Editorial: A Juggernaut Of Local Bureaucracy

Dear Editor:

As a 30 year military veteran who is fortunate enough to enjoy the full range of recreational opportunities offered on the San Marcos River, I am at a loss to understand how the San Marcos River Foundation can claim to “set the record straight” while not mentioning any of the impact their plans will have on the disabled veterans that currently rely on the river conditions created by Capes Dam.

What the San Marcos River Foundation neglected to mention in their advocacy letter published on Oct 23, 2016 was that Capes Dam currently provides an ideal setting for our nation’s veterans who have been wounded in combat and are frequently (multiple) amputees, to participate in physical therapy.

Several times a month—usually each week—the Olympic Outdoor Center hosts at no cost to the veterans, patients from the military hospital in San Antonio for therapeutic activities on the river.

It is truly upsetting to see someone write an opinion piece that sums up the impact of removing such a recreational area that services wounded veterans in recovery with a few sentences about remaining lakes and other areas of the river.

Such opinions callously dismiss the struggle these warriors face and demonstrates a lack of understanding of or caring for our Nation’s brave men and women.

When the call came from our country to stand for us, these men and women answered that call. They did not ask whether the call came from a conservative or a liberal.

They did not ask whether the call came from someone who supported industrialization or environmental conservatism. They simply said their goodbyes to everyone they held dear to serve and protect our Country and our freedoms.

For these men and women, that service resulted in a severe alteration of their physical abilities—and a new, intensely personal battle.

To help these deserving veterans adapt their altered bodies to their new physical state, a few residents and business owners took action.

These selfless individuals are providing veterans with therapy to help fight their new, personal battle to reclaim their ability to live within the constraints of their new physical condition.

Capes Dam provides the ideal setting to help these most deserving of America’s veterans because it has calm waters, leading to faster water with the option to paddle back up calm water.

Capes Dam’s calm back-waters help these disabled veterans launch and become familiar with being in a kayak. Capes Dam also provides the ability for them to move downstream when they become comfortable with controlling the kayak.

From there, the veterans can either proceed down the calmer waters of the mill race or transition to the faster waters below the dam when they are ready to increase the challenge.

Towards the end of their therapeutic progression, they can make the full trip down the river, then paddle back up the mill race against the flow of water. This allows them to gradually increase the difficulty, test their abilities, and increase their strength in one, round-circuit training area.

Are there dangers? Absolutely. There is no question something must be done with the dam. I think we all can agree on that.

But to print a host of figures which makes it sound like all the science is in favor of total removal would seem to be an attempt to mislead the public in favor of an agenda.

Admittedly I know very little about “habitat fragmentation”, but it bothers me to see several large, public organizations banding together and pushing for a “Finding of No Significant Impact” which results in no need to consider any other issues or problems with removing Capes Dam.

What could be more significant than people who have had their life – and their bodies – altered, now being asked to alter their physical therapy, with the result being that veterans have fewer options available to help them recover?

I have heard that at one point the city council was looking to repair Capes Dam similar to other dams.

In fact, I have personally spoken with several people in several of the aforementioned organizations who have told me privately that they would support our veterans and help keep Capes Dam, but they cannot state that publicly because either their position or political pressure prevents it.

I ask each of you reading this now, where will you stand? If you have read this far then you care—that is the first step. It is one thing to shake a veteran’s hand and say “Thank-You”, but will you stand and be counted when it counts the most – and will you genuinely help these most-deserving wounded warriors?

I make no false insinuations like “setting the record straight” here. I am an advocate and I will not be ashamed of it.

I am confident each one of these disabled veterans who fought for each of us and our right to choose would agree with me—we wish you would support the preservation of their physical therapy area created by Capes Dam, but respect your choice to side with the government agencies to permanently remove this capability from the veterans.

For those of you who are willing to stand for those who stood for you, please find a way to help these men and women. If all you can do is call your council person—do so.

If all you can do is donate funds to help repair the dam—every penny adds to a dollar eventually. If all you can do is instruct a veteran on the nuances of controlling a kayak—do so, but do it quickly because these veterans are up against a juggernaut of bureaucracy which is intent on taking away their ability to help them help themselves through San Marcos River therapies.

Yours in Service to our Veterans and Emergency Service Providers,
Robert Hites
Board Member
Central Texas Returning Heroes