Water & Politics.

Georgia is about to become a natural disaster area. It sounds drastic. But unless you live in the Atlanta/North Georgia area, you really have no idea how bad it has gotten. We live about 5 minutes from the DAM in question. We go there for walks all the time with Jack.

So trust me I get it. But it seems like a pretty disproportionate system. For example, we have been on a partial water ban all summer. And a complete water ban for the past month. We can’t water our lawn or wash our cars. Or we get fined. And pretty heavily at that.

But it bothers me because this isn’t a system that rewards conservation but rather black and white rules. What if I only take a 5 minute shower once a day while some suburban mom takes an hour long shower in the morning and at night. Or what if she takes a long bath. These black and white concrete laws don’t have conservation as their aim. For the last week (before we went out of town) I started taking military showers. Where you turn the water on to get wet. Turn it off while lathering. And turn it back on to rinse off. Not trying to toot my on horn. But it’s just ghetto that we don’t have a system that is equitable. Instead I can’t wash my car or my scooter. Both of which need it after a long trip in which it is covered with bugs.

Then John Linder (who I’m not a huge fan of) says this . . .

“What we’ve learned from this is what a blunt weapon the Endangered Species Act has become, where some obscure bureaucrat in Fish and Wildlife and some obscure judge can decide that mussels are more important than our children and grandchildren,” said U.S. Rep. John Linder, R-Georgia, who spoke after Perdue at Saturday’s news conference.

I get that people are more important than fish and mussels. I really do. But come on! Our children and grandchildren aren’t in danger. And if they are it’s because for the most part we live excessive lives. It’s not the governments fault. Let’s put half the blame on nature and the other half on us for not adapting our lifestyles enough so that they are in sync with our environment.

What we need is a water taxing system. Where you get taxed for excessive use. Or a rewards based system where you get incentives for using less.

But then again the rich can afford a few cents tax on the water. Not taking pot shots at the rich. Because we all need to learn to conserve. I’m just saying.