Friday, August 21, 2009

Pat Mulroy's Secret Plan


It's not surprising that Southern Nevada Water Authority's (SNWA's) Pat Mulroy wants to present only her best case for building the Groundwater Development Project (watergrab pipeline). But, omission is a form of lying. And what Pat Mulroy leaves out is often more important than what she says. Here is a list of; what Pat Mulroy won't stop talking about, and what Pat Mulroy won't talk about.


...Won't Stop: how low Lake Mead water levels are

Won't Talk: every other lake on the Colorado River is full


...Won't Stop: how Las Vegas is doomed in 20 years without more water

Won't Talk: Las Vegans' water use indicates they presently have plenty of water


...Won't Stop: drought, as if it only effects the Las Vegas economy

Won't Talk: the cost of the project – which could cost the Las Vegas economy up to (one independent estimate of) $20 billion, and if growth doesn't occur as expected, would mean an unnecessary debt of $10,000 for every man, woman, and child in the Las Vegas Valley



...Won't Stop: with all the new residents we're destined to see in the future, there won't be enough water pressure for fire hydrants (yeah, right)

Won't Talk: There isn't room for another million people in Las Vegas. Most of the water will go to Coyote Springs, towards Primm and Indian Springs, and maybe even Pahrump. Effectively, SNWA wants the rotting inner city to pay for growth on the fringes.


...Won't Stop: how Las Vegas businesses need a reliable source of water to get financing

Won't Talk: rich Developers and Construction Companies are trying to sucker Las Vegas residents to pay for the pipeline


...Won't Stop: how expensive it would be to pump desalinated water to Las Vegas

Won't Talk: trading desalinated water with California for a bigger allotment of water from the Colorado River


...Won't Stop: the environmental impacts of a desalination plant on the coast

Won't Talk: offshore desalination plants


...Won't Stop: this is just “Nevadans helping Nevadans”

Wont Talk: the water they intend to take will make them billions – a far cry from what White Pine County gets from Las Vegas taxes (most of which is for roads that Southern Nevadans and tourists to Las Vegas also use).


...Won't Stop: how other cites have taken water from Rural areas also

Won't Talk: how those water grabs were also very destructive forms of oppression of Rural areas.


It seems that Pat Mulroy has left out some very important information.


In summation; Southern Nevada developers want Las Vegas residents to pay a huge undisclosed amount for a pipeline (from the desert) to build communities in other parts of Southern Nevada. And they don't care if they turn a natural Basin area possibly larger than the State of Vermont into a dustbowl to fill a man-made lake. Moreover, if the water runs out, they won't care either. Because by then they'll have already sold their new homes – and SNWA can just extend the pipeline further (for a few billion dollars more).


...And Pat Mulroy doesn't want us to know that offshore desalination is not only more responsible, but possibly even cheaper now (due to technological innovations) – because she has already made multi-million dollar commitments to the watergrab - and wants to save her image (and therefore her career).


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