How long before water is privatized?

[GURUving]

There has been a drought in this country, or vast parts of it for over 4 years now. Lakes are drying up all over the west. Where will people get their water?






Of course, the water will be plentiful when the corporations take over the distribution of it. Tap water will cost more than current bottled water.

The future is now.

[Sir_Shrek]

1. Are droughts anything new...

...to that part of the country?

And in a sense, water is privatized. You ever drink bottled water or water out of a cooler? You've just privatized it by choice.

[GURUving]

3. That is not a valid comparison

http://www.foodfirst.org/media/press/2001/water.html

[aquart]

2. Privatization is a license to steal.

Water is life and death. It is a NATIONAL priority. It should NEVER be privatized.

[HereSince1628]

25. I'm not disagreeing...but that is the same for health care isn't it?

Safe water and food, adequate shelter, health-care are all areas where deprivation can lead to death.

Now we can add to that list having a job, because without a job there is no money...and the jobless will be deprived of all four.

Yes Virginia there is a need for the Democratic wing of the Democratic party.

Call me a liberal, but don't forget to call me when you're hungry.

[dweller]

4. Enron had a plan in the works

for worldwide water privatization.

Not sure where it's going now with that company, but maybe another?

dp

[Gulf Coast J]

5. Doesn't France have a privatised system of water?

I remember reading an article commenting on the irony that water in the US is pretty socialized and water in most of Europe is privatized. I'll try to find it.

I trust Coke more than I would the government of Nigeria to provide my water. But I trust my municipality more than Coke. I guess it's a matter of perspective.

[GURUving]

8. If water is privatized

First, the goal will be not the economical, safe delivery of potable water into every american home, but rather how to deliver water in the most cost effective manner. Is that a good way to think of a product that all living beings need? Should water be thought of as a product?

Areas in India are fighting to get rid of the Coca Cola manufacturing plants because they are destroying the water supply.

For proper perspective, we should all just stand back and imagine:

What if the water didn't come out of your tap unless you paid a "per use" fee? When the corporations take over, as they will, does anyone believe the cost of drinking a glass of water will be less than now?

Hell no.

Privatization is theft of a basic human right. Yes. It is a basic human right to be able to drink a fucking glass of water without fear of being able to pay for it.

[Gulf Coast J]

13. How does water distribution in the US work?

I'm really not too sure about the economics behind it. When I pay the water bill, does that include the entire cost of what is needed to get water into my kitchen? Or is it subsidized by the city/county/state? If I don't pay my monthly fee, won't I get cut off?

How is water distribution handled in many developing countries now? In areas without privatized water, is quality and quantity better? I imagine being close to a source of water is much more important than the method of distribution. Canada would have good and plentiful water regardless. Arizona might not.

As for the Coke argument, certainly that case is shameful and Coke should pay a price. But it is no more damning of privatized water than the problem Milwaukee had a few years ago is a public water.

[Nederland]

23. Paying for water

It is a basic human right to be able to drink a fucking glass of water without fear of being able to pay for it.

Water is not a right any more than food, clothing and shelter are rights. People should be expected to pay for anything that costs money to produce and water is no exception. More importantly, I'm not exactly sure if you realize that even with current public water utilities, we still pay for water. Don't you get a water bill?

[SanchoPanza]

24. Bolivia is the model

In 1999 the Bolivian government, at the behest of the World Bank and the Bechtel corporation, privatized the water supply for Cochabamba, a district with approximately one million residents. Cochabambans soon saw their water bill take up about 25% of their income. This was principally due to "infrastructure building" in rural Cochabamba, where communities used communal wells or cisterns for water. These wells were outlawed after the Bechtel takeover, and rural residents never saw any imporvements.

[NashVegas]

6. US Water is Already Privatized

In some cities.

Then you have the water bottling plants that set up at springs and streams and ship it out to market.

[underpants]

20. Indianapolis and Atlanta by a *GASP* French owned company

Vivendi I believe their name is.

[Bandit]

7. I am suspect of this map

It shows Southeast Alaska as being in "Exceptional Drought" Our rainfall has been above average this winter and we are a rain forest. No Drought here. Someone has their head somewhere the sun doesn't shine.

[GURUving]

10. Drought happens over time

it may be rainy now, but the map is based on precipitation over time, and anticipated future precipitation.

It's the same argument as those who don't believe in global warming.

Hell, it's cold as hell here now. How can the globe be warming?

Time.

[Bandit]

16. Yes and I've lived here over time 60 years to be exact and there ain't

no Drought. We had a dryer than normal summer but then we've also had a wetter than normal winter so far. Average precipitation for 2003 was above normal.
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/usa/alaska/wjuneau.htm
Check out this link and see if we are suffering a drought or not. Average precipitation is last column.

[myrna minx]

9. Just a matter of time...

http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript125_full.html

ANNOUNCER: You're watching NOW with Bill Moyers. With contributions from NPR news. This week on NOW...

BILL MOYERS: Water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.
MICHAEL CURTIN, PRESIDENT, AGUAS DEL TUNARI: In Cochabamba, you had people who only had water one hour a day, one day a week.

MOYERS: An American multinational giant thought it had the answer, until the people stood up and rebelled.

LUIS BREDOW, BOLIVIAN JOURNALIST: Housewives, people that you wouldn't believe could become violent were there, throwing stones at the police.

MOYERS: All over the world, water is the next Gold Rush.

And the birth certificate of a nation brings Americans to tears. It's coming to them....A modern patriot takes the Declaration on the road. An interview with Norman Lear.

[tom_paine]

11. Only a matter of time in Imperial Amerika

My guess:

The Third World That is under the Boot of Imperial Corporations: 90% of water privatized by 2020, during the reign of Emperor Arnold.

Imperial Amerika: By 2040 (perhaps during the reign of Emperor George P. Caligula, or perhaps during the reign of Emperor Uday Bush).

Of course, that assumes that the Old American Republic won't be restored and the Bushevik transition will continue apace. And we are all praying that doesn;t come to pass...

[NashVegas]

12. It's Already Here, You're Not Seeing It

Look at the bottled water explosion.

Imagine if, instead of paying for 8, 12, 16 ounce bottles of (insert brand name here) water or 5 gallon jugs, we put all that money into our public water works and improved the infrustructure?

That would be the ideal.

OTOH, more and more people are turning to filtration, products like Britta and so forth. As more people see the ridiculousness of buying bottled water when they can have perfectly good-tasting water at home, the bottlers are going to lose market share.

And they aren't going to be happy about that.

[xxqqqzme]

17. policy right now

or law cuz it was an attached rider - if your local government is upgrading your water/sewer treatment-delivery systems, it is REQUIRED that they invite and consider private water corporations plans to do so. As opposed 2 keeping it all under the control & management of your local government.

[Bandit]

19. Except don't they ration water in some places?

If water is being rationed (by government) it won't be too long before the Privatization cry spreads forth.

[Mairead]

14. Wouldn't it be smart to elect Kucinich, then?

He's not living in a corporate pocket. Let's elect him and congresscritters who'll back his play. What have we got to lose? If we go on electing people who've proved that they'll take care of the corps first, what will we have proved about ourselves? That we're STUPID, that's what!

[loudnclear]

15. It will happen in the next administration if Bush is elected.

Notice, I didn't say, "if Bush is re-elected."

[noonwitch]

18. Former Michigan Gov. Engler sold as much of the water in the Great Lakes

as he could. Now the best fresh water source in the nation is seriously depleted. Just go to Lake Michigan and see how much bigger the beach is.

[terryg11]

21. unless something drastic changes things

we will see widespread and possibly complete privatization of water in the next ten years. It's no secret, Newsweek and Time both ran huge, cover articles on this last summer (think it was last summer). People just don't give a shit anymore

[alfredo]

22. Our water is privatized after the local company refused to take bids

from the city, opting to sell to RWE, a German company. We are fighting them now.

Actually it was private before the sell, but at least it was locally owned, and was subject to public opinion.