According to some wealthy Californians, 'we're not all equal when it comes to water.' What is your reaction to this attitude?

GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 05:34:06 -0400

Drought or no drought, Steve Yuhas resents the idea that it is somehow shameful to be a water hog. If you can pay for it, he argues, you should get your water.

People “should not be forced to live on property with brown lawns, golf on brown courses or apologize for wanting their gardens to be beautiful,” Yuhas fumed recently on social media. “We pay significant property taxes based on where we live,” he added in an interview. “And, no, we’re not all equal when it comes to water.”

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/rich-californians-balk-at-limits-%e2%80%98we%e2%80%99re-not-all-equal-when-it-comes-to-water%e2%80%99/ar-BBl6vyY

Rich Californians balk at limits: ‘We’re not all equal when it comes to water’

Drought or no drought, Steve Yuhas resents the idea that it is somehow shameful to be a water hog. If you can pay for it, he argues, you should get your water.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 14 at 2015 5:36 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 05:36:13 -0400

Who's actually surprised?

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jun 14 at 2015 6:12 AM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 06:12:44 -0400

So if you can afford it, you should be able to be a glutton and potentially deprive others of water. Nice attitude - NOT! Bet they all vote for Hillary too. Remember it's all about sharing the prosperity.

https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/clinton-urges-new-era-of-shared-american-prosperity-in-first-big-campaign-speech-doesn-t-this-sound-kind-of-familiar?urlhash=746580

Clinton urges new era of shared American prosperity in first big campaign speech. Doesn't this...

In the first major speech of her second campaign for president, Clinton portrayed herself as a fierce advocate for those left behind after the recession. She cited President Barack Obama, and former Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Bill Clinton, her husband, and said they embraced the idea that "real and lasting prosperity must be built by all and shared by all." Her campaign said her "tenacious fighter" message will form the foundation of...

Response by SFC Joseph Weber made Jun 14 at 2015 6:56 AM

SFC Joseph Weber — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 06:56:59 -0400

Huge fines are good. In Wichita if you go over a certain amount the price goes up. There is four or five levels of prices. So go ahead, water away just be prepared to pay 10 times as much for all your waste. Rich assholes.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 14 at 2015 7:27 AM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 07:27:21 -0400

There is without doubt a certain amount of people who feel this way. And I would add the feelings are across the board, not just water.

Luckily there are also many who don't.

That said, the feeling that I can have all I want even if it deprives others is sick. If this person insists on abusing the limited water resource my vote would be to shut off his service until he/she has an attitude adjustment.

Response by TSgt David L. made Jun 14 at 2015 7:48 AM

TSgt David L. — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 07:48:18 -0400

I don't live where we have an issue with water. It comes down from the mountains and flows into these magic things that carry it down into larger things that flow down until it hits one of 5 dam damns.

That said, until the golf courses in the Republic of Kali are brown then I guess others should feel like they can use what they want until it's gone...

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Jun 14 at 2015 9:09 AM

SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 09:09:00 -0400

Soon only the 1% will have drinking water?

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Jun 14 at 2015 9:46 AM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 09:46:18 -0400

I'm very much pro Free market, however, and I pause for effect, some resources are not unlimited.

Things like Air, Water, Land, we have finite amounts of. Because of this, we have to create regulations to prevent abuse for those who have the ability to "hoard" resources.

California is in the position where Water has hit emergency levels. Although I understand his sentiment, and agree with him on principle, the reality is:

Just because you can afford to buy a SHARED resource, doesn't mean you should WASTE said shared resource.

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Jun 14 at 2015 10:55 AM

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 10:55:31 -0400

I live in California and you would be amazed at the water being used along the city highways and local town highways to water plants every other day in the mornings. There is a problem and I really don't like the attitude of some of the individuals out here that have it, flaunt it, and abuse because they can. I've been told that I can water my yard on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. As a good citizen I follow that rule.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 14 at 2015 11:04 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 11:04:37 -0400

"California dreaming"...it is a lifestyle. Something that people have aspired to. Now they stand to lose it. They may be wealthy, but they spent a lifetime working to accumulate enough to have hobby horses and chipping greens.

So here comes Sophie's Choice:
Stay and hope it gets better, possibly watching all of their expensive landscaping go fallow and property values plummet.
Do what others have and go with an "Arizona look" of cacti and rock gardens.
Leave and go somewhere that hasn't outgrown what is sustainable.

Now (one of my favorite themes) the Law of Unintended Consequences kicks in.
Stick around and the situation worsens. How long do you think your gated community will withstand angry people that don't have enough of what they need or it gets so expensive they can't afford it? It won't matter if no one is actually thirsty, perception and class envy will drive this train. I don't think we will have to wait long.
What happens when all of that agriculture shuts down and Imperial Valley returns to dry savannah? That is a boatload of jobs, and an even bigger general economic impact that California's lousy budgeting could not withstand. Picture a Detroit-style contraction in a state with 50 million people. I can see the bailout bill already. With all of those migrant workers out of work, what will they do? They are proud and hard-working, but unskilled and their way of life just went away. Unhappy people with no day job can turn real ugly, real quick. If you disagree, just refer to the 1930's.
What happens when a plurality of wealthy people vote with their feet? Already upset by the turn in California's politics, this might just do it. Take the top earners out of California's wildly progressive tax rate, and their budget tanks. Badly.

California needs to take a really hard look in the mirror. They simply can't do this anymore. Decades of bad policies are coming home to roost. Desalination plants? Forced rationing? Attempt to cover some of their reservoirs? Actually attempt to enforce immigration laws instead of being "sanctuary cities?" These are tough choices, and without forceful and articulate leadership, tough days are ahead.

Response by LCpl Mark Lefler made Jun 14 at 2015 11:21 AM

LCpl Mark Lefler — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 11:21:06 -0400

this is my attitude about this issue and its not very pretty.. but as far as I'm concerned the people who feel poorer people don't deserve water can get bent with a power tool.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 17 at 2015 12:30 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 00:30:02 -0400

He's a selfish, arrogant narcissist with an outsized and unearned sense of entitlement, I say.

Response by SSG Donald Mceuen made Jun 17 at 2015 12:44 AM

SSG Donald Mceuen — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 00:44:38 -0400

This is not a comodity this is controled by the citys and state so that it well
supplied to everyone. And if he has so much money why not invest in desalination plant. Then he could also help with the problem. My feeling is that
no one is intiteled to more no mater how much money they have when it comes to something that they are trying to regulate for future use by pepole
with out it no one wins so how stupid is this man...