I'm putting in cisterns and collecting rain water. Hey, it worked for about 35 centuries, at least. Whatcha gonna do when water doesn't come out of that pipe in the kitchen?

/looking at you, city "hive" dwellers

GaryPDX: looking at you, city "hive" dwellers

Plenty of water here.

This makes as much sense as cutting taxes to reduce the deficit while spending more.

oldebayer: This makes as much sense as cutting taxes to reduce the deficit while spending more.

If water's more expensive, won't people use less?

i guess finding ways to cut costs and spend less was out of the question.

SilentStrider: i guess finding ways to cut costs and spend less was out of the question.

I can't remember a time when government did something like that.

GaryPDX: /looking at you, city "hive" dwellers

I recently watched a documentary about the bomb shelters citizens were encouraged to build to provide shelter in case of nuclear war. Beautiful structures were crafted, below people's houses, and never, ever used. People spent their lives waiting for the bomb that never fell.

For some reason your post reminded me of that.

Nieman: GaryPDX: /looking at you, city "hive" dwellers

I recently watched a documentary about the bomb shelters citizens were encouraged to build to provide shelter in case of nuclear war. Beautiful structures were crafted, below people's houses, and never, ever used. People spent their lives waiting for the bomb that never fell.

For some reason your post reminded me of that.

I've always wanted my own bomb shelter. Not sure why, exactly....but it'd be neat to have one.

Wow, people being greedy, surprise.

GaryPDX: Whatcha gonna do when water doesn't come out of that pipe in the kitchen?

Invade a country with an abundant water supply. Duh.

I'm thirsty so i'm getting a kick out of these replies.

I almost have my mom convinced to foot the bill to build our family a bunker. I have some pretty intricate plans for one.

Little does she know that when the apocolypse comes I won't be letting anyone out of breeding age or younger in.

unintended consequences 101

an a"poco"lypse is like an apocalypse, only it's just a little like one.

stirfrybry: unintended consequences 101

You think this is bad, wait'll they finally ban tobacco.

Weaver95


I can't remember a time when government did something like that.



BURN!

The asinine aspect of this entire situation is that the city was trying to turn the water operation into a money "making" scheme. Therefore, they became reliant on the revenue. If, instead, they had been honest about the costs, and had a higher residential tax (harder to hide from the taxpayer, of course), than this would not have been a problem.

GaryPDX: I'm putting in cisterns and collecting rain water. Hey, it worked for about 35 centuries, at least. Whatcha gonna do when water doesn't come out of that pipe in the kitchen?

/looking at you, city "hive" dwellers

My grandparents did this. I used to love watching the mosquito larvae squirm around in the barrels.

/lookin at you, bumpkin

Richard Pye: GaryPDX: Whatcha gonna do when water doesn't come out of that pipe in the kitchen?

Invade a country with an abundant water supply. Duh.

The Russians will be first in our sights.
/_{yeah I used a farkin Wiki reference}

Neko_Kawaii: Wow, people being greedy, surprise.

Exactly.

I've always questioned the environmental movement's "use less, recycle more" mantra when it doesn't save the consumer any money.

The best idea from TFA was to increase the rates on those bottling tap water for resale. Repackaging tap water should be taxed before they start hiking residential rates.

Also, off-the-grid water systems are awesome. That is all.

Relax, the Invisible Hand of the Market is just making corrections...

...by administering an Invisible UFIA.

This is what happens when you run government like a business. It starts out innocently--you start using terms like "revenue" and "customers" and before you know it, you have a PR department, an executive management team, and you're focusing on quarterly earnings growth instead of governing.

I am shocked... SHOCKED by this unfortunate turn of events.

That is all.

This should come as a surprise to noone. Didn't anyone learn anything when their light bills went up after they switched all their lights to compact flourescents?

YOU, private citizen, are NEVER allowed to get a break.

May as well have had a Florida tag. They did this to us during the water restrictions last year and likely will be doing it again.

Weaver95 - I've always wanted my own bomb shelter. Not sure why, exactly....but it'd be neat to have one.

My grandparents have a storm/tornado shelter... One of those that's a 8-9'-ish plastic bubble buried in the ground.

It was an awesome playhouse when I was a kid... not very entertaining as an adult, though.

[obvious]
same thing happened with electricity in Ontario.

Ekillr: This should come as a surprise to noone. Didn't anyone learn anything when their light bills went up after they switched all their lights to compact flourescents that cost 2-3 times more than incandescent bulbs?

FTFY

/get you both ways

Richard Pye: Bigger, Bolder Text FTW!

less than three, my friend.

Mr_Ectomy: Weaver95


I can't remember a time when government did something like that.



BURN!

*Puts out the burn with water*

/Wait, nevermind it's too expensive. See you in hell.

Weaver95: I've always wanted my own bomb shelter. Not sure why, exactly....but it'd be neat to have one.

So do I. Right now my bombs are all outside in the weather rusting. A shelter for them would sure help.

We don't put up with this kind of crap in Norcal. After the droughts in 77 & 92, and after we had all installed low flow showers, toilets, drip irrigation, and reduced consumption by 20%, water rates were raised by 30%.

If you don't pay the bill get used to smelling real bad.

smells_like_meat: ...get used to smelling real bad.

That's ok I'm already used to it.

GaryPDX: Whatcha gonna do when water doesn't come out of that pipe in the kitchen?

/looking at you, city "hive" dwellers

Now that we know where the water is, we'll probably come after you.

I have rain collecting into barrels and tanks from my gutters all winter. We use it for gardening so some of the plants can actually survive with all the water restrictions. Well worth doing. I also been tapping the water spring on the property and directing that into my vegetable garden through hoses and that gives me enough food in storage to go without ever buying anything healthy, except for bananas, where I am too far north. I still would appreciate some rain this spring.

Everytime one of the main services of electricity, gas or water ask to conserve they always put up the price of the product to keep the same level of income. It just means they have to produce less to make the same amount of money. It is a nice racket since they have rules to say you have to sign up to it or not be allowed to live in your house.

Wahhh, I don't understand how fixed infrastructure cost systems work, wahhhh...

I can't decide if Farkers are a bunch of whiners, economically illiterate, or (most likely) both.

/Building I design have rainwater catchment systems
//but code only lets me use the water for toilet flushing @!#$@!#$

Benjimin_Dover: Weaver95: I've always wanted my own bomb shelter. Not sure why, exactly....but it'd be neat to have one.

So do I. Right now my bombs are all outside in the weather rusting. A shelter for them would sure help.

Those helicopters you hear outside...yeah, they are there for you.

Better not take away my plastic bags. I use them to hold my recyclable glass and aluminum, paper bags just don't cut it for that.

Only Fark would find that strange.

The way I conserve water is by showering once a month, flushing the toilet once a week, and only drinking water from a lake down the road.

EvilBobRoss: Better not take away my plastic bags. I use them to hold my recyclable glass and aluminum, paper bags just don't cut it for that.

Wrong thread.

By the way, just because the rates go up, it doesn't mean the customers bills go up.

FormlessOne: oldebayer: This makes as much sense as cutting taxes to reduce the deficit while spending more.

If water's more expensive, won't people use less?

Well, sure, if you are going to believe "economics."

this is exactly what is being done with oil.

technicolor-misfit: Weaver95 - I've always wanted my own bomb shelter. Not sure why, exactly....but it'd be neat to have one.

My grandparents have a storm/tornado shelter... One of those that's a 8-9'-ish plastic bubble buried in the ground.

It was an awesome playhouse when I was a kid... not very entertaining as an adult, though.

If I had the money, I'd buy back my late grandparents home and land in CA. Their's and 6 other homes were fed since the 1930s by a couple natural springs. Gravity feed. Ice cold. Several cisterns to collect and redistribute. Never saw a water bill in the 65 years they and others lived on the hillside.

/sigh.

my lifesize, working moisture evaporators may come in handy yet

tonesskin: The way I conserve water is by showering once a month, flushing the toilet once a week, and only drinking water from a lake down the road.

Hey man, why don't you move in with me in my van down by the river? You could bathe more often.

Indirect taxes will *always* produce stupid results like this. If you fund roads with gas taxes, you'll have to raise gas taxes if people buy more efficient cars. If you fund infrastructure with water taxes, you'll have to raise water taxes when people conserve water.

Pay for roads with road taxes. Pay for gas pump inspections with gas taxes. Don't pay for roads with gas taxes.