A new way to take a bath....

[Moonliner]

The U.S. Taxpayer foots the bill to subsidize water for farmers in California to grow crops.

Farmers are now taking that subsidized water and selling it on the open market for more than they can make from farming.

What's wrong with this picture (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080125/D8UD540G1.html)?

[Alex]

If you haven't, read Cadillac Desert (http://www.amazon.com/Cadillac-Desert-American-Disappearing-Revised/dp/0140178244) to find out how exactly things got so screwed up in California (and mush of the U.S. southwest) water policy.

It's quite the eye opener and will make you very angry.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown.

[sleepyjeff]

Yep....reminds me of my Aunt who lives in Illinois. She has a farm in which she use to have to work 10 - 16 hours a day at to keep her head above water. Now the Feds are paying her to Not use any of the water that goes thru her property via a small seasonal creek. She makes nearly twice the money and doesn't have to lift a finger.

[blueerica]

Yep.

Been going on a long while now.

Bleh.