Post by elalacran on Feb 1, 2012 14:02:55 GMT -5
Once again a pack of Republicans get on the revolving door of trying to influence behavior by authoritarian laws rather than letting the market rule.
Don't like something? Pass a law agin it.
The worst example being how our drug laws promoted a trillion dollar industry in illegal drug smuggling that we are spending multiple billions to reverse. But we are talking about water, so here goes.
Here's a comment I added to today's AJ editirial:
1. Is it better to promote conservation by criminalization or through pricing? These rules target VISIBLE and REPORTED waste. If you have a hot tub on your front porch or pool in the front yard AND neighbors see you filling it, then they MAY choose to report you. If the hot tub or swimming pool is in the back yard, then what?
And won't this result in unpopular water wasters being reported while popular water wasters are not? Isn't that -- arbitrary?
Further, these rules do nothing about unseen or unreported water waste. Nothing about 30 minute showers or toilets left running or leaky faucets. Nothing about water wasting automatic dishwashers. Nothing about watering inside fenced yards or private swimming pools behind tall fences. Nothing about water waste out of sight.
An average household needs --to be generous -- about 3,000 gallons of water per month, figuring baths and cooking and toilet flushes and watering essential plants. Why not simply increase the water rates for consumption above that level? Why not let economics rule? Why do we have to have more laws and fineable offenses?
2. You mention how the new rules affect Lubbock residents. Are the biggest water consumers residences or businesses? And isn't the biggest water consumer of all LP&L and the city? What about those pipes that break every day, wasting enough water to fill a score of swimming pools? What about the routine draining of the water mains?
a. What is being done about the water that business consumes? About business water waste? Will dissatisfied employees start reporting water waste that occurs out of sight, and will the enforcers have the power to enter the premises and inspect the business?
b. What about new housing developments? Are new houses having lawns put in by developers, or cacti and xerophytes and sand and rock? Aren't we shooting ourselves in the foot by not mandating extreme water conservation in new housing development planning?
Don't like something? Pass a law agin it.
The worst example being how our drug laws promoted a trillion dollar industry in illegal drug smuggling that we are spending multiple billions to reverse. But we are talking about water, so here goes.
Here's a comment I added to today's AJ editirial:
1. Is it better to promote conservation by criminalization or through pricing? These rules target VISIBLE and REPORTED waste. If you have a hot tub on your front porch or pool in the front yard AND neighbors see you filling it, then they MAY choose to report you. If the hot tub or swimming pool is in the back yard, then what?
And won't this result in unpopular water wasters being reported while popular water wasters are not? Isn't that -- arbitrary?
Further, these rules do nothing about unseen or unreported water waste. Nothing about 30 minute showers or toilets left running or leaky faucets. Nothing about water wasting automatic dishwashers. Nothing about watering inside fenced yards or private swimming pools behind tall fences. Nothing about water waste out of sight.
An average household needs --to be generous -- about 3,000 gallons of water per month, figuring baths and cooking and toilet flushes and watering essential plants. Why not simply increase the water rates for consumption above that level? Why not let economics rule? Why do we have to have more laws and fineable offenses?
2. You mention how the new rules affect Lubbock residents. Are the biggest water consumers residences or businesses? And isn't the biggest water consumer of all LP&L and the city? What about those pipes that break every day, wasting enough water to fill a score of swimming pools? What about the routine draining of the water mains?
a. What is being done about the water that business consumes? About business water waste? Will dissatisfied employees start reporting water waste that occurs out of sight, and will the enforcers have the power to enter the premises and inspect the business?
b. What about new housing developments? Are new houses having lawns put in by developers, or cacti and xerophytes and sand and rock? Aren't we shooting ourselves in the foot by not mandating extreme water conservation in new housing development planning?