More musings on water

[Post for Monday, February 2, 2009]

So I am a self-identified Libertarian. Used to be a Republican and watch the debauchery there turn my stomach. Agree with the message of the Democrat party but not the method of execution. Left me to turn to a party that is practical in its execution and strong in its morals.

Where does that get me on water? Well I view a lot of our problems as solvable issues if we just stop trying to do the things that don't work as things that do work.

What do I mean? How many of you have public water? 98% of you!I know cause the government told me so. How many of you know how many gallons of water you consumed last month..... 1%. 1% cause my wife reads this blog and she tracks it like a hawk. However 99% of you have no idea. Water is pretty much a subsidized good. Its cheap and plentiful

Problem is that it is neither at the moment. You have an obscured price index, which means you do not know the true cost of having running water. You also have an obscured sense of scarcity of resources, which means you don't know how much darn water there is. You think you can do whatever you want with the water you have without second thought about it. Then you get grumpy when the city tells you to tone it down.

Enter my world: I am on private water. Meaning we pay for the infrastructure and service as well as the water. When the water levels go down, our gallon per use go up. We have a VERY acute sense of water levels on our area. We don't wash the cars every weekend. We water the lawn twice a week and only in the evenings. Baths have a time limit. etc etc.

We have all sorts of groups here in Texas calling for government action to do-this and do-that for water issues. Government, government, and more government.....yet all they [the government] has managed to do is expand their power, collect more money, make commercials, and promises. Yet things are going slower than before and nothing is getting done. Expected? You betchya'

Government vs. Privatization.... free market nerds are going to win this. However winning isn't everything.

... stay tuned for the next post ...