Somewhere in Las Vegas right now, a homeowner is getting paid to destroy their lawn.
Not fined. Paid.
Water authorities in Southern Nevada have run turf replacement rebate programs for years, handing homeowners money per square foot to remove grass and put in desert landscaping.
It is one of the most successful water conservation programs in the country.
It also created an entire industry out of thin air.
Because somebody has to sell the gravel, the drip irrigation, the desert adapted plants and the design that replaces the lawn.
Star Nursery was already there when the policy arrived, and it was built for exactly this.
That is a story about how regulation creates markets, and about how a public rebate can put real money in your pocket if you notice it.
Most people never notice. Let us fix that.