Chris Christie Poised To SIGN BILL Paving The Way For Corporations To CONTROL WATER IN NEW JERSEY

[Segami]

"SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP" is the message being sent to all New Jerseyans from head capo Chris Christie:
With a stroke of a pen, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie could pave the way for corporations to control the state’s water supply without the consent of the voting public.

New Jerseyans are being hoodwinked by Christie.......What are they going to do about it?........





Passed by the state Senate by a vote of 21-16, The Water Infrastructure Protection Act would give local municipalities the power to unilaterally sell their water lines if they are deemed to be deteriorating. Unfortunately, the definition of deterioration in the bill is so broad that virtually all the water systems currently under public control would qualify to be put up for sale. Most egregiously, the bill would kill a current law on the books that requires the permission of voters before any such sales of water systems can take place. If Christie signs the bill on his desk, voters will no longer have that say and would have to gather enough signatures on a petition to force a vote. “This is such a bad deal for the citizens of New Jersey,” State Senator Bob Smith said of the bill. “This is crazy… just giving away our water supply.” Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, agrees:

“Today the Senate sold out New Jersey’s water supply. This bill is undemocratic, takes away public oversight and input, and allows deregulation of our water protection and rates.”

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/12/water_privatization_bill_removing_public_vote_requirement_moves_to_christies_desk.html

Supporters of the bill, on the other hand, claim that private investment is necessary to fix the aging water infrastructure that has been neglected for years. Of course, Chris Christie has gone to great lengths to make sure that state and local departments were unable to do their jobs to maintain the water infrastructure. According to a report by Aljazeera America:

Christie cut $85 million from the Department of Environmental Protection’s 2014 budget, limiting the amount the agency can spend on water infrastructure improvement projects. And he has offered property tax rebates and tax caps that critics say starve the state’s infrastructure budget.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/12/29/new-jersey-waterprivatization.html?utm_content=general&utm_campaign=ajam&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow

In short, Christie slashed the funding that would have otherwise been used to fix public water systems, thus manufacturing the appearance that corporations are needed to step in an solve the problems. If corporations are allowed to take over the water supply, New Jersey residents will pay dearly. The bill further “allows companies to factor the purchase price of the systems into the rates they charge customers, meaning taxpayers could ultimately be on the hook for the sale of their water systems.” It’s a sweet deal for corporations, no so much for taxpayers. Essentially, taxpayers would be paying the price of the sale, and the actual buyer wouldn’t have to pay a dime. In addition, corporations could then use the water supply for whatever they want and could charge whatever price they desire residents to pay. Water would no longer be a fundamental right, it would become nothing more than a commodity that people have to pay a high price for in order to have a drink or bathe.





cont'

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/12/29/chris-christie-poised-to-sign-bill-paving-the-way-for-corporations-to-control-water-in-new-jersey/

[Just for Fun]

1. Scratch New Jersey from places to live..

when and if I decide to move to the East from Colorado..... which would be almost never (unless I get a huge chunk of money enough to move)

[Segami]

2. "...People need water to live...

"...It is a basic necessity that should not be placed under the control of for-profit corporations who can decide who gets water and who doesn’t based on whether or not you can pay for it. The fact that voters won’t get a say in the matter only makes this more outrageous as it becomes ever more clear that Chris Christie care more about greedy CEOs than he does about the people who he was elected to govern..."

[Fred Sanders]

3. In Canada there is a serious debate about amending the Constitution to make clean air and water

fundamental human rights and enshrine environmental protection as supreme law. This in a nation blessed with an abundance of both.

Meanwhile in America......

[Bandit]

4. Isn't the New Jersey Senate under Democratic Majority?

[blkmusclmachine]

16. Democrats NEVER have a majority.

"Democratic majority"~>

[napkinz]

5. Governor Pig Vomit Strikes Again!

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. Simple plan going on here.

Neglect infrastructure investment for years (can't invest in infrastructure and cut taxes for the rich), then you are "Forced" to sell your neglected infrastructure to the rich.

[KittyWampus]

7. NJ is a significant agricultural state. Increasing water prices probably wouldn't be tolerated.

I hope the local legislature nips this in the bud.

[valerief]

9. I'm sure the big farms will get discounts. The middle aka working class will get the shaft. nt

[valerief]

8. They told us they'd be controlling us with water. Air is next. nt

[TheKentuckian]

10. If the Kingpin is fixing to sign it means some sell outs helped pass it.

[napkinz]

11. "I am not a bully"

[Segami]

14. Yup!!

[napkinz]

22. :)

[cstanleytech]

12. So in short Christies and his fellow republicans plans of fucking over most people in this country

is proceeding as planned?

[project_bluebook]

13. Well, corporations already control the government

So they might as well control everything else.

[blkmusclmachine]

15. Corporate fascism

[Ramses]

17. i love the Orwellian names of this shit

That they come up with. We are being openly mocked ans spat upon by the 1%.

Sick, greedy, violent police state this country is.

[mountain grammy]

18. Very bad idea.

We pay a fairly high price for our municipal water, both in property taxes and fees, but I have no doubt that privatizing the system would cost us far, far more.

[George II]

19. Actually the bill gives the individual municipalities control of water in their jurisdictions

[Ilsa]

20. Yes, but it takes away the rights of the voters to decide

If the infrastructure will be sold.

[OldRedneck]

21. ". . . the rich man does the dancin' while the po' man pays the band. . . "

[napkinz]

23. a classic ...