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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums'Privatization Is On The Table': Gov. Reeves Gives Jackson Water Crisis Update
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Leah McElrath 🏳️?🌈
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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 Jacksons 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 weve 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.
spanone
(135,636 posts)Nevilledog
(50,687 posts)Just more of "starving government so that you can drown it in a bathtub".
Nevilledog
(50,687 posts)Irish_Dem
(45,640 posts)Then on to own shade and air.
TheRealNorth
(9,435 posts)First, they get caught defrauding federal TANF funding. Now this. People need to go to jail.
Auggie
(31,067 posts)crickets
(25,896 posts)Torchlight
(3,236 posts)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)Someone has been neglecting it for several decades if not longer
live love laugh
(13,008 posts)The buyers should be shunned.
Grins
(7,134 posts)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)Social Security and Medicare, nationally. Infrastructure, locally.
ananda
(28,783 posts)nt
in2herbs
(2,942 posts)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?