Dialogging in the PIP forest

[James Marple <jesl@carolina.net>]

Greeetings from a sometime advisor to and spokesman for the Citizens for Responsible Water Management and other groups.
I've been a pain in the ear to the EPA, CA officials and those in a dozen other states over the past decade, mumbling inanities about the need to catch raindrops where they fall and guide them into aquifers rather than letting these little devils transport pollutants and accumulate in flooding quantity.  

I'll comment re public involvement because I've seen too little concern for how public affairs are managed, and consider EPA actions critical to water conservation.  (Which Noah defines as "A careful preservation and protection of something; esp. a planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction or neglect," NOT as reduced usage, cutting smaller slices of the pie to suit politicians/bureaucrats and their mentors in the private sector.)

I look forward to interchanges between persons outside government on this forum since we know the dimensions of the box public servants must work within, though I've found considerable diversity in EPA opinion and hope this can continue. If a clearer view of the roles of all involved is gained I'd consider this a huge step forward. I'd rather leave goal-tending to those who represent us in this and other government agencies, as long as I'm given timely notice of preparation of changes in direction and full disclosure of data/deliberations.  

I'd like to see this forum a permanent fixture, if a means to keep it from being polluted by special interests can be devised, but my observation of professional wordsmiths on other forums tells me they'd circumvent any precaution.  I'd like to remind all that the small number of 'ordinary' citizens commenting here represent millions of people each, in  a way, and so accept a form of obligation to be tolerant, thoughtful, open-minded and demanding of truths to the best of their ability. (Hope this consideration doesn't lead to excessive solemnity, however.)