Page 24 - Flathead Beacon // 1.15.13

24 | JANUARY 15, 2014
OPINION FLATHEADBEACON.COM

LIKE I WAS SAYIN’ Kellyn Brown
TWO THOUGHT
FOR Same Topics,
Opposing Views
Getting Lucky
California as Six States

T
HE FLATHEAD VALLEY HAS BEEN RIDING A By Tim Baldwin
By Joe Carbonari
lucky streak lately. Earlier this month lottery tick-

ets of $1 million and $100,000 were bought in the There is a serious efort in California to di- It’s never wise to underestimate the power
area. The larger prize was sold in Columbia Falls and, as vide into six smaller states, according to a re- of a few highly motivated people, especially if
of this writing, hasn’t been claimed. Which means I will be cent Washington Times article. The reasons their motivation is the creation of a country of
spending my weekend rummaging through trashcans.
seem obvious with its dire economic problems their own, of themselves, by themselves, and
I rarely play the lottery, perhaps once a year when the and politically opposing metropolitan and ru- for themselves. Apparently, there are some
payout reaches such an unfathomable amount that I’ll ral cultures. California’s background is dif- “very serious people” in California’s Silicon
throw a few bucks into an oice pool for a coworker to buy ferent than all other states (except Texas): a Valley who are fed up enough with the dys-

a bunch of tickets at a local convenience store. Then we all treaty with Mexico ceded the territory to the function in Washington, D.C. to propose a
start dreaming about what we might do with the winnings. United States in 1848; California became a state of their own.
Thus, an hour of productivity is lost.
State in 1850 – the Gold Rush playing a moti- One proposal reportedly calls for the state
Sure enough, whoever is overseeing the oice pool is vating part. Perhaps Californians are ready to to be carved into six, yes six, diferent “states.”
asked after the drawing, “Do we have a winner?” No. And live in a smaller, more-manageable state.
The “dream” is that this would result in the
life goes on. But that small investment is repeatedly and Dividing an existing state into smaller current California ending up with an addition-
eagerly inquired about. So missing lottery tickets, espe- parts is permitted under Article 4, Section 3, al 10 U. S. senators. A less serious variation,
cially those winning jackpots, must be an extremely rare of the United States Constitution. In fact, this presumably by current non-Californians, sug-

thing, right? Not really.
wouldn’t be the irst time a state divided into gests that the “State of Silicon Valley” might
In November of last year a Powerball ticket sold in in smaller States: New Jersey was part of New best be designated as an island somewhere in
Tampa, Fla., worth $16 million became worthless when no York; West Virginia and Kentucky were part the nearby Paciic. Wi-Fi, no doubt, would be
one came forward to claim the prize within the 180-day of Virginia; and Maine was part of Massachu- ubiquitous.
deadline. And that wasn’t nearly the largest unclaimed setts. Precedent has been set.
Closer to home, the Montana Environmen-
prize in the state’s history. A $53.7 million jackpot expired States have been considered centers of tal Council recently conducted a hearing on
in 2003.
political, social and economic diversity and the desirability, and hopefully the feasibility,

Also, last year, New York Lottery oicials extended the experimentation. It has served America of taking over much of the federally controlled
deadline for an unclaimed $1 million jackpot at a deli. De- well, too. Through this principle of federal- land in the state for the sake of management
spite the establishment posting signs asking its customers ism, some states found that self-government more beneicial to the residents of Montana
to check their tickets, no one came forward. The largest and determination would be better served by per se, and for our more enlightened interests.
unclaimed jackpot in that state is $68 million in 2002.
making smaller states, which Congress has While I’m all for strong local input, espe-
There are all sorts of things I could do with $68 million, approved several times. If any people need cially as it relates to the management of our
or $1 million for that matter. Responsible things, like pay this tool again in America, it is likely Califor- federal forests, I’m not keen on putting them,
of the house and student loans. Irresponsible things, like nia.
or most other federal lands, totally in the

buying a big boat and a condo in Cabo San Lucas. Of course, hands of local politicians. Sometimes “local”
I would continue working, make smart investments and just seems to mean . well, loco.
donate some of the winnings to charity. Everyone would do
that. But winning big appears to come with some pitfalls.
There are so many stories of lottery winners iling for
bankruptcy and falling on hard times that I’m beginning GUEST COLUMN | Jack & Susan Lake
to think they’re trumped up urban myths. There’s that one
story of West Virginia’s Jack Wittaker. As Forbes reported, Support Compact and Lift Uncertainty

he won $315 million in 2002, his life spiraled out of control,
he was arrested and later burglarized, and spent most of
the money by 2007. He later told reporters, “I wish I’d torn After long and thoughtful investigation of the has a municipal well with no water right. These is-
that ticket up.”
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ compact sues and future water uses are all resolved in the
In 2010, researchers at the University of Kentucky, the county commissioners of Flathead, Lake and compact. Without the compact there likely will be
University of Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt University pub- Missoula counties have issued letters of support for no new development on the reservation for non-
lished a paper, “The Financial Consequences of Winning the CSKT water compact.
tribal members and all property values will sufer.

the Lottery,” and found that ive years after winning be- The compact ties up water out of Hungry Horse Sen. Verdell Jackson claims the compact is un-
tween $50,000 and $150,000 those winners are more like- for use in Montana. Eleven-thousand acre feet are constitutional, but the compact commission was
ly to go broke.
already allocated to the state for economic devel- very thoughtful and careful of the constitutional-
But that number is a far cry from $1 million, and we opment in Montana. The state tried for years to get ity when they crafted the compact. Jackson is also
hear less about the winners who live responsibly with their Hungry Horse water and failed. At present it does well aware that if it never passes the Legislature,
extra cash because those stories aren’t nearly as compel- not belong to Montana and can go to many other there can be no test. For that purpose the oppo-
ling.
states who constantly lobby for it.
nents are trying very hard to kill it with accusa-
The local $1 million ticket was sold at Mike’s Conoco in The compact takes no water away from irriga- tions and hype.

Columbia Falls. The winner has six months after the Jan. tors on the Flathead reservation. It protects our fu- Don’t believe what you read about the compact.
2 drawing to claim the prize. So, they could just be biding ture. All irrigation water on the project gets an 1855 It has huge economic and social consequences if
their time. Perhaps they don’t want anyone to know about priority date. All water of the project goes through it is not passed. Don’t believe us. Go to the DNRC
it yet. Or perhaps it was thrown away, or lost, and is loating the adjudication process and receives a state water website and read the compact document. Read the
around the Flathead somewhere waiting to be found.
right decreed by the state water court.
compact commission report. It answers all the
If no one claims it, the money is returned to the general As the Flathead commissioners correctly stat- questions put forth by the public on the compact.
fund, which would be a shame. Since the Montana Lottery ed, “It provides economic beneits to our area now Go to (http://www.dnrc.mt.gov/rwrcc/Compacts/

was establish in 1986, the state has paid out about $465 and in the future we will get in no other way.” There CSKT/).
million and made $210 million – a nice return for operat- is no beneit to the years of litigation and uncertain- If you don’t have time to read the compact for
ing a game.
ty it will bring to half of the state.
yourselves then trust your county commissioners.
Whoever bought tickets at Mike’s should check their Realtors on the reservation are already feeling They were not elected to make the easy decisions or
pockets again. The rest of us can waste our time wonder- the pain as lenders read appraisers’ notations of win popularity contests. It was their job to investi-
ing what we’d do with the cash if we ind the ticket on the uncertain water claims. More than 3,000 wells ex- gate the CSKT compact and they found it in the best
sidewalk somewhere.
ist on the reservation with no legal status. That is a interests of their constituents to support it.
huge number of homes with no water right. Ronan
Jack & Susan Lake live in Ronan