Take what you really need, but leave the rest for others
I am in San Diego for a few days to visit family. I just read an article in the San Diego Union that got me riled up enough to boot my iBook and start writing!
As many of you might know, California has a severe water shortage problem. However, I see no evidence that the government in California seems interested in promoting water conservation. In Sedona Arizona (my home) 2 weeks ago, I had a long and pleasant chat with a farmer and his wife from the California Imperial Valley area (we were all enjoying the ancient Indian rock art at Palatki).
The water district in San Diego has been using strong arm political tactics to force the farmers in Imperial Valley to give up their water rights for 75 years. The farmer that I talked to was not happy to possibly see his lifestyle taken away. Now, the political pressure has escalated to the federal level: the U.S. interior department has joined into the arm-twisting coersion.
My question is this: is it not better to make people conserve water by not watering their lawns, filling their swimming pools, etc. rather than limiting farming activities?
45 Billion $$ U.S. government water gift to politically connected meat industry
Now, while the farmers in Imperial Valley make up a small voting block (in other words, they are screwed), the U.S. beef industry basically owns the U.S. Congress. In return for huge soft money political payoffs, the U.S. beef industry received 45 billion dollars in water subsidies this year.
9:34:40 AM 
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