…you get shafted for doing EXACTLY what they wanted. Once again, we see Progressive Government proving that F.A. Hayek’s “The Fatal Conceit” true- that a single individual or committee canNOT ever know enough to be able to ably make decisions for hundreds of millions of people.
We’re already seeing this story play out in two other venues: cars and electricity. DRIVE smaller calls, the environmentalists demanded – and normal folks said “go pound sand”. So the environ-“let’s deindustrialize back to the Middle Ages”-mentalists joined with Progressives to use the force of Government to change the MPG standards to FORCE you to drive smaller, more efficient (and more dangerous – doubt me and you sit in your Fiat 500 as I T-bone you in my Suburban) tin-cans. Sure, they get better MPG (as if that’s the only metric that counts – it is for them, however) but like all Progressives, they keep forgetting two little words:
- dynamically
- ramification
Part of the Fatal Conceit is that they think they know everything needed to make decisions for us all. The problem is, if you change the system, they believe that only the component they change will actually change. They always seem to underestimate how people will dynamically react to their restrictions in behavior (and restrictions certainly is the word – they believe Government SHOULD restrict your behavior). People will ALWAYS react in ways and use systems that you never believe they would (trust me, as a programmer, I know this). Thus, changes they make will cause ripples – often in ways that they never accounted for. Here, people did (er, were FORCED to) buy cars they otherwise did not.
But did achieve higher MPG ratings – and less gas is being purchased. And now for the ramification: Progressives seeing Government being starved for forgone tax monies because less gas tax is coming in. Progressives – never happy even when they get their way!
And electricity – same deal. Same conspiring with Environmentalists with Progressives (but I repeat myself) – using the force of Government to demand higher efficiency appliances (thank you US Senator Kelly Ayotte for your part in this!) and telling people “sure, a higher price but think of the money you’ll save through lower electricity costs!” Yeah, how’s that working out for us as….
…the same Dubious Duos have conspired, under the rubric of “eliminating CO2 and global cooling global warming global doom climate change” that low cost electrical plants are to be run out of business. So, we get higher electrical costs.
Yup, higher appliance costs and now higher electrical costs – thanks Government! Screwed again – but its for our own good, dontcha know!
So, with the drought in California and Gov. Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown placing state-wide restrictions on water use, people are decreasing their water usage. So are you surprised as to what Twitchy is reporting?
Ordered to cut water use during California drought, rates being increased because water usage down. They need $$$ to pay officials' junkets.
— Mary Hughes-Thompson ?? (@Mariapalestina) October 22, 2015
Let me get this straight. I have done all I can to save water and I'm being charged for that? WOW!!!! Talk about… https://t.co/akoAysqCkB
— Donta Morrison (@TheDontaShow) October 21, 2015
Union controlled LA Department of Water and Power raising fees after people conserved watr – https://t.co/Xp9dkjJtwI pic.twitter.com/6HSdVLF7pM
— ❌❌ Captain Chaos ❌❌ (@tonyr951) October 21, 2015
From the Los Angeles Daily News:
Enjoying those lower water bills from 3-minute showers and your new drought-tolerant landscaping? Well, prepare to pay a little more to make up for your conservation.
Throughout California, consumers have conserved during this four-year drought and purchased less water from their utilities, leaving some water agencies operating in the red and drawing down reserves. Officials now say they need to pass some of the costs back to customers.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will hike rates to cover some of its lost revenue, its civilian board decided Tuesday. Most DWP customers will pay 4 percent more for water beginning in January. The average residential monthly bill will increase from $49.73 to $51.53, DWP officials said.
No, I’m not surprised either. Frankly, this is a Big Problem generated and created by Government all on its lonesome. Yes, Mother Nature stopped giving the state free water but Jerry Brown stopped the civil engineering works to California’s water infrastructure that his Dad had started – environmentalism, dontcha know.
And once again, less usage means higher prices – who could have seen THAT coming, eh? Certainly not the Progressives, so it seems.
Can we now just call Progressives the “Reverse Midas Touch Gang”?
(H/T: Instapundit)
