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With droughts becoming more common,
few things are more important
than being smart about protecting our local water supply.
How we manage our water
is critical for our farms, our families,
and our fishery.
But plans to open Oregon's largest water
bottling operation in Hood River County
would set the precedent that we're willing
to trade away our water security for a
small number of low-paying jobs.
That dangerous precendent is why
over 100 local businesses
and over 60 farmers and orchardists
have endorsed a YES vote on 14-55,
the Water Protection Measure.
Nestlé's political hype that 14-55
would "hurt" Cascade Locks just isn't true.
Many Cascade Locks residents like myself
support Measure 14-55 and think nothing
would hurt our town more than giving away
control of our limited water supply to a
corporation like Nestlé.
Talk about a loss of local control!
Water bottling plants also commonly truck
in water from surrounding areas,
meaning a plant anywhere in our county
puts water supplies everywhere in our
county at risk.
And Oxbow Springs is an important sacred
site for Native Americans, and undermines
treaty rights they've had since 1855.
While Nestlé claims its automated water
bottling plant would bring "50" jobs,
even this exaggerated number is fewer jobs
than some local restaurants support.
And even though these are mainly low-paying
cleaning and security jobs, Nestlé won't
promise even one job to a local.
The claim that Nestlé's plant would
increase tax revenue for fire and police
is misleading and ironic. Nestlé knows
well about the corporate tax loophole that
would let it use the roads, police and fire services
we residents pay for,
while it wouldn't have to pay a dime
in property taxes for FIVE or potentially
even FIFTEEN years.
Don't buy Nestlé's political hype.
Join people from Cascade Locks and from
across our county, who want a water future
that protects our farms, our families,
and our fishery.
I'm Aurora del Val,
Director of the Local Water Alliance.
Please join me
in voting YES on 14-55.
Support a future we can all be proud of.