Lake Level Ballot Aftershock?

Last week’s announcement of the results of a vote orchestrated by Arrowhead’s Joe Harwood was released in area publications and on-line sites like this one. Harwood’s mission was to prod Grand Lake elected officials, and candidates to become elected officials, to take a simple yes or no position on whether Grand Lake’s level should be dropped prior to the last major holiday of the season, Labor Day.

Even though three notices were sent out and the voting deadline extended, some elected officials and candidates didn’t respond until after the deadline. Letters surfaced this week from Disney Mayor Judy Barger and Congressional candidate Charles Thompson. Barger’s letter cited a trying time for her family and the tragic death of a family member as being her primary focus during the month-long lake level ballot cycle. When I received her e-mail, it was addressed to Joe Harwood and I forwarded it on to him for his information.

Harwood acknowledged the letter by saying, “While I am saddened to hear of the death of one of the Barger family, the notices were sent three times and the Arrowhead office was contacted about the ballot by the mayor of Disney for clarification. We understand now that if she had voted it would have been against lowering the lake before Labor Day weekend. We just wish we would have received her information in time to include it in our published results. Our condolences go out to the mayor and her entire family.”

While the distractions surrounding the mayor of Disney can’t be denied, it appears Dan Boren’s opponent for the second congressional district seat has elected to capitalize on the Grand Lake level issue as nothing other than a political opportunity to criticize the opposition.

Thompson talked to Joe Harwood on multiple occasions, was fully aware of the associated deadline and of the plan to publish the results. The short version of his after-the-fact letter goes like this….FERC governs itself and sets it’s own laws which are not to be violated, the only way to change this is for a congressional initiative to modify the agencies authority, Boren should be ashamed he hasn’t had this fixed long ago and is just trying to make political hay, Thompson talked with everyone, maybe even the almighty, about the issue and it’s high time the lake was taken back from the federal government by the very people who work and play on Grand lake.

While the candidates points would play well at a Tea Party rally and most Grand Lakers in attendance would readily stand up and cheer, isn’t this some of the very political strategy Mr. Thompson claims to oppose? While our founding fathers have gotten a lot of press in recent years about their intentions within the constitution and what they might do if still alive today, I can’t imagine Franklin, Adams, Jefferson and the rest of the boys having a problem with a simple decision. One might think a candidate with an e-mail address of patriot@takeamericaback.com might have jumped on a white horse and ripped the lake right out of those ill advised federal hands. But in fairness to the candidate, he does reveal in his letter he would oppose lowering the lake below the 744’ elevation prior to the Labor Day weekend.

Both of these letters can be found under the local news button in the letters category. We’re as hopeful as we ever have been about the prospects of getting something done on this issue. As long as the politicians are throwing stones at one another and we can get some unity following the election, this may be our best hope ever.