Is it time to outlaw St. Augustine grass? (Austin: credit, gated)

[XLadylawX]

How funny!!! I do not see banning St. Augustine Grass as a means of protecting the environment at the expense of humans, but rather banning a thirsty grass so as to stretch finite resources to benefit humans.

A ban on St. Augustines = more water for me to drink and bathe in. How's that for being an environmental wacko?

[atlanta hope]

Originally Posted by booker_one

why the hell would anyone want to outlaw a type of grass? do you guys WANT to live in a nanny state? there are plenty of them that you can move to if you wish. unreal.

What is a "nanny" state? What does that even mean? What does that have to do with grass anyway?

Texas already outlaws some plants anyway... wouldn't be a big deal to add to the list:

NTWGS - Illegal and Invasive Plants

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

4. People are to bull-headed stubborn and selfish to do what is right on their own.

This attitude right here, that people who don't choose to do what YOU think is right are "bullheaded, stubborn and selfish" for not making the same decisions or coming to the same conclusions that you do, is the main impetus that leads to nanny states. Which Texas is not and, hopefully, never will be (though we're having to fight the good fight to convince those who move here FROM nanny states that this is, indeed, the case - once you get used to Mommy and Daddy making all your decisions for you, for some reason you seem to think that's a good idea).

Now, I don't happen to think that St. Augustine is a good idea for Central Texas. Some other parts of Texas, yes, it's a good idea because it fits in with the climate of that particular area (we've got lots of different ones in the state), but here, it's a water hog, you have to give it lots of attention to keep it looking happy, and it just looks silly because it's out of place.

But I think it's a WORSE idea to think that it's fine and dandy to make decisions for people by fiat simply because they are too "bullheaded stubborn and selfish" to agree with me. That's even more out of place in Texas as a whole than St. Augustine is in Central Texas!

[Trainwreck20]

The simple answer is to raise the second and, especially, the third tier rates for water .

[orbius]

Originally Posted by booker_one

why the hell would anyone want to outlaw a type of grass? do you guys WANT to live in a nanny state? there are plenty of them that you can move to if you wish. unreal.

Austin is what it is because it has strong laws. Your freedom stops at the bridge of your nose. When your actions start effecting others or the general good its other peoples right to make laws governing those actions.
Certainly wasting massive amounts of water on a pointless plant is something that effects everyone in the city. Banning a type of grass is something that definitely could be on the table.

[TexasHorseLady]

orbius, what makes you think that Austin is what it is because it has "strong laws" (which appears to be, make somebody else do what I thing they should)? What makes you think that legislating people down to the kind of grass they choose to plant is a good thing? What makes you think that kidn of thinking has anything to do with Austin and what it is?

[twange]

"Outlawing" a type of grass (innuendo welcome) definitely seems a little over-anxious. Some solutions could be:

a.) Start a regional/local campaign(public service announcements, ads, newspaper and blog columns etc..) encouraging people to consider other landscaping alternatives. Images and data would be most beneficial.

b.) As Trainwreck said, raise the second and third tier water rates, which will impact the heaviest users most.

c.) Target developers and HOAs to loosen their requirements on grass type and landscape materials. Requiring someone to use only ONE type of grass is worse than legislating against a certain type, as it limits the homeowner to only ONE option).

[orbius]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

orbius, what makes you think that Austin is what it is because it has "strong laws" (which appears to be, make somebody else do what I thing they should)? What makes you think that legislating people down to the kind of grass they choose to plant is a good thing? What makes you think that kidn of thinking has anything to do with Austin and what it is?

Look at every other corporate run city in Texas and compare it to Austin. The greenbelt would already be totally paved over and polluted if regular citizens didnt take an interest in using politics and the law to dictate what is acceptable in Austin and what is not.
You're missing the issue anyway, the issue isnt about grass specfically its about being able to use the power of government for the common good. If a certain plant is draining scarce resources from the city a better question is why do you think the banning of that plant shouldnt potentially be on the table?
Why shouldnt there be an intelligent adult debate in the political arena about such things?

Because some people believe in the false paradigm they live on an island and their actions dont have direct consequences for others and the environment? I'm sorry that is obviously false and I literally cant subscribe to that kind of thinking.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by orbius

Because some people believe in the false paradigm they live on an island and their actions dont have direct consequences for others

My point exactly. That you feel and believe a certain way doesn't mean that your desire to legislate your own preferences for others doesn't have direct consequences for said others.

There are much better ways to handle these things while still remaining the kind of country that we purport to be. Twange pointed out some good ones. I particularly like targeting developers for educational and other means to encourage them to be more environmentally friendly in their requirements for landscaping, both on the part of the city and on the part of the consumer.

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by atlanta hope

What is a "nanny" state? What does that even mean? What does that have to do with grass anyway?

Texas already outlaws some plants anyway... wouldn't be a big deal to add to the list:

NTWGS - Illegal and Invasive Plants

It means that the government acts as a 'nanny' or babysitter of people who are too stupid (or brainwashed) to think for themselves.

Rather than 'outlaw' a type of grass, increase the price of water. If I want to eat Hamburger Helper everynight because I choose to spend all my disposable income on water, so be it. Sheesh.