To the editor 鈥 The paramount constitutional responsibility is security, far beyond a good military, police force and emergency services. Security includes a safety-net for the old and infirm, jobs for us to acquire our daily needs, transportation, medications, education and utilities.
All this, in America, by the Constitution鈥檚 defense of capitalism. Unconstitutional socialism controls means of production, 鈥渟ecurity鈥 provides roads, schools, infrastructure and opportunities.
Yakima has farms, (hundreds of square miles), hiring thousands of workers, producing billions of dollars. It鈥檚 reasonable: water provides security. Growth needs water; pipes and pumps, capitalization, easements to redirect millions of acre-feet yearly into our irrigation districts.
Our basin uses more water than the irrigation districts drain; currently, wells are required. It鈥檚 time, with administrative competence and a project good for the Army Corps of Engineers, for us to adapt to climate.
Together, we need to lobby Rep. Dan Newhouse, and Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, to redirect water from the west pumping into our reservoirs, solving east-side drought, improving support for our fish, irrigation and people. Ask for a submarine-nuclear-generator, pumps, a few hundred miles of pipe, eminent domain and add several million acre-feet of water, sustaining our fish and farms.
WALT WEGENER
Toppenish
