Rule of Law, or Rule of Men? You decide.




It is said that sometimes “Less is More.” I have tried to cover the Privatization of Lake Texoma State Park as thoroughly as possible. It is a complicated story spread over a period of almost two decades.

To summarize it, I’d say it has primarily been a public relations campaign built around a bait and switch promotional strategy. In other words, if the park privatization was a product sold in a store, you’d have good cause to take it back and get a refund.

There are three main problems with the proposed “Commissioners of the Land Office (CLO) v Pointe Vista” lawsuit settlement:

1) The CLO entered the court under false pretenses of prosecuting a case for breach of contract. While pretending to enforce the terms of the Pointe Vista Purchase Agreements, the CLO claimed the right to “rescind” these original land sales, as if they had never happened.

If the CLO won their suit, all of the 758 acres of Lake Texoma State Park sold to Pointe Vista would be returned to public ownership.

This settlement is based on Pointe Vista having won and being allowed to rescind the development requirements, while keeping over 700 acres of our park land.  They rescind Pointe Vistas contractual obligations, but not their 2008 land purchases.

This settlement does away with the Pointe Vista Development, because they would be allowed to keep the land and not have to build anything if they don’t want. The would be free to sell it all.

2) The CLO and Pointe Vista are attempting to circumvent their history of environmental non-compliance under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act. This also violates the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.


3) The CLO and Pointe Vista are attempting to circumvent their history of non-compliance with Oklahoma state laws which require the replacement of park land lost when it was sold to Pointe Vista. State law requires this replacement park land to be located on Lake Texoma.

 

Governor Fallin, Pointe Vista, The Oklahoman and the Madill Record have each made arguments for looking to the positive side of the “recent settlement.” We won’t be bogged down in the courts for years and years.

These editorials obscure the fact that with this bogus settlement, the CLO and Pointe Vista and their attorneys have decided that it’s OK to to rob the state taxpayers of their day in court.

Do you want the Rule of Law, or the Rule of Men? You decide. Oklahoma County Court Judge Roger Stuart has not yet received or approved this settlement. Unless he’s willing to allow his court to be used for such ends, he will order the case to go forward. “CLO v Pointe Vista” should be tried in the court to determine the merits of the CLO’s case and Pointe Vista’s counter suit.




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Lake Texoma Current Weather Alerts

There are no active watches, warnings or advisories.

 

Lake Texoma Weather Forecast

Thursday

Sunny

Hi: 66

Thursday Night

Mostly Clear

Lo: 56

Friday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 71

Friday Night

Partly Cloudy

Lo: 60

Saturday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 75

Saturday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 65

Sunday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 75

Sunday Night

Slight Chance Thunderstorms

Lo: 68


Lake Texoma Water Level (last 30 days)


Water Level on 3/27: 615.11 (-1.89)



Lake Texoma

Fishing Report from TPWD (Mar. 20)

GOOD. Water normal stain; 57 degrees; 1.35 feet below pool. Striped bass fishing is good using live shad on main lake ledges and flats in 30-40 feet of water. The bite has improved drastically around 10:30-11:00 A.M. each day, so stick it out if you are not seeing active fish early. Backs of coves and around the mouths of the rivers are good with swimbaits in 8-15 feet of water where the water is dirty and warmer. Catfish are slow, anchor in shallow water near the rivers where the inflow is using whole gizzard shad or cut buffalo for big fish. Smaller fish showing up on the flats in 20-30 feet of water. Crappie are fair in the creeks in 1-5 feet of water using jigs and minnows on brush sticking up or lay downs from the bank. Mo glo and black/chartreuse on a slip cork in shallow creeks. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are fair on swimbaits along the bluffs and on sandy points with stumps in 5-8 feet of water. Topwater bite will be on soon! Report by Jacob Orr, Guaranteed Guide Service Lake Texoma. Striped bass continue to be caught with Alabama rigs or sassy shad targeting structure. Somedays fish are in 5 feet and some in 40 feet of water. The water clarity is clear near the dam and muddy where rivers enter the lake. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

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