This letter's rating: Informative
Author: Ken Harris, Dallas
Re: "Water Wise -- Dallas makes smart move to enact early limits," Wednesday Editorials.
Regarding water restrictions, you state Dallas residents have it "easy" compared to residents in the North Texas Municipal Water District, and that Dallas may "need" to sell water to them ("the fast-growing northern suburbs") in the future. It would be unfair and ridiculous for Dallas Water Utilities to have to supply its hard earned, costly resource of precious water to an entirely different service district. That certainly wouldn't work in reverse.
Also, a Dallas City Council member very naively suggested "the region" consider restricting building permits. Does she think those fast-growing northern suburbs would ever do that? I'm sure they (and this council member) would probably be very happy if only the city of Dallas restricted housing permits -- oh, and provided their water supplies also.
Ken Harris, Dallas
Your feelings are exactly on track. I would like to amplify a few points.
As regards, Dallas residents having it "easy;" idiotic assertion from the DMN editorial staff. Saying easy when "compared" to residents of the faster-growing northern suburbs hardly makes the assertion any less unreasonable.
When it came to approving all this new development and resulting increase in demand for water these cities asserted their independence and looked only so far into the future as the increase in property tax revenue this new development would create. Now they have infrastructure to minimal to meet their maximum demand. I will assert here and now that your very new, very large, very expensive home (with pool) would be significantly less valuable to you and anyone you tried to sell it to if you turned on the taps and no water flowed out.
Residents of the City of Dallas have subsidized your potable water needs for all of some five decades now, as well as your added pollution our water sources: see the analysis of increased pollution to the Dallas watershed in the presentation at the end of this commentary. It is only now that your sole water source is running dry that you preach the gospel of "regionalism." I will give you a specific instance as an illustration.
I own a home in Dallas that was built in 1964. Nice house indeed. Made all that better by the fact that back in the 1950's during the drought, and before the house was built, Dallas city leaders looked forward and envisioned the need for more water. They sold bonds to build reservoirs and build the infrastructure necessary to meet that vision. A vision that did not include expansions in the northern suburbs wherein they would act as leaches to diminish their efforts to serve the citizens of Dallas at the most reasonable price. Consequently, anyone owning property in Dallas has paid property taxes to pay off those bonds and expenses imposed "way back when" to pay for the hear and now.
That the DMN asserts they have it worse compared to residents of Dallas is a cause for pity but not subsidy. Paying more for the water to be "shared" than citizens will never recover the cost of what has been paid. Dallas Water Utilities should be compensated today's dollars, based on the future cost of money, for what has been expended in the past to meet the needs of the City of Dallas.
This will never happen though. The collective intelligence of the member of the Dallas City Council would never understand the concept of the "cost of future dollars" and would therefore, never agree to demanding an up front compensation lump payment for access to Dallas' water. Let these northern suburbs compensate Dallas upfront for their past assertion of independence in approving these developments.
I have in mind something like that used by DART, join now and pay now. Join later and pay reimbursement immediately when you decide afterwards you want to join in the concept of regionalism. If that means you have to pass a bond election, paid from your current property tax revenue well, too bad for you.
After they do so, then we can all enjoy the "regionalism" concept by paying exactly the same for the water we presently consume.
Then when we have your potable water needs addressed let's take a look at the effect of your extensive pollution to the Dallas "regional" watershed that is a good deal larger than the watershed that feeds Lake Lavon from which you drink.
Your up-level, high-end, extensive and expensive developments are polluting the sources far beyond the area in which live and work and you pay absolutely nothing for that.
See the effect of the change in land usage in the Plano/Allen areas in terms of the increase in just one pollutant - errant loss of nitrogen into the "regional" watershed and you will have reason to understand that the cost to you of your homes, public areas, shopping complexes, etc. are being subsidized by Dallas right now.
Yes folks, right there in your own "backyard" so to say. There is a very enlightening examination of the subject online at http://randomobservationsfromdallas.blogspot.com
Nigtrogen Pollution Change Due to Land Use Changes in the Plano/Allen area.
View more presentations from stoughne.
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