November, it is up to the Liberal Press to ignore this gaffe and keep telling us the race is close.
j love
Joined: May 30
Points: 2980 Permanent link to this commentj love (aka Angel on the Sidelines) | 9:22 AM on Saturday Aug 16
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As soon as the word comes out of his mouth....renegotiation, it means he wants to take the water. It not an esoteric discussion. You don`t open negotiations to do nothing. And I can`t see him wanting to give more water to the upper basin states when the lower states are crying in their lawns (where lawns don`t belong). He is politicking to get elected in high populations states as California and Arizona and the casino rich Nevada. Give me a break. Now I really won`t vote for McCain no matter what.
K kelsey
Joined: Jun 21
Points: 1099 Permanent link to this commentK kelsey (aka kelsey) | 9:51 AM on Saturday Aug 16
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And Coloradoans are still considering voting for McBush? What more proof do you need that we need a 100% regime change in the USA.
Steve Mathison
Joined: Jul 26
Points: 430 Permanent link to this commentSteve Mathison (aka SteveM) | 10:13 AM on Saturday Aug 16
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California does not need any water from Colorado. They don't have a water shortage, just a water storage and delivery problem. Environmental NO NO NO groups have stopped dams which would store the flood water we read about and generate hydro electicity and store water for the long dry summer. We have groups in this nation that oppose every solution. It's time to tell the environment economic terrorist to go the H*ll. Let Calif build its dams, let our resources be used for energy. Most the problems in this country have been caused by one small group trying to save something they know nothing about.
james a
Joined: Jul 15
Points: 964 Permanent link to this commentjames a (aka neiman11) | 11:00 AM on Saturday Aug 16
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neiman11 wrote:California does not need any water from Colorado. They don't have a water shortage, just a water storage and delivery problem. Environmental NO NO NO groups have stopped dams which would store the flood water we read about and generate hydro electicity and store water for the long dry summer. We have groups in this nation that oppose every solution. It's time to tell the environment economic terrorist to go the H*ll. Let Calif build its dams, let our resources be used for energy. Most the problems in this country have been caused by one small group trying to save something they know nothing about.
California could even build desalination plants, but the problem with California and Colorado is population. Nether state can control or regulate their population.
John
Joined: Jul 15
Points: 16554 Permanent link to this commentJohn (aka Campbell) | 11:48 AM on Saturday Aug 16
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Having just come from a trip to Colorado and then down to Arizona, it is OBVIOUS what McCain is doing. He is pumping his own state at the expense of Colorado. Arizona has recklessly, foolishly developed. It is BURNING thru groundwater (20 ft drop in 30 years), and still building houses. McCain has, time after time, helped developer friends get parcels for development without any supporting water.
If he gets elected, Colorado will lose water.
Snortz McDuck
Joined: Sep 8
Points: 756 Permanent link to this commentSnortz McDuck (aka dataguy) | 1:03 PM on Saturday Aug 16
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So we're suppose to give up our water so these idiots can build golf courses and homes in the desert!!! Next he's going to want to start blowing up our mountains for oil shale. How about this. California and Arizona can pay all of the residents of Colorado income tax and property taxes and then we'll give them a little more water.
David H
Joined: Apr 15
Points: 288 Permanent link to this commentDavid H (aka doorman907) | 1:19 PM on Saturday Aug 16
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Small arithmetic error, Bob... its been 86 years, not 76 years, since the Compact was signed in 1922.
George K
Joined: Apr 2
Points: 340 Permanent link to this commentGeorge K (aka gkb2008) | 3:19 PM on Saturday Aug 16
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McCain stressed that he has no intention of taking additional Colorado water, but emphasized that talks should occur.
"Let me make one thing perfectly clear: I would never advocate any course of action that would damage the state of Colorado's rights over the water, or any other water resources that is going to be one of the most precious commodities for Colorado and the entire West," the presidential hopeful said. "I would never support any policy or any federal role that would impair the state of Colorado or others state's rights to their resources. But I know there have been discussions amongst the governors. I encourage those discussions as to how we best use a scarcer and scarcer resource in the West."
To Bob Ewegen:
McCain is a firm believer in states rights. You have just cost McCain the presidency and given us Obama as CIC based on a lie. I hate the way the liberal press covers this election with every fiber in my body.
McCain was talking about decades down the line and it would be up to the states. You have cost McCain the election on a lie. Shame on you Bob.
McCain believes in states rights and made that clear in the article. Our media is 85 percent democrats and reporters like Bob put ideology ahead of facts.
You liberal reporters love to take McCain out of context and lie.
This is unhealhty for a democracy to have 85 percent of the media as democrats.
Our media takes sides like Pravda with Russia. Facts be damned we can smear McCain by lying about him. This is how we will end up with 300 seats in the house for pelosi, 60 dem senators for reid, and Obama as CIC.
dan simon
Joined: Aug 16
Points: 250 Permanent link to this commentdan simon (aka Dansimon) | 4:41 PM on Saturday Aug 16
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Dan Simon-
Don't blame the messenger (Ewegen) for this one.
McCain said that he wants to "renegotiate" the Compact. What - other than a raid of Colorado's water - could that mean? Are you suggesting that he wants the lower basin states to conserve more and give the savings to Colorado? Get real.
If McCain loses Colorado over this he has no one to blame but himself.
Rob
Joined: Jul 16
Points: 266 Permanent link to this commentRob (aka robktherev) | 5:33 PM on Saturday Aug 16
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To Rob: The president has nothing to do with this. The governors negotiate.
McCain is for states rights.
McCain said it would be up to the governors and he would protect Colorodo's states rights.
McCain is a western senator who believes in state's rights.
"Let me make one thing perfectly clear: I would never advocate any course of action that would damage the state of Colorado's rights over the water, or any other water resources that is going to be one of the most precious commodities for Colorado and the entire West," the presidential hopeful said. "I would never support any policy or any federal role that would impair the state of Colorado or others state's rights to their resources. But I know there have been discussions amongst the governors. I encourage those discussions as to how we best use a scarcer and scarcer resource in the West."
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