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►Hundreds are signing this petition to Governor Abbott to stop Vista Ridge. And you? We need thousands. You can even print it out here . ►This Sunday at 6 pm, join our conference call. Reply for details. Remember this Time Magazine piece from 2004 about the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC)? Three years later the TTC was dead. Ten years later, we are faced with the Trans-Texas Water Highway. It’s called Vista Ridge. These guys still haven’t given up on the dream of modeling central Texas after southern California — to build out, pave over and leverage private land and water resources like it and we are their piggy bank. We cannot let this happen. What we have now, that we didn’t have in 2004, is the League of Independent Voters of Texas. LIV has the capacity to unite voters across party lines, even as we head into a divisive election year. ►Donate to help us hold more of these events along the Vista Ridge pipeline. (Send a check to us at PO Box 651, Bastrop, Texas 78602 or give a secure online donation == see the donate button on the right ====>) When we — together — defeat Vista Ridge, LIV will still be here and ready to build a positive vision for all our communities. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet! Promise. Texas needs us more than ever now. Thank you, Texans! #VistaRidge

Please sign this petition to Governor Greg Abbott, other statewide officials and San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor urging them to stop the Vista Ridge Water Project and to make growth pay for itself. Print out this petition on legal size paper here and on letter size paper here . We don’t have a target deadline for delivery to the Governor and others state officials, which includes your state legislators. We need your participation over the coming months to bring this into the next legislative session. [emailpetition id=”11″] Scott Carlson of Brenham, Texas , “pleaded guilty in a Houston courtroom to stealing $2.4 million from two oil companies he’d worked for as a land man.” (San Antonio Express-News, Sunday, August 20, 2006, reprinted here at TTC News Archives.) Around the time that Carlson received probation, he was door knocking in Burleson and Milam Counties . He had a check in one hand and a water lease in the other on behalf of his company Metropolitan Water Company, aka MetWater. According to this same Express-News article, “Carlson sold the leases to Layne Water Development of Texas, a subsidiary of a Kansas company, which later sold them to Ross Cummings , an Austin real estate investor who formed a company called Blue Water Systems. Cummings, who in April 2004 paid $500,000 in bond money to free Carlson from jail, said he believed the leases gave landowners a fair shake.” Do you think the vast majority of citizens in Burleson, Milam, Lee, Bastrop and Brazos Ross Cummings, President, Blue Water Systems counties, who rely on the same aquifer, got a “fair shake” when the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District granted Blue Water Systems a permit to pump 50,000 acre-feet of groundwater per year (over 44 million gallons per day) for Vista Ridge? What about the vast majority of citizens in Burleson and Milam who never signed a lease? Or what about communities who don’t want to be over-built in dry areas? And what about hundreds of landowners who will face eminent domain for this 142-mile pipeline? Did they get a “fair shake”, hmmm…Mr. Cummings? Is it the job of the San Antonio real estate lobby to make San Antonio into the water warlords of central Texas? When San Antonio ratepayers finally learn the truth about their water rates and that this water is for developers outside their city, how do you think they’re gonna feel? We’re going to get the answers on our Vista Ridge meetings tour, starting on August 18th at ground zero, Burleson County at the Caldwell Civic Center (6 pm to 8 pm). Then on to Elgin, Lockhart, San Marcos, Seguin, San Antonio, Bryan and more! See schedule here . Isn’t it time to ride these water hustlers outta town? Do this! Sign this petition :  ask Governor Abbott to stop Vista Ridge and to make growth pay for itself! Share it or print it out here and take it to folks.) Come to a local meeting — schedule here and get a yard sign. DONATE ! We need money for room rentals, advertising, and large signs. We got to these dynamite followup comments as quick as we could, due today, to the Texas Water Development Board. Today’s new comments are here . Last week’s are here with the video of the hearing. PS We know this is a long email, but try to read the Express News piece we reference. It’s chock full of important and revealing information. PPS If you click on the map on this page, it opens to better more detailed map of Vista Ridge. We’re working on getting an even better one. #GregAbbott #VistaRidge

The Vista Ridge Community Meetings are information, education and organizing sessions to tell people what they are not getting from those officials who are pushing a massive water grab in Burleson County, aka the $3.4 billion, 142-mile pipeline called Vista Ridge. Vista Ridge is set to start in 2019 and, if it’s built, will drain the Simsboro formation of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer. Vista Ridge water will be used to build out over the Edwards Aquifer between Austin and San Antonio, and therefore will put the Edwards Aquifer at risk of further pollution. What’s more, this water grab will push even more unbridled growth in central Texas — the key driver of unaffordability. (Click on the map and you’ll see a better map.) Please note that some of these meetings are not yet confirmed so keep checking back and make sure you’re on our email list. Click here to sign up to get our emails. Have you signed our petition to Governor Abbott? Please do so here . Burleson & Milam Counties – ( Caldwell ) – Tuesday, Aug. 18, 6 pm to 8 pm, City of Caldwell Civic Center, 103 W. State Hwy. 21, Caldwell, Texas:  details here Bastrop County – ( Elgin ) – Wednesday., Aug. 26, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, First National Bank of Elgin Community Room, 1312 Hwy. 290, Elgin, Texas:  details here Lee County (Lexington) — please come to the meeting at the Caldwell Civic Center on Tuesday, August 18 (see the first listing on this page). Caldwell County – ( Lockhart ) – Tuesday, Sept. 1, 6:00 to 8:00 pm, Kreuz BBQ community room, 619 Colorado, Lockhart, Texas:  details here Hays County – ( San Marcos ) – Tuesday, Sept. 22, 6 pm to 8 pm, San Marcos Library, 2 Civic Center Drive, San Marcos, Texas:  details here Bexar County ( NE San Antonio ) – Wednesday, Sept. 30, Encino Library, 2515 East Evans Road, San Antonio, Texas 78259 (please note that this meeting location and date may change) : details here Guadalupe & Comal Counties – ( Seguin ) – location and date to be announced soon Brazos County ( Bryan-College Station ) – location and date to be announced soon #VistaRidge

Congrats to Lee Dustman, who just retired! T hanks to Lee, we have this lovely booth at the Bastrop Rodeo tonight and tomorrow night — in the Carnival area. Come sign the petition to stop the Vista Ridge water pipeline and pick up an “I oppose the San Antone hose” yard sign. It’s free to visit the Carnival area. The rodeo prices are: ( with more details here ) Weekend pass $35 Nightly rodeo only ticket prices: $10 adult $5 kids ages 6-12 5 & under free It was pretty nice out last night starting about 7:30 and it’s open late! PS Please mark your calendars now for a Vista Ridge Information Session on Monday, August 24, 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the First National Bank in Elgin. #BastropRodeo #LeeDustman

We have conference calls every other Sunday at 6 pm. Call us at 512-213-4511 or email us to join the next call. Yesterday, we delivered these comments to the Texas Water Development Board at a hearing on new rules for resolution of regional water conflicts. Beware: the Governor-appointed TWDB may be under political pressure to establish rules that favor the “California plan” of mass movement of water to new developments in dry areas. Starting at about the 8-minute mark, you’ll see some moving testimony from landowners who came from NE Texas, Region D, who are fighting the Marvin Nichols Reservoir — video here . You can submit your own comments before the deadline on August 4th by 5 pm OR, you can wait to see our full comments coming to you before the Aug. 4th deadline . Send comments here: rulescomments@twdb.texas.gov with the subject line simply as: Rules Comments . Here’s what else you can do: Join our sign campaign and get an “I oppose the San Antone hose” yard sign (18″ x 24″ with bracket). They’re free with a $10 membership. OR IF WE GET AT LEAST 100 ORDERS , you can get a 4′ x 4′ sign for $25 or a 4′ by 8′ sign for $50. Here’s where you can order signs . Note: please follow the instructions on this page carefully, so we know what you’re asking for or just call us. Join an online forum about this, or start your own, on Yannect.com . Here’s what else is happening: NEXT WEEK! July 30-Aug. 1, 6 to 9 pm: Visit us or volunteer at our booth at the Bastrop Rodeo. The FARFA 9th Annual Farm & Food Leadership Conference , Sept. 25-26, Bryan-College Station. League Board member, Michele Gangnes, will be speaking on the water panel. Note:  FARFA also has a part-time position open! Hope to “see” ya on Sunday’s call — reply for the new conference line. P.S. What are you waiting for? Invite us to your community as we plan to go on the road! #RegionalConflicts #TexasWaterDevelopmentBoard #VistaRidge

We hope to see you at one or both of these upcoming events in Bastrop! ► This Sunday! (July 26th) . It’s the Bastrop River Rally by Keep Bastrop County Beautiful! Come help clean up the El Camino Paddle Trail. This is a great event including an opportunity for you to paddle — bring your own kayak or canoe, or one is provided. There’s even a run at 8:30 am. DETAILS HERE Or reply to this email or call us at the League, as we can use a few hands as well. ► Starting a week from this Thursday . Volunteer at our booth at the Bastrop Rodeo starting from Thursday, July 30, Friday July 31st or Saturday, August 1st, 6 pm to 9 pm (evenings only). We’ll be asking folks to join our growing network and to donate for the “I oppose the San Antone hose” yard signs. Reply or call us to lend a hand or just come pick up a yard sign. Details here. More information coming about regional and statewide events coming real soon! #BastropRiverRally #BastropRodeo #KeepBastropCountyBeautiful

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison. On the last statewide conference call (now every other Sunday at 6 p m), we had a great  discussion. It was about the number one problem in this country — the decline in civic participation. Do you think people would attend a football game, if they knew what the outcome would be? Can you remember a competitive election? We’ll bet the turnout was higher. This ain’t rocket science. The only real (and really hard) question then is how do we make elections competitive? We resolved that building new alliances between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials (18 to 30 year olds) is where we start. Afterall, it’s the Millennials who will soon be running the country. It’s the Boomers who have tried and failed…and must keep trying for the incoming generation. So, how do we do that? We’re going to experiment with connecting and we need YOU to help. So…you’re invited to join our experiment to connect… or shall we say Yannect?! Yannect is an online forum site where people can chat, network and share information about their communities. It’s for non-commercial users. It’s free. It’s geographically organized — there’s a site for every single town in Texas.  It’s very simple to use. And, there is NO commercial tracking (like, well, you know those other sites), therefore no real name is required. Yannect just set up a statewide forum called “Texas Independents” at our request. This is a statewide forum:  posts here will appear on every Yannect city page in Texas. Please go to www.yannect.com and “sign up” by following the simple directions. Then go to any city page (e.g. Austin, Dime Box, Dallas…wherever you are), click on the “Texas Independents” forum and start posting! We’ve started the ball rolling on Yannect with this statement in the Texas Independents Forum. I have a feeling you’ll have something to say about this: Tired of hearing from Democrats and Republicans and the same ol’ tired partisan politics? You’re at the right place. Ponder this. The most recent Gallup Poll on party identification has us at 42% of the electorate. So-called “Millennials” (18-30 year olds) are a whopping 50% independent. What does being politically independent mean to you and, if you are an independent, say why Don’t give up on each other — Boomers and Millennials and whatever your generation. P.S. We’ll be at the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District monthly meeting this Wednesday, 7 pm, at Bastrop City Hall. Pick up an “I oppose the San Antone hose” yard sign for $10 to support our work. P.S.S. Got time to work our booth at the Bastrop Rodeo – July 30 thru Aug. 1st? Reply or call us! #Millennials #independent #Yannect #BabyBoomers #civicparticipation

More and more people are asking us how they can help and get involved in building the independent movement, so here’s your chance. Get your sign and get involved! The Vista Ridge Project — the 142-mile water pipeline from Burleson County to San Antonio — will fully implement the disastrous “California water model” in Texas. This map is worth a thousand words: Click here to see the map . If you live in Bastrop or nearby, join us on Saturday at 10 am until noon, at Coffee Dog ( at Hwy. 71 & Loop 150, near Goodwill ) to pick up this sign (they come free with membership that starts at just $10) and learn how you can volunteer. Wherever you live in Texas, please join us on this Sunday’s conference call, at 6 pm (our calls are now every other Sunday at 6 pm) . Conference Call number:  (530) 881-1000, PIN106940# With election season coming up, we want to bring our message into the debates across Texas. We’re gonna need your help to do it, so we hope to see you or hear from you. This informative article “Rural Water Relief May Follow Drought Relief” , by our own League Board member, Michele Gangnes, was in last week’s Giddings Times newspaper. Thanks to the many of you who came out to last Thursday’s Party. It was a blast — invite us to your community. Special thanks to volunteer Charlotte Gilman, Allen Penn for the poetry and Paul for your assistance!

If you’re getting this message, you should be close enough to join us tomorrow night, July 2nd, 6 to 8 pm at Neighbors Kitchen (601 Chestnut — the old Brewhouse) on the beautiful Colorado River in Bastrop. It’s our Declare Your Independence Celebration. We buy the pizza. You buy your drinks. We’ll have an open mike so bring a song, poem, magic trick…or just your independent self. We’ll update you on the latest turn in the water wars and how we’re gonna beat back the most imminent threat to sensible management of groundwater in Texas — the San Antone hose, aka Vista Ridge . Spread the word from here please or just forward this message. Bring a friend or two — especially any hams in the family! #NeighborsKitchen #VistaRidge

You’re invited to our Independence Celebration! This Thursday, July 2nd, 6 to 8 pm, Neighbors Restaurant, 601 Chestnut, in Bastrop on the beautiful Colorado. Bring a song, a poem, a magic trick or just your independent self. More here. Your membership dues and donations will help us gear up now to stop the San Antone hose — aka the 142-mile Vista Ridge water pipeline just as landowners are facing the threat of emiment domain. Help us get these signs out to stop the hose! ►►►►►► Can’t make it to the party? Here’s our join/donate page . Quick updates on the water grabs: Forestar Real Estate Group (45,000 AFY = 40 million gallons per day) had their “reservation agreement” with Hays County canceled by the Hays County Comissioner’s Court, thanks to 4 out of 5 Commissioners. A big hug to Hays County water watchers who kept pushing for this as good neighbors to the people of the Lost Pines. End Op LP (46,000 acre-feet/year = 41 million gallons per day). Lost Pines GCD heard arguments on Wednesday and put this on the agenda for their next meeting on July 15 in Bastrop. More background here and here . Please note that our conference calls are every other Sunday at 6 pm. Call in tomorrow at 6 sharp: — call us at 512-213-4511 for the number or send an email to info@independentleaguetx.org Hoping to see you in Austin ( Tuesday at this event ), in Bastrop on Thursday might or in East and NE Texas real soon. Tell ya more on the call tomorrow. #SanAntonioWaterGrab #VistaRidge #EndOpLP #ForestarRealEstateGroup #LostPinesGroundwaterConservationDistrict

Big news, y’all! Remember, when Forestar Real Estate was given a 12,000 acre-feet-year permit from the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District in July 2013? Forestar turned around and sued Lost Pines GCD for the full 45,000 AFY (41 million gallons per day) and got the Hays County Commissioners Court to sign on to a “reservation agreement” that Forestar used in their litigation against Lost Pines. Anyway, today, the Hays County Commissioners, canceled the agreement. Read more about it here If you can make it to Bastrop tomorrow night to hear End Op LP’s argument before the Lost Pines GCD for their 46,000 AFY, please do! Starts at 7 pm at the Bastrop Convention Center, 1408 Chestnut. Come a little early if you can, to read some materials we’ll have for you. Thank you all for hanging in there to oppose Forestar — especially our very good friends in Hays County! #EndOp #ForestarRealEstate #LP

Media Advisory Please attend hearing of Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District, Wednesday, June 24, 7 pm Bastrop Convention Center, 1408 Chestnut Today Hays County pulled plug on Forestar water reservation agreement. Tomorrow, End Op LP’s mega-water permit comes back to Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District. This morning, the Hays County Commissioners Court canceled their groundwater reservation agreement with Forestar Real Estate Group by a vote of 4 to 1. This agreement helped bolster Forestar’s continued litigation and pressure tactics against the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District to expand their permit from Lost Pines (granted in July 2013) from 12,000 acre-feet per year to 45,000 AFY (41 million gallons per day). Tomorrow, another water marketer, End Op LP, is coming back to the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District for 46,000 AFY of groundwater, after having settled their disagreements with local water supplier, Aqua Water Supply Corporation. A state court appeal for disgruntled landowners who were shut out of party status in the Aqua-End Op dispute is still pending in Bastrop County. Michele Gangnes, board member of the League of Independent Voters of Texas, said “We thank our friends in Hays County who stood up and locked arms with us here in the Lost Pines — Lee and Bastrop counties — to speak out against the Forestar contract. The hypocrisy of decrying Electro-Purification’s water grab of 2,000 acre-feet from under Hays County, while Hays County was enabling a much bigger grab of their neighbor’s water was obvious. Now we look forward to End Op’s arguments tomorrow. After we see what Lost Pines GCD is going to do about End Op, we’re on to fight ‘the San Antone hose’, otherwise known as Vista Ridge.” Gangnes is also a landowner who lives over the coveted Simsboro formation of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Lee County and helped lead the grassroots effort that fought off San Antonio Water System’s water grab nearly 15 years ago. Texas media following the central Texas water wars: come on out to Bastrop to see the next chapter unfold. #EndOpLP #Forestar #ForestarRealEstate #HaysCountycommissioners