A member of AARES with a sense of history says his bit in letter to The Australian People in The Australian Newspaper
John Anderson's appeal (Weekend Australian 9-10 August) to wasteful urban water users to share the pain will be the fourth time I have hit the tin for the irrigation lobby. The first doorknock was tax to fund the dams. Prior imprinting with the newsreels of the Snowy Scheme and nation-building using bull-dozers had made me willing enough.
I gave again, as a public servant with a role in the economic analysis of irrigation schemes which simply transferred the taxpayer subsidy into land values.
The third door-knock is the evolving claw back - saying sorry and retrieving some 'stolen' water for environmental flows so the rivers of our childhood can once again make it home to the sea. Urban Australia might be sold this one by a statesperson, and share some of the pain. Even if they never get to Goolwa.
But this latest fourth appeal, suggesting uneconomic urban use of water has got anything to do with the water issues of inland Australia, is simply shock-jock logic even defying gravity.
I will hose on, content local politics will ensure I pay ever closer to a fair and full cost. Referred pain can be tricky.
Mr.Disgusted, Indooroopilly QLD
(a.k.a.Dr.Barry White)