2576. All the water divided among all the people.

I was in a seminar this morning focusing on water. The approach defaulted to let water be a market, then demand (need and desire) will determine distribution. What struck me was how easy the default was assume and how hard to get people to follow the logic that if there is less water (California) some people will get less of it. Who will those People be? The issue was avoided. What is hidden in the idea of demand is that it really means price, the price will adjust as demand shifts. Those with money get the water. In one jurisdiction the price to a household goes down as the consumption goes up and filling a swimming pool costs one fifth per gallon as drinking water a. nile away (in a low income no income neighborhood).

Other issues: The market means investment and that is for profit. Moving water takes lot of electricity (which takes a lot of oil) as it is piped hundreds of miles around the state.

“Let the price go up. That will solve the problem.”