The feds don't need anything else to do...they have plenty of shit they already probably shouldn't be doing but are anyway

If Nebraska, for instance, wants to commission a study on their infrastructure, they can. And when they publish that data, anybody can do with it as they wish

If that data just happens to aggregate into a federal database, that's fine, but it's not up to them to directly facilitate all states' reports just because muh feds

^^^

Well. Aggregating data can help make a better sense of certain things. I think water and wastewater would benefit from it.

we're over here trying to starve this beast, and you're looking for its next meal

^exactly

there isn't a word in the constitution about the fed aggregating the entire nation's water purity

Lol. What I’m asking for is chump change. It isn’t some bloated structure.

nothing

zero

zilch

not in the constitution, answer is no

period

How about leave it to the states to deal with their own infrastructure?

Ok.

Whatever.

It's like people see the Constitution, but we've been conditioned to just ignore the words and defer everything to the federal level.

Either the document matters and should be enforced as written or fuck it

Um. What.

If something isn't specifically delegated to the federal level, it is the states' business

I don’t think aggregating data is the same as infringing on people’s rights or creating a massive welfare bureaucracy

no one ever does

It starts at aggregating data and ends at aggregating data.

no one ever expands the federal authority thinking it will be a bad thing

interstate commerce did not start and end with interstate commerce

But this isn’t inherently an authority thing.

medical privacy did not start and end with medical privacy

The EIA has no regulatory power.

And it collects data.

Egads.

The FERC has authority.

Well, if the data doesn't exist for said federal database, then the next thing you know, they'll be commissioning a national study to create the data to accumulate. All I'm trying to say is that the states should be the ones to decide if commissioning said studies is necessary

^^^

They always find a way to maintain and expand

always

No one in DC works for free. You're talking about adding on more payroll, taxpayer funded payroll, for a role the government doesn't not have

Oy vey.

any private institution can gather information and present it

water reports go out publicly every year

Sort of.