Reader Comments

Well written and impeccably reasoned. The historic and incestuous relationship between the rice bandits and LCRA staff must end. Your editorial adds an important voice to those who want reform. The rice industry welfare queens and LCRA staff no doubt will continue to be difficult to deal with.
May 18, 2012, 5:19pm by Paul Freeman

Right on! Keep the truth out there for all to see.
May 19, 2012, 8:27am by Bay Peterson

FINALLY an article that tells the truth based upon discovered and documented facts instead of the usual "spin" or news articles on this subject taken almost verbatem from the LCRA website. As these facts have unfolded over the last 24 months, many of us have become more and more outraged. The rice farmers have a generational welfare/entitlement mentality that has been SO exposed. One of the most dominant rice farmers was actually quoted in the press as saying if his water was cut off in 2012 he would have to lay off one of his pilots and cancel the $50,000 per year insurance policy on his private plane!
May 18, 2012, 7:57pm by waterbiz

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!! As a wife and business partner of one of the Lake Buchanan delegates chosen to represent our water rights here in the Hill country, I Thank you! My husband spent many days and many miles working on the Water Management Plan that was approved by a majority of the panel. It has been very interesting over the past several years to watch the truth about the relationship between the rice farners and the LCRA and STAFF be brought to the surface. We Must fight with all we have to preserve our equal rights to our water!! Thank God for Jo Karr Tedder, all of the CTWC board and concerned people like yourself who are willing to stand and let our voices be heard. We own a 23 home lake resort with a marina that has been setting on the ground since the end of June 2011. We do not have any subsidies! This is our fourth time to experience this in 12 years. It's time for the rice farmers and their lawyers and lobbiest to wake up!!
May 18, 2012, 2:40pm by Donna Williams

Wow somebody finally telling it like it is. I think it's time they grow something else or give it up. Rice takes way to much water.
May 19, 2012, 9:56pm by Kathy

Great article, it is time for these RICE farmers to change what they grow, we all know that farming RICE is water wasting. If I want rice I will buy it from a place that has plenty of water NOT Texas.
May 20, 2012, 8:24am by Ken Dreger

Finally the press begins to awaken, even if you are in home waters, a well researched piece on this community's most pressing issue. The decline of business dollars and tax revenue. The rice farmers and LCRA's cozy relationship needs to be revealed. There is much much more for you to learn. Much more to write. How about the private charters out of Houston for the rice farmers to meet with one of the original terrosit, Fidel Castro. The story goes on and on. Thank you so much for a great intro.
May 20, 2012, 7:10pm by Bob Webbon

Very good letter. I just want to add that the days of flooding fields in Texas needs to be an event of the past. With cheap water and government subsidies it is still not profiable, then they need to do like all other farmers seek to do, and that is to find a crop that is profitable. I say price the water to the Rice farmers at the same price the City of Austin pays and lets see how much water they buy. I live on Lake Travis and I have only had water in my cove for 4-5 months out of the past 2.5 years. My dock sits on the ground now and I blame the Rice Farmers.
May 23, 2012, 10:33am by Chris Griesbach

I live on Lake Buchanan. The lake has been down by 12-15 feet for the past 1.5 years. The property value has dropped considerably and our property is no longer lake side property with any water, but still we are paying taxes on lake side property. In addition LCRA forcing property owners to purchase a raw water contract to water their lawns, and at the present time most pumps can no longer draw the water from the lake.This is very disturbing.
May 29, 2012, 11:21pm by Calvin Stelly

I totally agree 100%, rice farmers need to find alternate crops to grow that use less water. Water is a resource we all must conserve and not waste. Here is a thought, remove 100% of any farming subsidy and let them figure out how to make an honest buck again on farming. Paying any farmer to grow nothing is incomprehensible.
August 06, 2012, 1:38pm by Ken Dreger