Opinion

David Ganje: White House interferes with tribal water rights settlements

Monday, October 17, 2016

David Ganje

The wasted intervention of a bureaucracy in potential water settlements
By David Ganje
For The Native Sun News Today
nativesunnews.today

I used to think the unworkable BIA was one of the least helpful agencies in federal government. While the BIA deserves continuous high honors in that category, it pales by comparison to the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The OMB is a bureaucratic budgetary clearinghouse that does nothing but make trouble for citizens and other federal agencies. The fact of the matter is, the OMB appears to be proud of its own obfuscation of truth and justice. That takes the cake. I have renamed the federal OMB.

Further, I suggest that Congress adopt my name and apply it to the OMB until it is shamed into nothingness. I have named the OMB as The Circumlocution Office. The Circumlocution Office spins round and round making rational people crazy while dishing out rules of utter bureaucratic stupidity. The OMB a/k/a The Circumlocution Office is an office concerned with misplaced government theory rather than any usefulness to the country.

Now let me provide an illustration of the OMB a/k/a The Circumlocution Office. First let us look at what the president wants. Under the president’s Executive Order 13175, executive departments and agencies are charged with engaging in consultation and collaboration with Indian tribal governments; strengthening the government-to-government relationship between the United States and Indian tribes; and reducing the imposition of unfunded mandates upon Indian tribes.

OK. This is good, whatever your political bent might be. Government to government consultation is essential. And this is what the president ordered. This Executive Order binds all federal agencies. But wait. Now look at what the OMB a/k/a The Circumlocution Office has ‘declared.’ It, the OMB must now approve a proposed Indian Water Rights Settlement. Previously the OMB a/k/a/ The Circumlocution Office would give its opinion and views. But the OMB a/k/a/ Circumlocution Office has now taken it upon itself to become a participant in the negotiations process.

Read the rest of the story on the Native Sun News Today website: The wasted intervention of a bureaucracy in potential water settlements

(David L. Ganje practices law in the area of natural resources, environmental and commercial law in South Dakota and North Dakota. His website is Lexenergy.net)