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Taxpayer money for public utilities, not corporate profits

Taxpayer money should finance public utilities, not corporate profits. Tell Congress not to give tax breaks to corporate investors to privatize our water.

In the United States, we are letting Congress know that we won’t stand for President Bush’s push for more privatization of our public water resources. Use the form below to send an email to your representatives in honor of World Water Day. Thank you!

November 21, 2009

Subject:

Dear Member of Congress:

Our water resources are sorely in need of our attention. I urge you to stop the Bush administration's attempt to amend section 146 of the tax code to promote a flawed policy of privatizing our public water resources.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns that we are $22 billion per year short of the money needed to keep water safe for human and environmental health.

Congress recently took an important first step to address this problem by passing the Water Quality Financing Act of 2007.  But more funds are still needed.

President Bush has proposed in his Budget that this problem can be solved by pushing our public utilities into the private sector. Instead of providing needed support for water, a resource vital to everyone, the president is promoting a plan that would encourage privatization of water—handing over control of our water to corporations with little accountability to the public. President Bush’s proposed budget includes a measure that would open the doors wider to private corporations that seek control over our public water resources.

There is no evidence that private investment in the water sector will result in needed infrastructure investment. This sector has one of the longest capital recovery periods of any industry - not an attractive investment for private equity firms that favor a short horizon for profit making.  Moreover, private investors face costs that public utilities do not, including profits, contract, auditing, and taxes.

Finally, communities around the country that have experimented with privatization realize it has not solved their infrastructure needs.  Instead, bribery, corruption, increased prices, poor service and environmental problems plague privatization efforts. Congress should support public water and reject the President’s misguided proposal.

Please stop the Bush administration from amending section 146 of the tax code to promote privatization of water! I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

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Thank you for taking action. Working together we can protect our public water resources. We'd love to hear what your Member of Congress has to say in response to your letter. It helps us to know which Members need more information and which ones are public water champions! Please drop me a line to let me know! jroach@fwwatch.org.