On this week’s AZ Illustrated Politics: Host Jim Nintzel, Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Lea Marquez-Peterson, former Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers and Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphies talk about the chances that Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion can get through the Arizona House of Representatives; the pros and cons of election overhaul bills that are still alive at the Legislature; the IRS scrutiny of Tea Party groups; the question of whether the proposed Rosemont mine should get CAP water; the uproar over a proposal to lease El Rio golf course to Grand Canyon University; and more!
This article appears in May 16-22, 2013.
It is amazing that you allow Jeff Rogers to address the issue of water in Green Valley/Sahuarita, something he obviously knows nothing about. He states that a pipeline built by FICO will save the aquifer but a pipeline built by Community Water Company will do nothing to improve it. Does this make sense to anyone? He also states that the FICO pipeline will allow them to “cease altogether” groundwater pumping, a claim that cannot be substantiated.
What he is saying is a 36″ FICO pipeline will allow them to discontinue their pumping of between 25,000 and 30,000 acre feet of groundwater annually but that an identical 36″ Community Water pipeline will do “nothing to improve the aquifer”. This is pure nonsense.
Rogers opposes Rosemont Copper, I get that, but the City of Tucson not allowing Community Water Co. a temporary connection (upon completion of a new Pima Mine Rd. bridge over the Santa Cruz the pipeline will be extended back to the CAP terminus at I-19) to their jointly owned CAP/Tucson Water pipeline will not stop Rosemont Copper permitting, it will only deny the Green Valley/Sahuarita from addressing it’s overdraft issues in the near term. And remember, while Rosemont Copper has a permit to pump up to 6,000 acre feet annually, FICO has been pumping in excess of 25,000 acre feet annually for decades.
Get your facts straight Mr. Rogers.