Different Paths on Energy & Water Conservation
Among my many pet peeves are my neighbors who let their sprinklers run when it’s raining or water the sidewalks instead of their lawns. Too many Angelenos waste water.
So it should come as no surprise that the L.A. Dept of Water & Power (LADWP) Board of Commissioners voted last week to impose penalties on homeowners who do not reduce their water consumption by 15%.
As someone intimately familiar with the state’s water situation and the need for greater conservation, I am not opposed to this new policy. I don’t love it, mind you, but this plan is far better than mandatory rationing, which was also on the table. I can do a lot more to cut my water bill, and this vote along with Michelle Obama’s green thumb inspired my family to consider replacing more of our lawn with a vegetable garden, if not a cactus or rock garden.
Curbing Rush to Punishment
The virulent backlash against companies that have accepted money from the government is understandable – to a point. The question is, have we sped past that point?
It’s reasonable to inveigh against AIG-style bonuses to executives who helped steer their companies into the ditch. It’s understandable to rail against companies for lavish perks, especially if those companies are getting taxpayer money.
But is the pitchfork-and-torch routine being employed a little too reflexively and too often?
A good example is the pillorying of Northern Trust Corp. for its sponsorship of a golf tournament last month at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.
Please, No More Taxes
Well, here we go again. Having just “closed” an estimated $42 billion budget deficit in February through a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes, the state of California now faces an additional $8 billion deficit for fiscal year 2009-10, as projected by the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
While no one is entirely surprised by the continued deterioration in the state’s fiscal position, Californians should be disturbed by the magnitude of the ongoing problem. Losing so much revenue in such a short timeframe illustrates just how detrimental state government has been to California’s economic prosperity.
In short, prior to last month’s (partial) budget fix, state government was living a whopping 33% above its means.