Adieu

The term "opportunity cost" refers to benefits foregone, to the things that might have been. The price of a new pair of shoes might be $50; the opportunity cost is the purse the $50 could have bought instead.

It is hard not to wonder about the opportunity cost to the citizens of Newport News imposed by the city's ill-advised pursuit of a reservoir in King William. The city spent more than two decades and $55 million chasing its goal. At long last, after yet another setback, city officials wisely have decided to end the quest.

Newport News officials might say they would not have had to throw so much good time and money after bad if opponents had not fought them tooth and nail every step of the way. True enough. But by the same token, opponents of the reservoir -- like opponents of congressional health care reform proposals -- would not have had to fight so hard if the proposal's flaws did not so grievously outweigh its benefits.

Newport News will now go about seeking other sources of the water it thinks it will need. (Whether it needs as much as it says has been a legitimate point of dispute.) If it had started down the right course years ago, the problem by now might already have been resolved.