I am truly at a loss for words. I don’t know how to respond to Mike Simpson’s proposal to breach the lower 4 Snake River Dams Ice Harbor—Lower Monument—Little Goose and Lower Granite all in Washington State. He along with Washington’s Governor Inslee and two Democratic Senators Patty Murry and Marie Cantwell, want to use $33billion of Federal Funds to start the process of breaching the dams. They have no idea if this will have any impact on future Salmon runs in fact Mike stated:
“I want to be clear that I’m not certain removing these dams will restore Idaho salmon and prevent their extinction,” Simpson told the Statesman. “But I am certain if we do not take this course of action, we are condemning Idaho salmon to extinction.” That statement gets a C- for logic and an F for wisdom.
Kind of the same logic used when we were 1st told we need not wear masks to stop the dreaded COVID-19, then one mask would stop the dreaded COVID-19 for sure, and then finally you have to wear two masks to stop the virus—thus proving that one mask doesn’t stop the virus—unless it is an N-95 not made in China.
Not certain? 33billion dollars! These dams aren’t even in his district. Washington’s two US Representatives in the involved districts—Washington 5 & 6, Rep. Cathy Rodgers and Rep. Dan Newhouse, both are strongly against the dams being breached. In fact, a Federal Report last year with input from all stakeholders and government agencies strongly recommended not breaching the dams because of the severe economic impact. This breaching would have severe effects on agricultural irrigation, power generation, and transportation of wheat and other Palouse farm goods through the Eastern most Pacific Port of Lewiston. Think how much rail and truck shipping prices will go up if they don’t have to compete against the Columbia River barge routes to the Far East.
The economics is a discussion for another article. What I would like to examine would be the principles that are the basis of Mr. Simpson’s political philosophy and policy recommendation. Who could possibly argue that they are Conservative? Does this proposal protect private property and private investment? Does it follow the principle of subsidiarity? Should the local most unit of government—the unit of government closest to the people, be making the decisions for the people most involved? Mike Simpson wasn’t even elected by the people in Eastern Washington who will be most affected. And the two Democratic Senators in Washington State representing 7.6 million people almost 70% democrats west of the Cascades, don’t represent the 1.4 million people in Eastern Washington—mostly Republicans.
How would Mike feel if the two Senators from Washington led an effort to shut down the INEEL because they didn’t like Nuclear Energy and they don’t like Navy Nuclear propulsion? I bet Mike would tell them to take a hike and mind their own business. Just what I bet Rep. Newhouse and Rep. Rodgers have recently told Rep. Simpson maybe even this morning when they read the article. There must be a large national lobby of “greenie weenies” making big time contributions to the Simpson campaign kitty. Wouldn’t it be nice if WE THE PEOPLE could breach the walls of corporate campaign financing and find out just who is behind all this? George Soros—The Hollywood Elite—The Clinton or Gates Foundations?
One last concept that has legal, economic, and ethical implications are the ideas of dominion and sovereignty. Are we going to allow for politicians living on the coasts and east of the “Big River” to make decisions that will take away western businesses and lifestyle when we “aren’t certain removing the dams will prevent extinction”? And what about the input from property and businesses owners all along the lower Snake River? And again what about the Federal report last year recommending no breeching of the lower Snake Dams?
I believe the Democrats in Congress see a Golden opportunity with new infrastructure government investments and a majority in Congress and a clueless President being advised by people with no respect for property rights, sovereignty, rights of dominion, and most of all the principles of subsidiarity and local governance and they believe now is the time to strike.
I have always voted for Mike Simpson and contributed to his campaigns. But he is now showing his true RINO/Romney colors. He is more interested in being a player in Washington DC than in representing his constituents—who all live in Eastern Idaho, not Eastern Washington. He will once again ask for our votes. Maybe we should ask to look at his campaign finances.
But if heaven forbid all the dams are finally breached, the fertile irrigated land in Eastern Washington could be renamed the “Mike Simpson Wilderness of No Return”
