A Far-Fetched Idea About Water
by Frank Shortt
Assuming that the government statistics are right that California is in the worst drought
ever, and seeing that city governments are doing nothing to curb building permits, how
will we solve the water crisis? Governments are saying, but doing naught!
Here are some ideas that have evolved in the last few days. It has been said that these
ideas are a little ‘out there’ and that no paper would dare even consider these solutions.
Ok, so Isaac Newton was a little ‘out there’ also, but he showed that gravity was the
truth. This was all because an apple fell on his head!
What could solve the water problem for California? Money! Yes, Money! It takes money
to ride the train! I have heard this saying all my life. It is true! We must eat to live and
we also must have good drinking water. The solutions to our drought will take lots of
money, money that California is saying they do not have. Desalinization of sea water is a
possibility. Piping water in from other areas that have plenty of water is another
possibility. Reuse and cleansing of waste water is another possibility. All these ideas
have one common factor! It takes money to ride the train!
Now the question is, “Where will we get all this money?” The Bill Gates Conglomerate
could solve the problem in nothing flat! He has taken Billions of dollars from California
and could easily afford to chip in a sizeable amount to the ‘water kitty’! Apple
Corporation has reaped the benefits of California’s climate and friendly business
atmosphere. They could chip in a sizeable amount. IBM has always been compatible
with city governments and has also reaped much from the California economy. Would
they be willing to chip in for such a worthy cause? The list goes on and on.
One major league baseball player recently left a bay area club to sign on with another
major league team back east. He was offered $90million to knock a few homeruns as
well as doing something he really enjoys. What if all major league baseball players,
earning salaries from California, would pool a small percentage of their earnings, paid
for by the California public, to help solve this major issue. It is certain that when they
finish a game, they love to take a lavish shower, go out to eat at a fancy restaurant, and it
is also certain, that they do not even have to request a glass of cold water. Most of us
only get a glass of water if we ask for it.
What about the salaries of professional athletes in other sports? Such as basketball
players, football players, hockey players, etc. What about the owners of these teams?
Would they be willing to return some of the lucre, taken from hard-working citizens,
and help solve this water crisis?
It is often said that ‘It takes a village to raise a child’. What about revenue for ‘raising’
our possibility of having potable water to survive? How many of us ‘spoiled’ Americans
are willing to chip in ‘when the chips are down’ to pull us out of this dilemma? Are we
willing to take fewer showers? Are we willing to allow our lawns to get a little brown?
Would it be possible to hand wash our dishes the old fashioned way at least three times
a week instead of shooting them into the dishwasher?
Our city governments could ease this demand for water by placing moratoriums on
building, at least, until the water crisis is past history. Are a few more tax dollars, in the
coffers of those who spend them for frivolous things, more important than the survival
of all?
This is only one voice, ‘crying out in the wilderness of humanity’, saying, that there are
solutions to this problem, at least temporarily. If there are others who feel the same,
please make your voice heard to your elected officials in state, city and national arenas.
There is a solution to the water problem but it takes the devotion of a few Arnold Von
Winkelrieds, the hero of Switzerland, who cried, “Make way for liberty” and pulled the
cruel, oppressing, Austrian spears into his own chest making way for a Swiss victory.