May 2, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E 915

done. I wish Mark, Scott, and Coed Sportswear all the best in the coming years.

WATER RIGHTS ARE PROPERTY

fRIGHTS

HON. GEORGE P. RADANOVICH OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 2, 1995

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, on March

3, this House approved the Private Property

Rights Act. The purpose of the legislation is to

reaffirm clearly that the Federal Government

cannot take or diminish the value of private

property without paying just compensation.

Since March 3, opponents of private property rights have sought to discredit the legislation by claiming that it is intended to protect

water subsidies. That is totally false.

The Private Property Rights Act would allow

a farmer to seek compensation if he is denied

the use of part of his farm because of Federal

wetlands or endangered species laws. The act

would provide exactly the same protection to

a farmer who loses the use of part of his property because his water supply is reduced or

eliminated by Federal environmental regulation. The compensation would be based on

the economic loss resulting from the decreased productive capacity of his or her farm.

It would not be based on the price of the

water.

Unfortunately, the false perceptions regarding the water rights provisions of the Private

Property Rights Act have been given

undeserved credence by recent articles in the

Wall Street Journal. I have written to the editor

of this newspaper to point out the errors. Mr.

Speaker, I ask that a copy of my letter to the

editor of the Wall Street Journal be printed in

the RECORD.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Washington, DC, April 14, 1995.

Mr. ROBERT L. BARTLEY,

Editor, The Wall Street Journal, New York, NY.

DEAR EDITOR: As a conservative Republican Member of Congress, I take strong exception to Mr. David Frum’s March 13 column ‘‘The GOP’s ‘Takings’ Sell Out.’’

Mr. Frum takes the Republican majority

in the House to task for allegedly opting to

‘‘break with its free-market convictions’’ by

including water rights provisions in the Private Property Rights Act, which passed the

House on March 3.

Mr. Frum completely misstates both the

intent and effect of the Private Property

Rights Act when he asserts that it ‘‘requires

the federal government to compensate Western Farmers and miners should it ever be

tempted to ask them to pay the market price

for water they take from federal irrigation

projects.’’

The provision has nothing to do with the

price of water.

Mr. Frum is absolutely correct that ‘‘the

removal of a subsidy is not an abridgment of

a property right.’’ The Private Property

Rights Act does not protect water subsidies.

What it does do is allow landowners to be

compensated for economic loss when their

‘‘right to use or receive water’’ is abridged

by the federal government.

The water provisions of the legislation are

specifically intended to ensure that Western

farmers can apply for compensation when

the value of their property is significantly

diminished by a federal action that denies

them the water that they are entitled to receive (with or without a subsidy) under state

law or a binding contract with the federal

government.

Farmland in the arid West isn’t worth

much without water. When a farmer’s water

supply is reduced or eliminated, the productive capacity—the value—of his or her property is reduced or eliminated. Throughout

the West, the Endangered Species Act and

more recent water project ‘‘reform’’ laws are

being used by federal bureaucrats to deny

water to agriculture. This is particularly

true in my state of California.

The Republican majority in Congress is

not abandoning its free-market convictions

in the water policy arena. In fact, many of us

believe that the federal government should

get out of the water delivery business altogether by selling or transferring its water

projects to local public agencies.

We would welcome Mr. Frum’s thoughts on

that endeavor, provided he gets his facts

straight first.

Respectfully,

GEORGE P. RADANOVICH,

TRIBUTE TO HAZEL A. YOUNGER

Member of Congress (R–CA–19th).

fHON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 2, 1995

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to

recognize Hazel A. Younger, a native New

Yorker. She was born in Coney Island Hospital.

Hazel is particularly close to her family and

feels that her strength comes from her Lord,

and the encouragement offered by her mother,

Mrs. Ella Garner, and her three sisters,

Friedna, Edna, and Connie. Hazel is also the

very proud mother of one son, Travis.

Hazel began her education with the goal of

being a lawyer. However, midway during her

studies, she developed a fascination with

numbers and accounting became her career.

Presently, retired, Hazel serves as president

of the board of directors of the cooperative in

which she lives, P.E. Gorman Houses. She is

a member of the Brookdale Hospital Ambulatory Care Services Community Advisory Board

and Community Board 16. Hazel is also cochairperson of Concerned Citizens of the 58th

assembly district.

Because of her experience and eloquence,

Hazel is often asked to speake at churches,

community meetings, and A.A.R.P. chapters.

She is known to be an articulate representative of the community, with direct access to

local elected officials. I am pleased to commend Ms. Younger to the attention of my colleagues.

TRIBUTE TO RONALD E. HALL

fHON. STEVE LARGENT OF OKLAHOMA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 2, 1995

Mr. LARGENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to

pay tribute to my friend, Ron Hall, who retired

in April of this year as president and chief executive officer of CITGO Petroleum Corp. Ron

has been president and CEO of CITGO for the

last 10 years and retires with the respect and

esteem of all who have known him.

A native of Illinois, Ron received a B.S. from

Bradley University, and an MBA from Columbia University. Southern Illinois University’s

College of Business and Administration awarded its first doctor of commercial science honorary degree to Ron in May 1988. Additionally,

Ron is a member of the Bradley university

Board of Trustees as well as a member of the

University’s College of Business Administration’s National Council of Advisors.

In addition to Ron’s professional and educational accomplishments, he always found

time and energy to take part in civic and charitable activities in Tulsa, OK, such as serving

as director of the Gilgrease Museum Association and of St. Francis Hospital, advisory director of the Tulsa Ballet Theatre and as a director of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

During Ron’s tenure as president and CEO,

CITGO has become a recognized leader in

environmental stewardship, and through its

corporate sponsorship of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the lives of millions of people have been made better. CITGO is truly

helping to make a difference in such areas as

Tulsa, Corpus Christi, and Lake Charles with

its active participation in the Adopt-a-School

and Partners in Education programs.

CITGO may be losing a president and CEO

but his lovely wife Jean will be gaining a ranch

foreman down in Brenham, TX. I’m sure Ron

will be looking forward to spending more time

with Jean and their grandchildren. There’s no

doubt that once he has had his fill of bird

hunting and fly fishing, we will see him involved with the community in some capacity.

I do not believe a person of his energy and

public spirit can stay away.

A SALUTE TO ANDY GUEST

f

HON. FRANK R. WOLF

OF VIRGINIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 2, 1995

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, on April 25, 1995,

in beautiful Warren County, Virginia, near the

town of Front Royal, a group of Virginia’s leaders headed by Governor George F. Allen gathered to dedicate a new State park in honor of

House of Delegate member Raymond R.

Guest, Jr.

‘‘Andy’’ Guest attended the dedication in his

honor at the park which will provide several

miles of riverfront recreational area along the

Shenandoah River. Having just won a 2-year

battle over cancer and poised to return for another term to the General Assembly where he

has served since 1973, Andy was cited for his

hard work and many years of leadership on

behalf of Virginia State parks and recreational

activities.

Andy Guest has done so much to preserve

this region which is the core of Civil War battlefields and the very heart of American history. When he is not in Richmond representing

the people of Virginia’s 15th House of Delegates district, Andy continues to live on his

family farm near the banks of the famous

Shenandoah River where he grew up. Nothing

could be more appropriate and no recognition

could be more deserved than to name a beautiful piece of Virginia along the serene but majestic Shenandoah River after one of Virginia’s

own first citizens: Raymond R. ‘‘Andy’’ Guest.