Water Authority Engages in Outrageous Eminent Domain Abuse

The water fight between the government-run Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority and the privately owned New Mexico Utilities Inc. is getting ugly. As the Rio Grande Foundation has previously pointed out, a government takeover of a private utility is a foolish step that will only result in higher water rates.
Having listened to Senator Ortiz y Pino discuss water policy at a recent legislative forum and hearing him say that 90% of New Mexico’s water is used for agriculture while only 10% is used for residential purposes, I realize once and for all that the proposed takeover has nothing to do with water or conservation and it has everything to do with power. A sad commentary on the government agencies that are supposedly there to serve us.