Vote No On the Grendell Amendment

I was thrilled and even relieved when I learned Ohio would be moving quickly to approve the Great Lakes Compact. Thrilled because I feel strongly that we have to do everything to protect the most important resource this region has, fresh water. Sure we can build Medical Marts, stadiums and wind turbines and leverage these projects to stimulate economic development, that's a good thing. As promising as these ideas sound nothing is a sure thing as water is. They may not come for the biotech and alternative energy but they will eventually have to come for the water. Getting the eight state and two Canadian province region out ahead on preserving the precious resource that is the Great Lakes is key to our future. We ain't gonna let you stick a two thousand mile long straw in our damn lake.

I am also relieved that the compact is a go because I didn't want to see the thing get delayed or even derailed by one obstinate individual. Most of the hold up in Ohio has been over the reservation of state senator Tim Grendell. His reservations about the impact of the compact on private claims to groundwater and lake access (which are already addressed in the compact) had started to look like they were going to do damage or threaten the multi-state agreement. Grendell's insistence that the approval of the compact be tied to the prerequiste passage of his lovingly crafted property rights amendment by statewide vote seemed above and beyond his normal thirst for attention. I understand Grendell is a property rights extremist but I had trouble understanding how one guy was able to hold up the Ohio approval of the compact and thus endanger the whole process of approval.

Well last week something changed and Grendell was able to assuage his own fears (well founded I'm sure) and come to an agreement with the Ohio Environmental Council on terms within the compact. Tim was willing to forgo linking the passage of the compact with a vote first on his special ballot initiative. I'd like to think that some senior Republican figure like George Voinovich made a call or a drop in visit to Grendell and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Maybe he'll get the nod to run for State Attorney General in the next election or something like that.

In the end the State of Ohio and its Great Lakes neighbors win by taking an important step in preserving the Great Lakes. What a refreshing outlook that is. Yes folks we don't have to convert resources into cash as quickly and irresponsibly as possible to thrive as a society. Grendell has gotten loads of publicity as a staunch advocate of property rights and that's good for him and his private legal practice. As for the amendment, I'm voting no on that one. Consider the source.