In my life as a well driller, both water wells and the oil field, I have witnessed and lived through boom and bust cycles. It looks like, if the bureaucrats on Foggy Bottom get their way, and depending on how the election goes, the water well industry is going to suffer another bust, or maybe be taxed to death, just when I thought I had washed the taste of all those sausages-and-crackers out of my mouth. It would, of course, be wise for all of us to fight, lobby, vote and resist with all our might any candidate or party that wants to confiscate or limit our livelihood. I will defend, from the parapets, with a broken bourbon bottle if need be, our ability to make a living for our families, and possibly more important, ourselves.

It seems the way to combat this creeping socialism is to take the high ground. We all know well water is better for us, our children and our wallets.

In today's modern society, I can't imagine who would want to drink 'crick' water Bubba had poured chlorine in. Not only do we need to emphasize the inherent safety of properly constructed wells, we need to stress CONSERVATION FOR THE CHILDREN. This is a magic phrase in America today.

The mere use of the phrase puts one on the side of truth, justice and the American way. There is not a well driller I know of that does not want to protect and conserve the resource that we have dedicated our lives to. This is the 'High Ground.' With present market demand, and at present rate of expansion, there is only so much fresh water left, and it will last for only so many years. I propose that we stress conservation! Our 'leaders' should be able to understand this on the same basic level that allows them to vote themselves nocturnal pay raises. For many years they have paid farmers NOT to grow crops, and recently they have decided to pay the State of New York NOT to train doctors. By the same logic, and in the name of CONSERVATION FOR THE CHILDREN, they should pay drillers NOT to drill wells. For example, I have two rigs that presently drill about 100 wells each per year. If the government were to pay me the insignificant sum of, say, $1000 per well NOT to drill, think of the conservation! We, as an industry would save untold millions of gallons of water for future generations. All for a pittance. While this might wreak a hardship on me, because I really do enjoy being hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and wet most of the time, I would be willing to sacrifice, because I would know that I was 'doing my part.' If the hardships became too great, the government could loan me enough money through one of their Robin Hood programs, so I could buy more rigs. This would allow me NOT to drill even more wells, thus conserving even more water. Think of it! If I had 10 rigs, I could NOT drill 1000 wells per year! Pretty soon we'd have enough water 'conserved' to last children forever. That ought to make those guys selling 'crick' water happy. I'd probably have to hire more hands too, if I wasn't on a 'fact finding' mission to the Bahamas.

Election 2000? Not to worry, I don't think Washington would know a well if they fell in! If they did, they'd probably declare it a wetland. - Wayne