You are exactly right that water and sewer are local responsibilities. I have to pay for the sewer service in my area, it makes no sense for someone in Milwaukee to pay for mine and me to pay for theirs. Other than to build a giant bureaucracy to administer a new federal program, and to provide another slush fund to fill a money trough for political cronies to guzzle from, this serves no purpose.
The Feds already have many unfunded mandates to municipalities for stormwater and sewers under the Clean Water Act and its many amendments. (I know, I’m a municipal officeholder). Sure, I’d love to have federal dollars to pay for what they require us to do. But it’s not a good idea, and because we will have to pay for the federal bureaucracy that oversees this program, our community and all other ones (except for those with connections and power in DC) will be “donor communities.” We won’t get back money in the same amount as we are taxed.
It’s just wrong.
They should at least be honest and call it a flush fund instead of a slush fund.