MLIRD director supports Hansen
MOSES LAKE - I support Mick Hansen for Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District (MLIRD) board.
About 3 years ago I was talking with friends about the MLIRD dredge project. Having lived on the lake when I was a child and hearing that MLIRD was trying to clean it up excited me.
Soon I was going to their meetings, but it didn't take long to realize that not everything at MLIRD was rosy as you would imagine.
Many of the projects were going well as the work on Connelly has greatly improved this facility. The weeds in the lake were getting under control due to the aquatic weed treatment program. The Parker horn pump station greatly improved the stagnate water in that part of the lake. The fishing derby, hydroplane boat races, and water quality institute were all bringing people to Moses Lake.
The MLIRD, a very small group that few people even new existed, and saw several things that concerned me. They had increased the tax assessment by 100 percent, were allowing the MLIRD directors to receive medical insurance paid for by the tax payers, and the boundaries were uncertain at best. My friends convinced me that in order to change things I would have to run for office. I did and I won the election.
I don't work for the MLIRD I work for the taxpayers who elected me. In the past two years I have been able to get the insurance stopped, as it was illegal, and had the MLIRD boundaries redefined saving the tax payers thousands of dollars. The Moses Lake School District alone is entitled to a refund check of approximately $100,000, as they have been paying a MLIRD tax they did not even owe. Other MLIRD taxpayers are also due a refund, all they have to do is ask for it.
Because of all the changes made, I have become very unpopular by some of the staff at MLIRD. I since have been kept in the dark about things going on, have been called a liar, and even mentioned to the Grant County Sheriff's Office as a person of interest in the sinking of the barge (an eco-terrorist) by members of the MLIRD staff. Get real; at the time the barge was sunk I was sporting a cast on my foot and on crutches.
This is what I don't like. MLIRD has a permit for 5 years in order to remove the silt east of Alder Street fill using a dredge. For the last year management claims the project is on schedule and working as planned. That would make you believe one-fifth of the silt has been removed. I challenge you to stand on Alder Street fill and look east, what do you see? A larger lake and island one-fifth the size it was last year? Doesn't look like it to me. The dredge is not working as planned and something needs to be done to either get it working properly or other options need to be looked at.
MLIRD has plans to remove silt from other areas of the lake but unless this area can be cleaned up in a timely and cost effective manner the other areas cannot be addressed. If you live in one of these areas, don't expect anything to happen soon if ever.
MLIRD has spent thousands of taxpayer dollars on slick brochures and huge ads in the paper, patting themselves on the back, trying to convince you they are doing their job.
When I was elected less than 1,000 MLIRD taxpayers voted. At last year's election thousands of people voted. That tells me we are all interested in the quality of the water in Moses Lake.
My only agenda is to see that you get your money's worth and Moses Lake cleaned up. Help get MLIRD back on track. Go to the polls and vote for Mick Hansen for MLIRD director.