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Nevilledog

(50,687 posts)
Tue Sep 6, 2022, 03:24 PM Sep 2022

'Privatization Is On The Table': Gov. Reeves Gives Jackson Water Crisis Update



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Leah McElrath 🏳️?🌈
@leahmcelrath
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The governor of Mississippi is floating the idea of privatizing the water supply because of problems in Jackson.

⚠️ I lack the words for how dangerous water privatization is looking ahead at the future of the climate crisis.

Reporting by @ashtonpittman

mississippifreepress.org
‘Privatization Is On The Table’: Gov. Reeves Gives Jackson Water Crisis Update
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced “significant” improvements in the Jackson water system on Labor Day, including privatization.
2:43 PM · Sep 5, 2022


https://www.mississippifreepress.org/26961/privatization-is-on-the-table-gov-reeves-gives-jackson-water-crisis-update

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced “significant” improvements in the Jackson water system on Labor Day while telling reporters he is open to numerous long-term solutions, including leasing its management to a private company.

“One week ago today I stood on this podium and I told you the state was going to take historic and unprecedented steps to intervene in Jackson’s water system because it had reached a crisis level,” the governor said at a Monday morning press conference in the capital city. “Not only were there issues with the quality of the water, but with the quantity of the water. The city could not produce enough running water for Jacksonians.”

The Republican governor said health officials told him this morning that the beleaguered O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant is now “pumping out cleaner water than we’ve seen for a very, very long time.” He said he is hopeful that “we will be able to measure potential for clean water and the removal of the boil water notice” within “days, not weeks or months.”

“We know that it is always possible that there will be more severe challenges. This water system broke over several years and it would be inaccurate to claim it is totally solved in the matter of less than a week,” he said. “… There may be more bad days in the future. We have however reached a place where people in Jackson can trust that water will come out of the faucet, toilets can be flushed and fires can be put out.”

*snip*


Reeves will always choose the path that will be the most destructive.
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TheRealNorth

(9,435 posts)
4. What a corrupt shithole Republicans have turned the state into
Tue Sep 6, 2022, 03:45 PM
Sep 2022

First, they get caught defrauding federal TANF funding. Now this. People need to go to jail.

Auggie

(31,067 posts)
7. Disaster Capitalism at work
Tue Sep 6, 2022, 03:50 PM
Sep 2022
If there is one thing I know, it is that the 1 percent loves a crisis. When people are panicked and desperate and no one seems to know what to do, that is the ideal time to push through their wish list of pro-corporate policies. There is only one thing that can block this tactic, and fortunately, it’s a very big thing: the 99 percent. -- Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine.

Torchlight

(3,236 posts)
8. The 'Blame It On the African-American City Council' crowd
Tue Sep 6, 2022, 03:52 PM
Sep 2022

where I work are curiously absent of comment this fine, fine day. Guess even my coworkers have finally realized a $1 billion dollar problem is outside the scope of a town smaller than 200,000.

But privatizing it? Look to Texas and see the results. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that Texas's electric prices rose above the national average immediately after deregulation, and less than a year ago, many of my fellow Texans received electric bills as high as $450 for one day of use.

Though Molly Ivins said Texas is the national laboratory for bad government (and I heartily agree), I really don't want other states to emulate us and follow in our footsteps as we march steadily towards the 1840s again (but we're wearing dusty boots and bib overalls, so it's all good).

MichMan

(11,790 posts)
10. It didn't get to be a $1 billion dollar problem overnight.
Tue Sep 6, 2022, 04:47 PM
Sep 2022

Someone has been neglecting it for several decades if not longer

Grins

(7,134 posts)
11. Mentioned in book "Shock Doctrine" years ago.
Tue Sep 6, 2022, 05:05 PM
Sep 2022

In South America (Peru? Ecuador?) Then, after the they did it, water rates skyrocketed to where it was literally unaffordable!

As I recall it started with Thatcher and Reagan.

Auggie

(31,067 posts)
14. The GOP has been steering the USA towards disaster to enact such privatization
Tue Sep 6, 2022, 05:22 PM
Sep 2022

Social Security and Medicare, nationally. Infrastructure, locally.

in2herbs

(2,942 posts)
15. The electric grid in TX is private and that has worked out well for TX (snark). Why wouldn't
Tue Sep 6, 2022, 05:30 PM
Sep 2022

privatizing water access work out just as well?

The ONLY thing that I would enjoy if this happened is watching the privatization cronnies beg for federal government money to help build their private water service.

If they are serious about going private no IRA money for their infrastructure. Got that Pete?

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