LETTER: Nevada, water and government subsidies
Fully addressing your Sunday article on the Colorado River by ProPublica (“Measuring the legacy of water use”) would require more space than available for a letter. In short, the problem is the crime of politics and corruption. A big part of the answer: No more corporate subsidies of any kind.
China, Saudi Arabia and others own property here. Then they use our water to grow alfalfa and ship it to their countries to feed their cows. Why are we subsidizing that?
Also, we have subsidized water, growing subsidized alfalfa for dairy cows, which themselves are heavily subsidized to the point they dump milk or turn it into cheese to be buried and thrown away. These corporate farms go to politicians and obtain huge subsidies or are paid not to grow crops.
Subsidies are like tax deductions. Somebody else has to make up for the money lost due to a tax deduction. It’s time to halt subsidies of all kinds. If they can’t make it on their own, change crops or charge more. If that increases the cost of meat, pay it. Don’t ask me to subsidize it.
