Submitted by arlenegloria on Thu, 02/04/2010 - 16:50

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PDA-Chicago and NorthSide Green Party-Chicago have teamed up as the founding sponsors of: CAPOW! (Citizens Act to Protect Our Water).  Independent Voters of Illinois - Independent Precinct Organizations (IVI-IPO) has signed on as a co-sponsor.

Below is the proposal for action, including links to volunteer and get involved.

PROPOSAL:

DESCRIPTION: We need to make sure that ownership of Chicago’s water stays where it belongs - in public hands. We stand firmly against selling, leasing or otherwise giving control of Chicago's water to corporations. We seek legislation requiring a binding citizen referendum on the privatization of citizen property.

If you’re upset about the privatization of Chicago’s parking meters, just imagine the nightmare if Chicago Mayor Richard Daley suddenly privatized the water of Chicago. Other cities have tried it and the first results are in - higher water prices and service problems.

Privatization - or the threat of privatization - of public assets represents a grave threat to our democracy, to labor, and to our standard of living. This huge and growing trend continues unabated as corporations, particularly multinational corporations, demonstrate a boundless appetite for our urban assets, our schools, and all aspects of our public infrastructure. The public is left poorer and more vulnerable while the few are enriched.

Let’s gear up now to oppose any further attempts to sell off public assets, and to demand legislation requiring approval by a citizen referendum before any public assets can be sold off, leased, or otherwise privatized, whether by Daley in Chicago or the local city governments anywhere in Illinois.

Lake Michigan - Chicago’s Good Fortune
Water is a vital resource we can't live without. The Great Lakes are the largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet. And Chicago has a world class water system. Lucky for Chicago! But could we be at risk?

What Could Water Privatization Mean for Chicago?
Could it happen here in Chicago? It already has happened nearby. Homer Glen in Will County relies on Lake Michigan water, but the supply comes from a private company. In Homer Glen, the question is, “Can you afford water?” Homer Glen Mayor Jim Daley says residents pay about three times more than in neighboring communities. He said Illinois-American Water Co. says they have infrastructure improvements they need to make, that they can show their costs. He said, “What we're saying: ‘That's absolutely absurd.’"

Privatization Elsewhere
In recent years, the privatization focus has been on long-term leases of transportation facilities, such as the $1.8 billion deal for the Chicago Skyway; the $3.8 billion deal for the Indiana Toll Road; Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s plan to lease Midway Airport; and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s proposal to lease Mitchell International Airport. Some cities, such as Indianapolis, are deciding about privatizing their water operations. Atlanta tried it but ended its 20-year contract with a corporation , after just four years, citing service problems.

Could it Happen in Chicago?
A trade publication referenced in PDA-Chicago’s Keesecker videos (see links below) says the Chicago Department of Water Management is "considering a lease of its water and waste-water system." Alderman Scott Waguespack has heard similar rumblings. "We've already heard inklings that they're thinking about it," he said. "They've had discussions. Why is the public not at the table?" Waguespack was one of the few holdouts on the City Council when the parking meter deal went through. Under that controversial plan, the cash-strapped city agreed to lease its parking spaces for 75 years to a private firm that would collect higher parking fees.

In Chicago, Mayor Daley managed to push through the privatization of parking meters, and to close Meigs Field overnight. There is good reason to be on guard against water privatization.

Promises, Promises
We’ve seen the results of the privatization of the parking meters. By rushing into the sale, Chicago actually will end up with less money over the long term than if the meters had stayed public. And the rates are going up, again. We should not be taken in by "promises, promises."

How Can I Help?
Every citizen should be concerned about this threat to a vital resource, as well as about privatization of civic assets. Here are some things you can do to stand up:

1. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Alert them.

2. Call your local alderman and state legislators (many communities get their water from Chicago). Demand opposition to any effort to privatize ownership of Chicago’s water supply, and ask her/him to introduce legislation requiring a citizen referendum to privatize any of Chicago’s municipal assets.

3. Have a coffee and a ‘Citizen Think Tank.’ Hear people out. Encourage people to talk to their aldermen, state legislators, and congresspersons.

4. Arrange a showing of the two-part PDA video, Water Privatization – Atlanta, Milwaukee and Akron and Chicago Water Privatization, or the feature documentary, Thirst, about the upcoming global water crisis.

In the videos, Jon Keesecker, from Food & Water Watch, explains how a water takeover is accomplished by city governments working with multinational corporations. Some keys for citizen success: Research and early coalition building.

For info about the film, Thirst, see: http://www.thirstthemovie.org/

To see the videos: http://www.pdaillinois.org/site/?q=content/water-privatization-chicago

5. Join with NorthSide Green Party - Chicago and PDA-Chicago to protect our water.

To inquire or sign up to help: makingwaveschicago@gmail.com
For media requests: makingwavesmedia@att.net

6. Ask yourself what you feel you can do. What do you Want to do to protect our precious water?

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If you wish, include these ideas in your email to:

NorthSide Green Party - Chicago
makingwaveschicago@gmail.net

PDA-Chicago:
makingwavesmedia@att.net

Respectfully submitted,

Kathy Cummings, NorthSide Green Party - Chicago
Arlene Gloria Hirsch, PDA-Chicago

Links to More Information:

From CBS, Oct 23, 2009 ... If the parking meter deal put a bad taste in your mouth, try swallowing this:
If Chicago leases its water system to help fix the budget, the new proprietors could charge whatever they want for water…In Homer Glen, locals say there's a lot more than water going down the drain. http://cbs2chicago.com/local/water.system.2.1267896.html

From Tribune Archive, Nov 16, 2009 ... Mayor Richard Daley says any part of city government is up for grabs if the ... a botched experiment with privatizing a big-city water supply. http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/nov/16/business/chi-chicago-water-16-nov16

From the Jefferson Journal at the Reason Foundation: Daley's recent privatization deals have not spared the city from fiscal troubles in the economic ... Mayor Daley's leadership on privatization should serve as a case study. ... Proposed City Water Grab Draining Scottsdale Tax Dollars.... http://reason.org/news/show/1003206.html