[jwalsh07]

Perhaps, but the economist did not suggest giving them ownership of the ditch and all that was in it.

[Mark Bahner]

"Perhaps, but the economist did not suggest giving them ownership of the ditch and all that was in it."

Yes, I agree that it would probably be better to SELL the permits initially, rather than giving them away. But like I wrote before, most of the complaints about the system seemed to be that it destroyed too many jobs. That's a sign of economic efficiency...a large number of goods provided with few jobs. It's painful for producers (at least those forced out of jobs) but it's great for consumers.