alt Hacker NewsThe problem is that they don’t pay their fair share. Farms get insanely low rates and grow things like alfalfa that doesn’t even feed people but requires an insane amount of water.
Las Vegas recycles almost 100% of its indoor water usage and minimizes outdoor usage. They pay you to remove your lawn and almost all of them are gone.
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bigstrat2003 • yesterday at 8:59 PM
> alfalfa that doesn’t even feed people but requires an insane amount of water
Just because people don't eat the alfalfa doesn't mean it isn't ultimately feeding people. Cows eat a ton of alfalfa, and we get both meat and milk from them. So it is feeding people, just indirectly.
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Yes, you’re talking about right now.
In 5-10 years, if this ends up like many are predicting (and I don’t know if it will or not), you are going to see people by the hundreds or thousands appealing their property tax assessments, saying their land is effectively worthless if water is too expensive or unavailable. They’ll get denied but some of them will contest the denial and file suit. And eventually one wins in court. Then everyone contests and everyone wins. And the only land that can be taxed has water rights. And unless the farmer plans to get his alfalfa to market via helicopter, he’s gonna have to pay the taxes or the roads disappear. He’s proper F’ed.