Response to Citizens for Fair Water

This is a response to the March 22 opinion letter from “Citizens for Fair Water” (Bob Cress, Shane Brooks, Ron Wandler, Jim Rokosch) about the Bitter Root Irrigation District. First, the specifics: yes, they were correct about this: The Bitter Root Irrigation District has never so much as hinted that they would EVER stop water delivery to the Three Mile water users simply because a misguided few have chosen to file a lawsuit. The water and great customer service that BRID has always provided can be expected to continue (if you need a testimonial, we have a very complimentary, hand-written letter of praise from Shane Brooks).
The “Citizens” letter goes on to use words like “forced,” “threat” and “declare” regarding BRID’s offer to allow the Three Mile gravity system users to form a sub-district. Sitting in this home-like office, getting to know the hard-working BRID crew, our fearless, hardworking and patient leader, John Crowley, and the smart and thoughtful commissioners on our board, it’s almost laughable to read an article making BRID out to be some kind of malicious monster. I say “almost” because the fact that all of the time, effort and financial resources being used in this unfounded lawsuit could instead be spent maintaining infrastructure is simply not funny.
Avoiding the tit-for-tat that has become tiresome, here is a very brief, simple summary of the situation: 30 years ago, BRID irrigators in the Three Mile area needed a better system. Those users could not get a government loan as private citizens, so they asked the BRID board for help. BRID acted as a co-signer (or “sponsor”) on a loan from the Soil Conservation Service. The SCS made a stipulation that, as a sponsor, BRID had to maintain the Three Mile gravity system for 30 years, or the life of the loan. BRID agreed and the system was installed. When BRID staff realized a couple of years ago that this loan would be paid off in February of 2016 and the water users would need to manage the system on their own (just like the dozen or so other gravity systems in the district), they decided to offer the Three Mile gravity system users some help. The option of becoming a sub-district was presented.
Here’s a little story that seems off-topic at first, but in reality is directly on point. There were a few attorneys in my family and I have spent time working as a legal secretary. I remember being told of “the four F’s of lawsuits”. This attorney who spoke of the Four F’s said the first red flag of a “Four F-er” was a lawsuit where the plaintiff(s) asked for the defendant to pay for all of the legal fees of both sides. Interestingly, Citizens For Fair Water has requested that BRID pay their legal fees (which, by the way, is actually YOU – BRID “pays for things” with your tax dollars).
So, here are those F’s:
#1: Find a target (the target being some kind of entity that appears to have deep pockets);
#2: Form a group/non-profit;
#3: Feign a majority and a cause (typically, give your group a flowery name – something like “Bitterrooters for Beautiful Landscapes) and feign that the group represents a large majority;
#4: Force a lawsuit.
Is this a pattern? Has anyone in the “Citizens for this-or-that” followed the “4 F’s” steps in recent years? Possibly more than once? Did they ask that their opponent pay all of the legal fees of both sides? Having only lived in the valley for four or five years, I’m curious because, for the life of me, as the BRID employees work tirelessly to get water to irrigators safely and efficiently, year after year, I see no legitimate reason or benefit to filing a frivolous lawsuit and forcing hardworking Ravalli County taxpayers to fund it. Again.
Stacy Coulter
Corvallis