Who We Trust

Here in the rural Midwest , as a general personality, we tend to be humble, amiable folk.  We are independent and hard working.  We strive to do our best at whatever tasks we have set for ourselves.  We are also trusting.  If the “powers that be” tell us that we’ve got to do something, we usually try to get along and do what they say is needed.  We are honest, and we expect nothing less than full honesty from others.  These are all noble traits.  It makes the heart of our country what it is.  And, these traits are worth preserving.

 When we elect NRD Board members from among us, it simply makes sense that we see this general personality in them, too.  We also discover how these traits work out in the world of politics.  And, we tend not to like it.

Trusting:  The Board trusts the DNR and those with certified expertise.  When the DNR tells them we must accept cuts, they see no reason to suspect ulterior motives. 

Humble and Amiable:  They feel that the DNR knows its business.  To them, if the numbers tell the DNR that cuts need to be made, we’ve got to make them, especially if doing so is fair to others (be it people in the future or people in another state).  “Who am I to second-guess the DNR,” says our Board member.  “We probably wouldn’t understand the numbers, if they gave them to us, anyway.  They interpret them for a living.  We’ve got our own jobs to handle.”

Independent:  When the people the Board represents are in disagreement and sometimes get quite vocal about it, it can be hard to take.  From their perspective, we elected them to make the decisions, and they are doing so to the best of their ability, saying, “The general populace has not been exposed to all of the information we have, and there are differing opinions everywhere.  Who are we supposed to listen to?  Maybe we should just trust our own wisdom on it; after all, we have everyone’s best interests in mind.”

Honest:  The Board does not intend to lie to people.

We don’t want the Board members themselves to change.  (Though, to be honest, maybe taming down on some of the hostility would be nice.)  What we really want is for them to take a different approach with the same traits. 

It is not “second-guessing” or “mistrusting the DNR/experts” for us to ask for the numbers and to want a neutral third-party review of them.  Here, we want the independent trait to kick in.  Farmers are entrepreneurs who know economic principles.  We may be rural folk, but we are intelligent, insightful, and practical.  What does it hurt to have an independent review of the numbers and the concepts that the DNR uses to create the requirements?

Asking for stability in the answers is not accusing anyone of lying.  Since the requirements were so drastic a couple of weeks ago but are so much less now, it is hard to comprehend.  If we were to believe that harsh cuts were needed, then why should we now believe that they can be less after all?  Did the numbers change?  Or, have they decided to simply tighten the belt a little at a time?  If the latter, then how much tightening are we talking?  When that is not answered for us, there is a mixture of reactions.  Some feel patronized.  Some do feel like someone is trying to pull the wool over our eyes. 

And, this is where we want the honesty to kick in.  What are the requirements?  How did you arrive at that position?  How will it really impact the farmer, the communities, and the region? 

Conservation is important.  Here is where the hard working trait has already kicked in.  For decades now, we have been working to conserve water and utilize the aquifer in an efficient manner.  Absolutely no one can tell us otherwise.  We are in a drought, so the water is going to naturally be a contentious issue.  Yet, water is a renewable resource.  We have proven that we are good stewards and want to conserve the water.  We are sharing and caring people.  And, like the character traits that make our region such a special place, aren’t our farms and our livelihoods worth preserving?