Common Sense Award #5

Hi Everyone,

I hope anyone who was affected by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene that life is starting to return to some kind of normalacy.

This week, instead of blogging about politicians and their total lack of common sense, it is time once again to blog about something good. This week I am awarding the fifth Common Sense Award. The last Common Sense Award was given out on 3/20/11, so here is the back story to today's winner.

This summer has been a terrible summer for the mid-western states, especially Texas. I believe that the year long drought affecting Texas is the worst in over 50 years. The impact has been most devasting to farmers and ranchers. Hopefully it will rain soon and end the drought. But the third largest city in Texas, El Paso, located in the far western part of the state, is not worrying about water. Why? Well it all started 20 years ago.

Over the past 20 years, El Paso has paid city residents over $11 million or $1 per square foot, to remove their grss and replace it with gravel, cement or desert plants. In addition, the city has permanent restrictions on watering days and reduced water comsumption by offering special showerheads and rebates for water-efficient toilets.

El Paso's 20 year plan has helped them to avoid a water crisis that other towns across the state now face, including the community of Robert Lee, which is currently rushing to find a new source of water before its faucets run dry within the next several months.

The foresight and common sense of El Paso of 20 years ago has helped them today. For that reason, I am awarding the fifth Common Sense Award to the city of El Paso, Texas. You see, common sense does work. So many of our problems can be solved if cooler heads prevailed and common sense is used.

Til next week.

Peter