[PAA-Discuss] Keep Your Water Supply in the Hands of the Public

[juli3 at aol.com]

See Your Alert Online


























Food & Water Watch's 
Jon Keesecker tells the story of a community's heroic effort in Akron, Oho to save their public water from privatization
and invites you to support our work.




Success 2008






Dear Juli,



Would you sell your public water utility to the highest bidder?

Communities across the country are considering deals like this, and Food & Water Watch - with your help - is there to fight back.


Earlier this year, we learned the mayor of Akron, OH, in a bid to raise money for the city, cooked up a scheme to sell the public water utility for $200 million. Meanwhile, he sold to the public the notion that the proceeds would fund a scholarship to send Akron students to college for free. 










Besides the fact that the students would have to stay in Akron for decades after graduation or be forced to pay back to the fund, the scheme was a loser for Akron entirely. The sale and resulting privatization of the public water would mean higher water costs for Akron residents, job losses, worse service, less transparency, and other problems.

Recognizing the plight Akron was in, Food & Water Watch lent our expertise to local activists on what we call a "site fight." We provided speakers, published editorials and gave strategic advice and guidance. 




In addition, Food & Water Watch supported local efforts to place an initiative on the ballot to require that all such privatization proposals be subject to a public vote. 

But this fight in Akron is just one of many that Food & Water Watch is taking on. With your year-end, tax-deductible donation today, you can help us continue this fight against water privatization.

On election day, Akron won its battle to safeguard its water. The city acknowledges Food & Water Watch for giving its effort credibility in the community and helping to educate voters about the harms of water privatization.

We are engaged in "site fights" like this every day. More and more, people and communities are asking us to help win their battles against water privatization. A goal (among many!) in 2009 is to make it easier for the public to find us when they see their own "site fight" coming. We need to be able to provide staff, materials, and online assistance, and we need to get out the word about the work we do. 

Akron needed our help and now we need yours. Please make a year-end, tax-deductible donation to Food & Water Watch. Juli, I hope that we can count on you to make clean water and safe food a priority for yourself, your family and your community.


Donate now so that we can be ready for the next "site fight" and keep our water in the hands of the people who drink it, not speculators only looking for the next cash cow. Thanks for your support and have a great holiday season.


Sincerely,
Jon Keesecker
The Water Team
Food & Water Watch 



? 




Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink.

Talk to Us | Support Us | Subscribe











To stop receiving these email updates, click here.





?



?
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://paa-tx.org/pipermail/discuss_paa-tx.org/attachments/20081215/70bdb08c/attachment.htm>