Regarding Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett: Nearly 98% of those who voted November 2008 supported Senator Whitsett's re-election as Oregon State Senator in the five county District 28. People voted for him because he represents their wishes.

The three reps said they did not word the polls; the poll company worded them.

IF the Klamath Water Users Association, including district managers and boards, would like to know what their constituents want regarding their 'agreement', would they allow US, the PEOPLE, to vote? Would they agree to secret meetings and confidentiality agreement within their chosen group of 'stakeholders' excluding their community members?

We will rerun the poll

Below is the public sentiment to the KBRA according to the poll:

* Only 11% favor Klamath dam removal,
* 7% favor public purchase of reservation land for the Tribes ,  
*  5% favor the closed and confidential negotiations involved in developing the KBRA/Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and the AIP/Agreement in Principle.

KBRA Survey

KBRA Opposition:

Groups opposing the KBRA:

* 1850 petitions were signed opposing the KBRA from Karuk Tribal Members, Siskiyou County, Klamath Basin Alliance, Project irrigators and Off-Project irrigators.
* Siskiyou County, Home of 3 Klamath River dams
* Klamath Off-Project Water Users Association
* Resource Conservancy serving 125,000 Off-Project irrigated acres
* Water for Life
* Klamath Natural Resources Advisory Council
* Siskiyou County Republican Central Committee
* Klamath County Republican Central Committee
* 33 California County Granges
* 60 California Republican Women's groups
* Shasta Nation
* Oregon Cattlemen's Association
* According to Klamath County Commissioners, 90% of callers oppose dam removal, a mandate in the KBRA

Herald and News Letter to the Editor May 31, 2009 by Dave Solem, Manager Klamath Irrigation District

Sen. Doug Whitsett reported that he, Rep. Bill Garrard and Rep. George Gilman commissioned and paid for a five-question poll to measure support for removal of Klamath River dams and associated issues, including a determination of attitudes toward the Klamath Tribes relative to the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement.

I am not a big fan of polls and admit I have little expertise in polling science. However, I am probably like most people who believe polls are presupposed to a result due to clever wording of the questions.

The question whether you are concerned the agreement “will give the Tribes too much control over our water,” implies it gives control to the Tribes.

The truth is the Klamath Tribes have water rights that will be addressed with or without the agreement, and “our water” will be quantified by the State of Oregon.

Another question, “Are you willing or not willing to pay higher costs for renewable sources of electricity…” Most folks I know aren’t willing payers of higher costs for anything.

The power company just informed us that its rates are going up, so I will unwillingly pay the higher bill.

The question of whether you favor the public purchases of a “reservation” for the Tribes didn’t appear to be asked relative to the agreement and is a term that does not appear in the agreement.

Did anyone answering the poll think the question acquiring public land (not considered in the agreement) as compared to purchasing private land that is currently for sale?

The results of this type of poll, while professionally managed and statistically accurate, are clearly debatable, especially when considering the nature of the restoration agreement negotiations.

My question: Do you think biased polls should guide public officials all of the time, some of the time, or not at all?

Dave Solem, Klamath Falls