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Who Benefits? by Erika Paleck Daily Astorian, May 20, 2021

Nothing to see here, folks. Nobody behind the curtain, certainly not U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, or Democrat Gov. Kate Brown.

Simpson's floating a plan in Congress to breach to the lower Snake River dams, integral to supplying Pacific Northwest electricity. We've invested billions of dollars over decades in these dams to support salmon population. You pay for this in your electricity bill, so breach the dams and it all goes down the drain.

A three-year, court-mandated scientific study released last year recommended retaining the four lower Snake River dams, with additional steps supporting salmon.

Meanwhile, Brown announced creation of a multistate group of stakeholders to develop a long-term agreement to combine resources, find solutions. Why on March 4, one week after the group first met, did Brown quietly sue the federal government to overturn their decision and breach the dams? Have you read about that?

U.S. Reps. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., issued a strongly worded statement regarding the collusion, upon learning of the hidden coordination between the offices of Simpson and Brown regarding the proposal to breach the four dams, condemning the lack of transparency and the undermining of four governors' agreement to work together.

Why, with no proven benefits to salmon population, are they colluding to remove a source of 100% renewable energy? Who benefits? Certainly not the salmon or the rate payers.

Collusion, definitely not collaboration.