The failure of Michigan politicians to do the right thing by the responsibilities of the Great Lakes State, and dangerous loopholes left in water protections by the other seven Great Lakes states, points out the need for something new and urgent in this area of water commercialization: a citizen water board at the state (and someday at the regional) level.
The fact is that our politicians are too compromised by special interests in most cases to think beyond the next election cycle. And the next election's successes, as they know, are frequently determined by campaign cash. So decisions about public ownership of water that could have ramifications for centuries are being made on the basis of two- or four-year election cycle thinking.
What is needed, by citizen initiative most likely, is a three-member or five-member unpaid board of citizens charged with defending the public trust in water from all threats, foreign and domestic, and to exercise power to do so.
Sign me up Dave. Looking forward to your additional thoughts.
gw
Posted by: Gary Wilson | June 28, 2008 at 12:23 PM