 |
| Photo: Watauga Democrat |
Jordan has finally -- as expected -- introduced a "kill bill" to stop Boone's water intake on the New River.
That's after a local referendum that passed with over 70% of voters saying they were willing to have their rates raised so that Boone could have a dependable supply of water for the next generation. That's after over six years of work -- assessing needs, measuring current water capacities, finding and purchasing land on the New River, going beyond Department of Environment and Natural Resources regs for minimizing impacts on adjacent landowners, making sure the intake pipe was below the river bed so as to preserve recreational rafting, spending months obtaining the necessary state and federal permits. That's after investing $1.5 million in public funds to ensure that Boone can grow responsibly.
Will Soucek sign on to the "kill bill"? It would certainly be a new and easy way for him to punish the town he clearly hates. He's been heard by staffers around the General Assembly to declare that he doesn't care what happens to Boone, because Boone doesn't vote for him. And that's the most logical impetus behind both his and Jordan's vendetta against the town: its residents tend to vote Democratic.
The only problem for Soucek is that the big developers who pull his strings want that water. They just want it without the hassles of following land-use development guidelines in the extra-territorial jurisdiction. If Jordan's turd bill passes, no one gets any water. New development grinds to a halt. A town that can't grow begins to die.
Neither Jordan nor Soucek regard Boone as part of their constituency. But the wreckage they've been busily causing will be their lasting legacy.
What can we expect of Jordan, a man trained by the Art Pope enterprise, then settled in Ashe winning by using Pope and company's dirty campaign tactics with lots of Pope's dollars.
ReplyDeleteThis is evidence that Soucek and Jordan care less for the good of the people they 'supposedly' serve.
These two are more than Pope's puppet on a string, they are attached with umbilical cords.
These so called conservatives make no sense. They continuously preach smaller government while making laws that use the state to trump local governmet. They spend time and money on making laws about who you can love. Soucek and Jordan are contridicting themselves. Soucek: ETJ: no zoning rules but we want the town water so we can expand development unregulated. Jordan: No water for you, Boone, so no new development. These guys are idiots and toolbags.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt the Republican Corporate 1% Cowboys are using the ole water rights of western history, we will cut off their water so those 99% Boone citizens will die of thirst and we will rule in a Republican Corporate Water Paradise..
ReplyDeleteHow about a bill to just privatize all water, and give its control over to some mega-corporation run by Pope, or Kochs, or both? Why should communities have government-run water systems anyway, sounds like Socialism to me....
ReplyDeleteanonymous....that sounds like a great idea! But, of course, ASU has it's own water supply - what can we do about them?
ReplyDeleteConcerns about this mentioned on the other thread should have let you know people were trying to get this fiasco removed.
ReplyDeleteBoone doesn;t own the water.
brotherdoc,
ReplyDeleteIt is happening:
http://ashevillewater.blogspot.com/
Politic 101: Soucek and Jordan ARE GOING TO WIN, again. You are out of touch with the common man so much you never see the political landscape. You think you are smarter than God and you never pass on the opportunity to share with eveyone their stupidity. We hear you and we always vote against you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jonathan Jordan. The County Commissioners had the chance to stop this power grab by the Town of Boone by denying the watershed designation change. The Town of Boone's selection of this water intake was to cripple and control Watauga County. With this water intake they would have complete control of all current and future water supply. With a "mere flick of the wrist" Jonathan Jordan has joined with Dan Soucek to put an end to the bullying onerous and crippling control of the Town of Boone over the rural people of Watauga County and Ashe County with respect to the watershed designation. Can the watershed designation be reversed now? This watershed designation negatively impacted 1700 parcels of land. Many farmers knew what this meant. Thank you Jonathan and Dan for being true conservatives and valuing our property rights.
ReplyDeleteIf the Town of Boone did plan as is suggested, then how did the watershed designation change become a "time is of the essence" decision? Why was the right of way situation a fiasco?
The only thing the Town of Boone planned was complete power grab of Watauga County rural area.
This is just ridiculous. Years and years of work, and over a million dollars, down the drain in one fell swoop. That "local bill" thing needs to be revisited. State legislators who have not been involved in local decisions should not be allowed to reverse years of work like this. Imagine if Cullie Tarleton had tried to pass a law like this to "punish" a town that did not vote for him. Conservatives would have hit the roof. I thought conservatives were all for local control and limited government??
ReplyDeleteAlthough conservatives make no sense, I do find a seed of rationality in denying water to the Town of Boone. At some point we need a plan that will determine at what point enough growth has occured. We need strict zoning laws to curtail large corporations and subdivisions from taking water that the college or citizens need. As growth is "managed" we can start looking at policies that will limit individual water usage by citizens. I believe by mandating No Flush toilets in every household, a water "sin tax", and smaller lawns, we will be able to legislate our way to less water usage. Boone can grow, just not as fast as it has been over the past 10 years. Jordan has sort of the right idea, but I wish it had come from someone else.
ReplyDeleteWell, I might have known, Deborah. I thought I recognized your fingerprints around Jordan's throat.
ReplyDeleteBettywhite, conservatives are for control of government. The state is controlling a municipality in this case which is a form of control. Does anyone really think Boone needs to be able to draw MORE water from the New River? And what of the citizens downriver from Boone who have controlled their growth; should they suffer?
ReplyDeleteHas Boone explored any options? How about requiring all citizens and businesses connected to Boone water/sewer to fund their own rainwater catchment basins which would be fed directly into the water system? Right now that rainwater is wasted. Boone has other options available to it other than drawing from the New River. Mountain Mama hit on some other options as well.
When will we get elected representatives on both sides committed to long term, less-invasive solutions to our environmental problems? Both sides of the isle seem self serving on this issue. Self sustaining living practices, including out-houses and laundary lines might one day become necessary. We are destroying the environment as an alarming rate. Only strict, goverment based regulations that favor the environment, not municipalaties or individuals will suceed in allowing us to remain on this planet.
The reason Jordan is against it is because he doesn't want the river protected.
ReplyDeleteHmmm..... correct me if I'm wrong here: usually conservatives are the ones who say that God put us here on earth to use all these resources for ourselves. Funny, they don't give a damn about the environment or the effect on nearby people when the issue is drilling for oil or cutting timber or fracking for natural gas or mountaintop removal for coal. Maybe if a big corporation was trying to build a water intake, they'd be screaming about "free enterprise."
ReplyDeleteFunny, JW. I've seen your fingerprints around the necks of all other politicos in this area for years. Unless Pam dubs them with her kiss of death.
ReplyDeleteAnd your most recent fingerprint necklace wearer is little Tommy Adams.
Soucek and Jordan are the only legislators from this area in many years that are completely free of your fingerprints and everyone else, including Deb Greene.
The reason Jordan is against it is because he doesn't want the river polluted.
ReplyDeleteNo Anon, the reason Jordan is against it is because it plays into this idiot campaign D.G. and company are trying to run with their us vs them chickencrap. Good Rural people vs Bad urbanites and ASU. Because dividing and spreading hate is all they know over coming up with real solutions.
ReplyDeleteAlso if you took the time to read things like the public hearing that was done on this matter you'd see that the department of natural resources and the division of water quality ruled that the intake proposal would have no impact on the environment at all.
No impact on tourism at all.
And since the new river area around the intake would have it's status bumped from C+ to WS-IV
Translation: The water and the area around it would have stricter pollution standards, stricter standards on construction, and would increase the survival of wildlife in the area.
So Jordan pushing this kill bill to protect the river is a big fat lie. Maybe he's against those job killing regulations? Or the fact it'll restrict people wishing to build in the area?
Probably not, if anything it's just like the BS Soueck tried to pull. An abuse of his power to try and push a punitive measure against Boone because we vote Democrat.
The only difference is that unlike Soueck we don't know who his pimps are yet.
You people think the leftists in Boone are the only people that deserve representation. What elitist BS.
ReplyDeleteI was just wondering why support for Jordan's bill is running three to one in favor of the bill on the Watauga Democrat site? Could it be Jordan is actually listening to his constituents?
ReplyDeleteSo riddle me this then Anon.
ReplyDeletewhen Soueck pushed his bill through while totally ignoring the town of Boone and Watauga county, were you fine with that?
when Jordan pushed his bill through without consulting a single soul in Watauga county (still part of his district) Were you fine with that too?
Last time I checked following these stories wasn't the main reason Ashe county thru a hissyfit over the intake plan due to claiming they didn't have any say in what went down?
But of course it's PERFECTLY fine when a republican ignores us evil urbanites to push an agenda that represents your views?
Feel free to try and find an answer to that question that doesn't make you sound like a complete and total hypocrite.
Soucek's bill did not ignore Watauga County as evidenced by the outcry of many county residents opposed to the Boone ETJ.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know no citizen of Watauga County approached Jordan on this matter? However you reached this conclusion, you were in error, as I am a resident of Watauga County and spoke with him on the issue several times.
Get you facts straight , Jesse.
Hey the new river is only 6,000 years old, according to Soucek.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hcpress.com/letters-to-the-editor/letters-so-lets-go-down-the-list.html
ReplyDeleteYou want to talk getting facts straight? Lets start with this and the utter lies being spewed by the so called friends of the new river and a petition full of them.
And answer me this Anon, why is Jordan, and why are you against restricting development around this scenic beauty you want to protect, and giving it more protection against wastewater and storm runoff by fighting the reclassification?
Get it through your head, Jordan does not care about you, or care about the River, all he cares about is winning Ashe county to get reelected so he's using this as a wedge issue.
All he and Soueck really care about is who is lining their pockets, who keeps them in power, and how can they get more of it.
And the fact that a political party that screams to us about govt overreach, and what a dictator Obama is by using the power of the state to rule us all without our consent, but doesn't bat an eye when its a republican doing it to mean ol democrat filled boone again shows what unethical unprincipled, and outright hypocrites every last one of you supporting this kill bill are.
Jesse, because you are not God or the emperor of North Carolina and you do not have the right to infringe on MY property rights.
ReplyDeleteYou apparently agree that you had your facts wring because you did not address the issue.
Why do you not thnk the citizens of Todd and other places than Boone in Watauga county or in Ashe county should not have tier views represented?
Mr Jesse
ReplyDeleteI would like to know why you think Mr Soucek and Mr Jordan are bought off and who you think is behind all this controversy. Please give evidence.