Say No to the rate hike and no to the Aquarion contract!
Come to the Holyoke City Council Finance Committee/BPW PUBLIC HEARING
Monday, Feb. 7 @ 6:30pm Holyoke High School
Work together to keep Holyoke’s public sewage system public.
The city is holding a public hearing to air citizen’s concerns and questions over the proposed 82% rate hike and possible privatization of the public wastewater treatment plant.
All Holyoke citizens are encouraged to come and speak and ask questions about privatization of the public sewage system and wastewater treatment plant with the Aquarion Company, and about the
82% proposed rate hike that has been returned to the DPW by the city’s finance committee.
Holyoke Citizens for Open Government and city councilors have raised many issues:
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There are many alternatives that will help fix the CSO problem and clean up the river. Why have none of these alternatives even been considered?
There are many alternatives that will help fix the CSO problem and clean up the river. Why have none of these alternatives even been considered? ·What about optimizing the current public operation, implementing smart solutions that have worked well and saved money in cities like San Diego, Phoenix, Miami, and Seattle, and many other cities with public water and sewage systems and union public employees? Why hasn’t the city been doing this all along, instead of spending city money on consultants to create the contract to privatize?
What about optimizing the current public operation, implementing smart solutions that have worked well and saved money in cities like San Diego, Phoenix, Miami, and Seattle, and many other cities with public water and sewage systems and union public employees? Why hasn’t the city been doing this all along, instead of spending city money on consultants to create the contract to privatize?·City councilors and others have proposed a number of simple ways the city could save money immediately. Bulk-buying cooperatives with other cities, city engineers working together with city workers who currently run the system and know it best, working together for better public operation in Holyoke. City consultant HDR helped San Diego save millions by optimizing their public water and sewage services and keeping it public while making it more cost-effective: why not here?
City councilors and others have proposed a number of simple ways the city could save money immediately. Bulk-buying cooperatives with other cities, city engineers working together with city workers who currently run the system and know it best, working together for better public operation in Holyoke. City consultant HDR helped San Diego save millions by optimizing their public water and sewage services and keeping it public while making it more cost-effective: why not here?·What are the possibilities for huge cost-overruns? How is Aquarion planning on saving so much money? Why the track record of privatization disasters like Atlanta, Stockton, Lynn, Puerto Rico, Camden, Montara, CA; the list goes on. Why have so many cities returned to optimized public operation after privatization didn’t work out, or the many cities where citizens have had to fight to avoid or stop aggressive, unwanted bids to privatize public water and sewage, in towns like Lee and Lawrence, MA and many other cities?
What are the possibilities for huge cost-overruns? How is Aquarion planning on saving so much money? Why the track record of privatization disasters like Atlanta, Stockton, Lynn, Puerto Rico, Camden, Montara, CA; the list goes on. Why have so many cities returned to optimized public operation after privatization didn’t work out, or the many cities where citizens have had to fight to avoid or stop aggressive, unwanted bids to privatize public water and sewage, in towns like Lee and Lawrence, MA and many other cities?·Why is the only method of funding the needed system upgrades via an 82% rate hike? This is a way of funding our public services that hurts the people on fixed and low incomes the most. Landlords may raise rents on the city’s poorest residents, and over the life of the 20-year contract, Aquarion will be a long-term economic drain on Holyoke.
Why is the only method of funding the needed system upgrades via an 82% rate hike? This is a way of funding our public services that hurts the people on fixed and low incomes the most. Landlords may raise rents on the city’s poorest residents, and over the life of the 20-year contract, Aquarion will be a long-term economic drain on Holyoke.·Why isn’t the city actively seeking federal and state funds for low-income communities, in light of the EPA’s un-funded federal mandate to clean up the CSO’s contaminating the Connecticut River?
Why isn’t the city actively seeking federal and state funds for low-income communities, in light of the EPA’s un-funded federal mandate to clean up the CSO’s contaminating the Connecticut River?Work together to build a better public works project!
Speak out! Contact your mayor and city council.
No to the rate hike and no to the Aquarion contract!
Attend the City Council Finance Committee/Board of Public Works Public Hearing
Monday, February 7, 2005 @ 6:30 pm
Holyoke High School Auditorium 500 Beech St. Holyoke MA
HOLYOKE CITIZENS for OPEN GOVERNMENT
Public Information Session Wed. Feb. 16 @6:30pm location t.b.a.
For more information visit http://www.water.homestead.com
Contact: Holyokewater@hotmail.com Mara Dodge 572-5620
