Sacramento water police warn of penalties

03 Nov, 2012 by CalWatchdog Staff

Nov. 3, 2012

Katy Grimes: The Sacramento water police are at it again. But it’s not about water conservation.

A tiny blurb on page B3 of Friday’s Sacramento Bee announced the newest water restrictions for the city’s residents:

“The City of Sacramento also reminds residents that, during winter months, residents may only water their yards once a week – on either Saturday or Sunday. Saturday is a good time to re-set landscape watering timers or run afoul of water waster enforcers.

A first violation of the landscape watering ordinance is subject to a warning notice; additional violations result in fines. For more information, call 311, the city information hotline, or the Utilities Department at (916) 808-5454.”

The newspaper story was different from the online version, far more severe:

“The City of Sacramento mandates thay during wonter months, residents and businesses may only water outdoor landscaping only one day per week.

The rules are a permanent conservation measure in the city of Sacramento and are not associated with a drought emergency.”

Sacramento is in a flood zone. The city is located on two huge rivers – The American River and the Sacramento River. Telling Sacramento residents to stop using water is like asking a resident of Squaw Valley to stop skiing. It’s a natural resource that is not in short supply.

The last time I called the city to ask why residents were being told to stop watering lawns, a city representative told me that there is a drought. When I laughed and said “no there is not,” he admitted that he was told to say that, and then he gave me to his supervisor. The supervisor hung up on me.

The city of Sacramento has absurd water restrictions anyway. This is a mystery for many of the city’s residents, but not for Eye on Sacramento.

“Through years of neglect and underinvestment, the city’s water and sewer infrastructure is a mess,” the Sacramento watchdog group found in a March study. “The mess is a consequence of several factors: (1) the city council’s historic failure to focus on long-term needs and its “core” government mission; (2) the failures of the city council and city managers to adequately oversee the Department of Utilities (DOU); (3) broken promises by DOU management on how revenues from earlier rate hikes would be spent; and (4) unsound city policy that has allowed escalating labor costs to crowd out infrastructure spending.”

Last May I wrote about the city’s ridiculous police state tactics with water controls:

“The City of Sacramento sent out a notice today encouraging residents to attend a water conservation training session. It seems innocuous enough, and maybe even a good idea.”

“However, deeper into the notice, neighbors are encouraged to educate and even subtly spy on neighbors.Apparently by attending a water conservation workshop, attendees can be certified ‘City of Sacramento Water Conservation Ambassadors.’ Does a badge come with the title?”

Central government planning

How is the City of Sacramento authorized to impose these outlandish water restrictions on city residents? Our city utilities bills haven’t been discounted – in fact we are paying more than ever.

I just planted a fall vegetable garden, and overhauled the back yard. My husband and I spend hundreds of dollars on new plants, which will need water. And what about the people who plant or seed a new lawn in the fall?

These are the Statist central government policies that are enacted by idiotic leftist local politicians, drunk on power.

Statists seek to grow government at the expense of individual liberty. Mark Levin, a lawyer, conservative radio host, and author, writes: “The statist’s goals are clear, but his methods are deceitful: promising equality, security and Utopia but delivering tyranny.”

Here is a hilarious audio clip from Levin’s show where he fillets a caller: