The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Letters to the Editor
PUBLISHED: June 12, 2008
To the Editor: You were right on with your article (Tim Skubick, May 29), but remember in 1992 a bill was introduced to drill for oil in Alaska, and the gulf of Mexico, but special interest groups, which I call ( not in my back yard) syndrome, had their lobby group so then president Bill Clinton vetoed the bill.
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Had he not vetoed that bill we would be looking at about $2 a galloon for gas.
By the way, the Chinese are drilling in the Gulf of Mexico about 50 miles out.
Robert Rush, Chelsea
To the Editor: Farmers do care about protecting Michigan water. That's why we support Michigan ratifying the Great Lakes Water Compact and implementing additional protections.
However, we see a real problem with the approach that legislation in the Michigan House of Representatives takes for managing large water uses.
The House bills would restrict access to water based on volume thresholds set arbitrarily without any scientific evidence of an environmental benefit.
For instance, the bills could require a farmer planning to install just one new well to water crops or greenhouse plants or provide water to animals, to apply for a water permit and be the subject of a public hearing, all in an effort to determine if the proposed use of water is in the public interest.
Farmers support water conservation, but we believe the system should be fair and produce tangible results.
Agriculture is working to conserve and protect Michigan's water while producing food, an effort we hope you agree is in the public interest.
To this end, we're simply seeking a fair and reasonable system in which science is the measuring stick to determine when a water withdrawal is harmful and when it is not.
That's why we're urging our legislators to oppose House Bills 5065-5073 and instead give consideration to passage of the Great Lakes Compact and a science-based water management approach for Michigan that does not unfairly restrict the growth of Michigan's economy.
Kenny E. Siler
President, Washtenaw County Farm Bureau
To the Editor: Police and fire protection services in Scio Township are barely adequate and under funded. As the Township has grown, the funds available to provide the public safety services Township residents demand and deserve have not kept pace with the increased need. These are some of the conclusions of the Scio Township Public Safety Committee, after 18 months of studying public safety for the Township.
The Scio Township Fire Department has only three full-time firefighters, plus paid on call firefighters, to respond to structure fires and hundreds of medical emergencies each year. The Township has reduced the number of Washtenaw County deputies who service the Township in recent years to stay within the Township's budget.
Some think that Scio Township taxes are high, but only about 3 percent of the taxes Scio collects are for Township purposes - the rest goes to schools, libraries, land preservation, and County government. Scio has one of the lowest municipal tax rates in Washtenaw County, and is one of the few townships that has no dedicated public safety millage.
The Committee believes that in order to fund a responsible level of police and fire protection, Scio residents who live outside the Village of Dexter should pay additional taxes.
The Public Safety Committee's full report is being mailed to Township residents shortly. Please read this report carefully. You may be the next person who needs a firefighter to respond to a medical emergency, or a deputy to investigate an incident at your home or business.
Nancy KeppelmanAnn Arbor
To the Editor: On June 19 at the Dexter Senior Center, a town meeting will be held to discuss the possibility of the Village of Dexter becoming the City of Dexter.
Over the past few months, members of the Citizens for Responsible Government have been listening to you, the voters, and recently submitted to the Village Council those questions that have been raised with us. There are more facts to learn and more questions to be asked.
Our position on cityhood has been neutral, though we have questioned some of the facts - particularly on the issues of taxes and services - based on our conversations with business people and the citizens of Chelsea.
Members of the Citizens for Responsible Government encourage you to attend this important meeting at 7 p.m. on June 19 at the Dexter Senior Center. Be informed. Make the time to explore the issues that will affect your future and the future of your children. This meeting is not nor should it be the end of the discussion.
Write our Trustees, let them know what you think and ask them questions. This dialogue on cityhood is about your future.
Mary Fialkowski and Charles van Heck, members of Citizens for Responsible Government
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