LANSING, June 4, 2008 - Today the Michigan House of Representatives narrowly passed water use legislation that erodes private property rights and puts the state in a position to dictate how Michigan residents use water.

“The Michigan Farm Bureau is disappointed by today’s action and deeply concerned about what the future may hold with the House’s decision to extend public trust to groundwater,” said Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) Legislative Counsel Matt Smego. “Their action erodes the private property rights of Michigan landowners, and opens the door for the state to weigh in on the reasonableness of a water use. Essentially, they’re giving the state the ability to decide how you use water on your property.”

This is of grave concern to agriculture, said Smego, because “we believe that food and fiber production is in the public interest, is a reasonable use of water, and provides economic and ecological benefits. This could lead to the public picking winners and losers based on aesthetic or subjective factors.”

The legislation passed today is also flawed in that it will force more water users to obtain unnecessary permits in the absence of science, said Smego.

“Basically, the state would require Michigan businesses to spend more on permits that don’t provide any environmental benefit. It’s an approach that will hurt Michigan’s already struggling economy, while doing nothing additional for the environment,” he said.

While the legislation calls for a computerized water withdrawal assessment tool that Farm Bureau supports, House members voted against Farm Bureau policy by making the tool effective immediately. The cutting-edge tool is designed to evaluate impacts of a new or expanded water use to local streams and rivers but has never been publicly used. MFB had lobbied for a one-year evaluation period to determine the tool’s validity in the real world prior to its regulatory use.

“We believe the tool needs to be tested first and the public should be given the opportunity to comment on its strengths and weaknesses before the state begins enforcement,” said Smego. “Evaluation and education are critical for all water users, private and public, to understand their responsibilities for water conservation and efficient use.”

Article written by www.michiganfarmbureau.com

To all the readers that don’t live in Michigan, what does this mean to you? To all who do live in Michigan, how about you? Post your comments.

What This Means to Me
I am all for caring for our environment wisely, which is in essence to be good stewards of the resources that God has given us. But, politicians have always tried to cross the line and move toward governmental dictation. (Socialism at it’s prettiest)
You might try to say, “But-but-but, what if there is a shortage? What would we do? What if…”. It is amazing how people will give up their freedom because of fear. Fear is what causes people to voluntarily give up their freedom. Communism and Socialism are both caused by fear.

Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Does this mean we don’t do anything about our problems? No, of course not. But we must not give up the freedom that our brave men and woman have fought and died for, just because of a fear? No, we mustn’t!

If there is a water shortage, or one that they are predicting. Then we could establish certain precautions that would conserve water, or even create new resources. Like getting the communities together, raise the awareness of the shortage, and have them voluntarily conserve water. Helping in freedom, not dictated. There are so many other way you could conserve water that would also be good for our economy.

Don’t give up freedom because of fear.

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