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[–]TaseAFeminist4Jesus 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (8 children)

$156 for October here in the Land of the Free.

[–]aaarrgh 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (7 children)

the land of the free: LOL

[–]TaseAFeminist4Jesus 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

What exactly is it that you are not free to do here, specifically, that irks you?

[–]Alphix 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (5 children)

In some states, people were prosecuted for COLLECTING RAINWATER.

Hello?

[–]TaseAFeminist4Jesus 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

That's an interesting answer. It strikes me as more of a property rights issue than a personal freedom issue. I mean, nothing is preventing you from buying all the water you want (and I didn't call America the "land of free stuff.")

Moreover, I would ask where the line around property rights is drawn. Do I own everything under my land, down to the core of the planet? Above me, can I erect a 20,000 tower without any warning lights? The argument that property rights ought to be absolute breaks down pretty easily.

Returning to the specific question of rainwater harvesting, the regulations around it seem reasonable to me, similar to my example of having to put warning lights on a tall tower. Most states do not restrict the practice at all. A few western states restrict it only if the water has entered a stream; basically, you can't dam up streams at will.

One mostly desert state - Nevada - restricts the practice. That's a result of water being a precious commodity in a desert. I don't think their policy is unreasonable.

[–]Alphix 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Oh, no. I mean LITERALLY collecting rainwater runoff from his own roof on his own property into barrels to water his garden with. No streams are harmed by this practice. There were many such interdictions over the years. Here's one I could readily find from 2012:

https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/oregon-man-sentenced-30-days-jail-collecting-rainwater-his-property

[–]TaseAFeminist4Jesus 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

It does say that guy had dams on his property, though.

Still, this seems heavy-handed to me, and reinforces my view that Oregon has kind of an overgrown government.

[–]Alphix 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Ah, yet you still believe the USA is the land of the free. Sigh.

[–]TaseAFeminist4Jesus 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It's a nickname. Nicknames don't have to be fact checked. Doc Severinsen is not an actual physician, Ron White is not potato salad, etc.

That said, there are good reasons for this nickname. Some guy in Oregon not being allowed to build dams all over the place doesn't negate these reasons.