This article claims New Orleans might be next - https://www.wsj.com/articles/jackson-water-crisis-aging-infr...
In Jackson, Mississippi, a water crisis of unparalleled scale
161–170 of 209 posts
Re: In Jackson, Mississippi, a water crisis of unparalleled scale
#162Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Why do they have to be federal funds? Federal/state/local tax revenue is split about 54/27/19. The US federal deficit is another 19% on-top of that. For whatever reasons, good or bad, the US funnels tax dollars through the Federal level. They're basically a middle man. Which means large projects almost always require some Federal funding.
27 + 19 is 46%, that’s hardly nothing. Again if you compare other countries a lot of places do a lot more with less. It’s governance issue, not a resource issue.
Local funding mostly goes to schools. I'm not sure about state funding. Most of the "flex" is at the Federal level. Especially given the fact they can spend money that is literally just printed. Local and State have to pass laws and collect revenue.
The fact of the matter is that our current tax structure relies on the federal pool for infrastructure spending. That's just the way it is. Whether you like it or not. Personally I'd love Fed tax dollars shift more directly to state and local. That would be one plausible path to help achieve "better governance".
> Again if you compare other countries a lot of places do a lot more with less.
Everything in the US is radically overpriced for a lot of reasons. We spend more on health care per capita and don't even get universal coverage out of it. It's embarrassing.
Re: In Jackson, Mississippi, a water crisis of unparalleled scale
#163Earlier quoted context omitted.
Having better local sources of water and treatment may turn out to he a better idea than centralized water treatment. Here in the US, water is pumped (often uphill) and purified to drinking water standards, only for 70% of residential water used for watering green lawns. Those lawns are usually grown in a way where soil microbes are killed off, water retention capability are reduced (so it needs more water), and the…
In Irvine, California, homes are plumbed with two water lines: potable, and greywater. So even in the middle of a drought, everything is green.
Yup, that’s a great start. There’s a lot more that can be done. For example, there are better ways to treat blackwater than dumping it into a septic tank and a leach field. Incorporating and cycling blackwater through plants that evolved to drink and process blackwater can help clean it faster. I would not want to cycle it immediately back to onsite drinking water, but in a situation like Jackson, MS, I know I am not contributing sewage to my neighbor’s bathwater.
This video goes through the design principles for onsite greywater and blackwater harvesting: https://youtu.be/f-sRcVkZ9yg
Re: In Jackson, Mississippi, a water crisis of unparalleled scale
#164By all measures, this is due to the kind of neglect and mismanagement one would expect to see in an underdeveloped or war-torn country, not in a city inside a state that is part of the most powerful country on earth. And Jackson is the state's largest city and as well as its capital ! It must be so embarrassing for the politicians who have been running Mississippi. They've done a truly terrible, horrible job on this.
As much as we like to blame government, and politicians - at the end of the day, ll... We are the government. We are the politicians. We are the inept, lazy society who has let it come to this. We are the ones fighting amongst ourselves, unable to converse and work with opposing viewpoints.
> We are the government. We are the politicians.
Huh? No we’re not. What are you talking about?
Re: In Jackson, Mississippi, a water crisis of unparalleled scale
#165By all measures, this is due to the kind of neglect and mismanagement one would expect to see in an underdeveloped or war-torn country, not in a city inside a state that is part of the most powerful country on earth. And Jackson is the state's largest city and as well as its capital ! It must be so embarrassing for the politicians who have been running Mississippi. They've done a truly terrible, horrible job on this.
These are the people that have been running the city: - (D) Harvey Johnson Jr. [2009-2013] - (D) Chokwe Lumumba [2013-2014] - (D) Charles Tillman [2014] - (D) Tony Yarber [2014-2017] - (D) Chokwe Lumumba [2017-Present] From the article: > “No one is taking responsibility” for the crisis, she said. “You have the governor and the mayor blaming each other. They just keep going back and forth. Both of them knew the water…
The two Lumumbas are father and son, not the same person, hence why the latter goes by his middle name Antar as well usually.
Re: In Jackson, Mississippi, a water crisis of unparalleled scale
#166The story quotes a few people who mention how nobody will take responsibility for this. It's the governor, or the mayor, or the city government, or state government - etc. I wish the reporter would actually take a position on this. Whose fault is this and how do you know?
Re: In Jackson, Mississippi, a water crisis of unparalleled scale
#167Re: In Jackson, Mississippi, a water crisis of unparalleled scale
#168Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the US states tend to have the most power. The federal government can coax states by offering more money (for instance, funding 90% of highway projects), but can’t usually force states to take any specific action. There are exceptions but in general, if you want an action to happen the state needs to be OK with it. Cities may have a lot of autonomy or almost no autonomy, depending on the specific state and city. I…
In the US, cities tend to run their municipal water systems. That's why they're called municipal. You're welcome.
Right.
Im in awe at the mental gymnastics some are doing in this comment section trying to blame “racism” and Republicans.
This was caused by incompetent city government, period. Blame Jackson’s city council, mayor or even the voters themselves for not fixing this. But it doesn’t make any sense to blame “racist”, “white supremacist” people who don’t even live in Jackson.
Re: In Jackson, Mississippi, a water crisis of unparalleled scale
#169Earlier quoted context omitted.
I guess your idea of America is from movies - immigrated here 24 years ago from a so called third-world country and I can tell you it’s rather unsettling when you see the bowels of America especially in the southern parts (I live in Louisiana).
Honest question - why do we send so much foreign aid but don't fix our own backyard? This has been going on for decades and there must be an opportunity cost here. Sure some things cannot be solved by just throwing more money at it, but a lot of things can be. I remember this was a popular topic in pro Ron Paul 2008 reddit discussions. More people are eager to help Ukraine than our own states. They'd be ashamed infac…
I suspect a lot of foreign aid is actually used to stabilize parts of the world so they don't turn into hotspots for things like terrorism. Not that there isn't a wish to improve the lives of others, but it is easier and cheaper to maintain the status quo.
Re: In Jackson, Mississippi, a water crisis of unparalleled scale
#170Earlier quoted context omitted.
I get how you would come to believe that if you didn't have one. Let's ban avocados, too! They're an incredible waste of water and resources. (I can't stand how they taste, so this wouldn't affect me.)
I happen to be forced by the city to maintain a green lawn. That's why I came to believe this.
There’s a authoritarian law you don’t like, so you hope to seize power and pass the opposite authoritarian law.
How about trying for a truce instead?