By TC Richardson, Stevensville
I never thought I’d be confessing my stupidity in the newspapers, but I just found out that I am suing myself and am likely to pay for both lawyers! My only defense is that it didn’t happen all at once; more like the recipe for boiling a frog, it happens over time.
Just like 1,400 some odd other BRID irrigation water users here in the Bitterroot Valley, Ravalli County sends out my annual “Real Property Tax Statement” to be paid a couple times a year. Listed with a bunch of other “taxes” is “Bitterroot Irrigation” and, in my case, “BRID 3 Mile Project.” The county accesses me these funds that go to the Bitter Root Irrigation District (BRID) so they can provide irrigation water to all 1,400 of us from Lake Como to Florence on the East Side – which BRID has done for me since 1978.
Well, a few months ago, four fellow BRID water users in the 3 Mile area formed a new non-profit organization called Citizens for Fair Water (CFFW). They must have had some meetings because they hired a lawyer. Next, they served legal papers to the board members of the Bitter Root Irrigation District (BRID). Well, everybody knows when you get sued, you go hire a lawyer. Such legal battles are kind of like a football game. There’s an offense and a defense and you need a coach (lawyer). So, the offense (CFFW), challenged BRID who is put on the defense and was forced to hire a lawyer.
Let the games begin! In the upcoming Super Bowl, there will be two teams, but the 1,400 BRID water users are a little confused because we are playing against ourselves! We don’t have two teams going at it. We are ALL paying both coaches (lawyers) – one is coaching our offense (CFFW) and the other is coaching our defense (BRID).
Oh, maybe you didn’t know the lawsuit filed by our offense (CFFW) is requesting all legal fees to be paid by BRID. Maybe you didn’t know that your “Real Property Tax Statement Funds” will likely to be paying for BOTH lawyers! Maybe you didn’t know that you are already paying for one lawyer. Maybe you never read the lawsuit filed by CFFW on your behalf. Maybe you don’t even know who filed the lawsuit and maybe you don’t even know why they did it. Maybe you think you are just a fan sitting in the seats waiting for the game to begin. Maybe you think it’s better to let the lawyers and a judge decide for you. Old Spanish Proverb: “It is better to be a mouse in the mouth of a cat than to be a man in the hands of a lawyer.”
Believe me, we are paying! We’ll pay for both coaches and the legal appeal process that may go on for years. It may go before more than one judge and require more and more “coaches” – but, you or your kids won’t mind paying, right? Do you really think BRID has a gold mine or a money tree in the backyard to pay all of these legal fees?
When the BRID “Stupid Bowl” game is over several years from now, there will be no winners and all 1,400 of us will pay for it… I wonder if I’m the only stupid water user BRID serves.