There are two stories and some history I want to talk about.

EPA Wants to Monitor How Long Hotel Guests Spend in the Shower

Now if this is installed in hotels, it won’t stay there. It will move to apartments, rentals, and eventually houses owned by the occupants. It will be made part of the law, just like low flow toilets and low wattage light bulbs.

And it won’t reduce the “carbon footprint” or increase potable water.

Then there is the next story.

Drought-Stricken California Ramps Up Water Restrictions

What this story doesn’t tell you is that California has failed over decades to put in sufficient reservoir and water storage capability. That California already uses more river and ground water than allowed by law, just as other Southwestern states do. Although California does use much more.

Now, here’s what neither of these stories tell you.

Water and power are heavily subsidized to keep prices artificially low, especially for agriculture.

In a free market, shortages would drive prices up which in turn would reduce demand as people voluntarily found ways to cut consumption. That’s how the free market works.

Instead, prices are reduced by government which in turn penalizes people for using too much. That not only screws up the system but imposes extra costs in taxes to support the government to subsidize and punish some more.

No, it’s not just water.

Look at what is happening now in health care.

You’d be hard pressed to find a single example where government “intervened” where the same cycle doesn’t repeat again and again.

Remember, politicos want problems they can stage manage.

Tags: California ∙ water