Mediocre Metaphor Saved by Fresh Turn of Phrase

Water, as in most areas of the Western United States, is a worry, always has been. Yet, all too many "Angelenos" don't appear to be concerned because water has for most of the past one hundred years cost them little.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa asked the citizens to reduce usage by 10% in June of 2007. The City has not responded well. The Los Angeles Times headline in the Metropolitan Section, called "California" read:

"L.A.'s water savings are just a drop in the bucket."

With water supplies down because of a drought in 2006, and record low snowpack in the Eastern Sierra where Los Angeles obtains most of its water, Angelenos are no angels in their profligate use of water. Therefore, "...a drop in the bucket," while accurate, would appear to be too tame a metaphor to describe the profligacy of the greater citizenry. We're therefore going to have to write a grammar usage citation. A metaphor with more force was requisite. The squandering of water is not solely an economic issue, it has become an environmental one as well.

However, later in the well-written and well-documented article, the writer quotes Miriam Torres of the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water who provided a fresh turn of phrase that encapsulates the issue perfectly. Torres said:

"People in Los Angeles have to think of water as a precious resource and not a commodity."

Beautifully put. The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water is currently applying pressure on the mayor to impose stricter measures to effectively deal with the scarcity of supply. Given that his constituents have increased their water usage 4.83% (millions of cubic feet of water) over the past ten months, "drops" will not suffice.