LL:ART: privatised water -
Privatisation of water and sewerage continues across the world. SA's privatised water sewerage handler United Water features in this article on a criticism of moves to privatise New Orleans water sewerage systems. Denise Tzumli http://commondreams.org/news2001/0907-06.htm Companies Vying for New Orleans' Water and Sewer Systems Linked to Criminal Behavior, Corruption, Poor Service Records Collectively Include Bribery, Environmental Violations, Substandard Maintenance, Broken Promises and Questionable Ties to Government Officials WASHINGTON - September 7 - The top three corporations competing to take over the city of New Orleans' water and sewer systems have tarnished records that, combined, include connections to criminal wrongdoing, suspect relationships with government officials, infliction of environmental damage, failures to maintain equipment, and the delivery of substandard customer service, a Public Citizen report reveals. The report, The Big Greedy, details the unseemly histories of three multinational corporations likely to submit bids to operate the water and sewage systems for nearly half a million people in New Orleans, in what would be the largest public works privatization in U.S. history. The winning company, expected to be chosen next spring, will run the system for up to 20 years and take in an estimated $1 billion in revenues. All three corporations are either subsidiaries of or maintain intimate business relationships with foreign-based conglomerates that are aggressively acquiring water and other utility services throughout the world. Giving a precious public resource to private interests is distasteful to begin with, but handing over New Orleans' entire water system to one of these companies would set a new standard for governmental negligence, said Wenonah Hauter, director of Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program. City officials need to seriously reevaluate their actions - particularly because multinational corporations hold the interests of their overseas shareholders above the interests of local communities. Public Citizen does not believe that New Orleans residents would benefit from privatization of their water and wastewater systems. Evidence indicates that private operation or ownership of such systems fosters corruption and often results in rate hikes, poor customer service and a loss of local control and accountability. Following an emerging trend among local governments, the New Orleans Sewerage Water Board (SWB) decided last year to hire a private company to operate the city's water and sewage systems. A team of financial analysts concluded that a corporation could do a better job than the city of minimizing rate increases that will result from $1.3 billion worth of necessary repairs to the systems. The SWB will continue to set water and sewer rates, but the system otherwise will be privatized. Though no formal bids have been submitted to run the systems - which include 1,610 miles of water pipes, 1,450 miles of sewer pipes, 105 pumping stations and two treatment plants - representatives from three corporations, including U.S. Filter, which already operates the city's sewer system, have toured the facilities. The track records of all three corporations have been sullied by various misdeeds: OMI Inc. of Greenwood, Colo. - Last year, the City Council of Biddeford, Maine, withheld payment from OMI until the company fixed a chronic odor problem at the city's sewage treatment plant. This year, the county executive of Bergen County, N.J., was accused of trying to privatize the county's wastewater system to pay back his campaign contributors, which included OMI, its parent company and its law firm. OMI is planning to submit its bid with Thames Water, a British water giant recently acquired by German energy giant RWE. United Water Resources of Harrington Park, N. J. - In 1996, a top executive of United Water's parent company, Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux of France, was sent to prison, along with government officials in Grenoble, for bribery in connection with a contract award. Last year, United Water executives from several states donated more than $10,000 to the brother of Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell, who was running for state auditor of North Carolina. It was just two years earlier that United Water won a $21 million contract in Atlanta, where local officials and residents have since complained about broken fire hydrants, slow service and brown water with flecks of debris. U.S. Filter of Warrendale, Penn. - In 1997, executives of U.S. Filter's parent company, Vivendi Environnement of France, were convicted of bribing the mayor of St-Denis to obtain a water concession. Last year, U.S. Filter shareholders took Vivendi to court over allegedly illegal payments made to U.S Filter executives to win support for Vivendi's takeover of the company. Last month, an electrical fire at one of the sewage
LL:DDV: WAVING COUPLES
Hello there, The following show Waving Couples is a new play about globalisation written by Dutch Playwright, Aafke Heuvink. Carlotta's Web is a new production company which celebrates international cultural exchange that addresses current social and political issues through artistic projects. This production is being performed as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival at the Brunswick Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre from September 19 to October 6th. For more information please contact Samantha Bond on 0402 832 495 Bookings (03) 9482 7545 or www.melbournefringe.com.au Cheers Sam Bond -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:DDV: New York socialist speaks Trades Hall on US Bombing
Emergency Public Meeting Carnage in USA: A socialist response New York socialist and eye-witness to World Trade Centre attacks, Margaret Collins, speaks live via speak phone to Socialist Party public meeting this Tuesday. 7pm September 18th Trades Hall, cnr Lygon and Victoria Sts, Carlton South People in Sydney who want to participate in this meeting via speaker phone in that city, please phone Tiwai on 02 47572470 or 02 98390224 Don't miss this meeting. Plenty of time for questions and comments to Margaret. Phone (03) 9639 9111 for more details -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:DDV: Forum: Self Defence is No Offence
Discussion Forum Self Defence is No Offence With speakers including Cam Walker from Friends of the Earth Dennis Evans from 3CR (recently arrested at Nike protests while trying to interview an undercover police officer) Carlene Wilson from Workers Power Tuesday September 18 7.30 PM at RMIT Meeting Room CD Building 8, Level 3 Swanston St, City From S11 to Gothenburg and Genoa, our political leaders have made it clear that they will not lightly tolerate civil disobedience which disrupts the gatherings of the globalisers. They will forcibly violate democratic rights if need be. What shall we anti-capitalists do now? Since the shootings in Gothenburg, Genoa and Papua New Guinea, a broad and intensive debate has been underway within the movement internationally. Do we accept a drastic narrowing of legality? Do we limit ourselves to those tactics which avoid at all costs a clash with the state forces? Do we inscribe the principle of non-violence into our strategy, or merely adopt it as a necessary and temporary expedient? Now the recent attacks on New York and Washington will no doubt give state leaders around the world a pretext for increasing the surpression and repression of political dissent and the right to protest in the name of being tough on terrorism. Already, the Queensland Parliament was suspended so that Premier Peter Beattie could review security options for CHOGM, with Beattie publicly attempting to link the US attacks with the CHOGM protestors. In this context this forum will discuss the implications for protests against corporate globalisation and what approach activists should take. Presented by Workers Power [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.workerspower.com 0409 355 296 == Subscribe to iRed, workers powers discussion list for activists and people interested in socialist politics. Send blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] == -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:DDV: RAC WEST Mtg this WEDNESDAY
--- PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO INTERESTED PEOPLE, LISTS CONTACTS ___ RAC (WEST) CAMPAING MEETING SEPT 19, (THIS) WEDNESDAY 6:30PM (NOTE CHANGE OF DATE) Above the Asylum Seekers Centre @ 207 Nicholson St, FOOTSCRAY ph: 9689 9867 for information email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web: www.vicnet.net.au/~rac-vic ___ (note- sorry for change of date, we did not want to clash with a range of refugee events this thursday were also reliant on venue availability. At this meeting we want to establish A REGULAR meeting schedule! again sorry for inconvenience!!!) In the wake of tragic events in the US there has already been a growing racist backlash against middle eastern people and refugees more generally. This makes our work even more urgent. Refugee Action Collective (Western Suburbs) will hold an important campaigning meeting this coming WEDNESDAY (SEPTEMBER 19) 6:30PM THE PROPOSED AGENDA INCLUDES: * Dispelling the myths: due to requests from RAC West activists we will bring a range of fact sheets to the meeting to help arm people with statistics arguments on the issue. * Rock For Refugees: planning for a major concert outside Maribyrnong Detention Centre on November 10 (THIS COULD BE HUGE, BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP!) * A proposal for community rallies in support of refugee rights * The vigils hunger strike at the detention centre * Freedom Tour: last minute details for those on the bus * Regular Meeting Schedule other upcoming events if you are in the western suburbs, be sure to get involved with RAC WEST... if you have never come to a meeting before, this will be a great way to start! -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:URL: Hunger Strike for Refugees on Front Page of Local Paper
The call for a hunger strike protest at Maribyrnong Detention Centre received front page coverage in the major local paper, the Footscray Mail see the article: http://www.red-duck.org/sa After tragic events in the US there will no doubt be a renewed racist backlash against anyone of middle eastern appearance as well as on protesters more generally. In this period the hunger strike and your support become even more important... get involved! ~~~ please forward the email below to lists, friends supporters _ HUNGER STRIKE VIGIL NO WAR ON REFUGEES SEPT 21 - 23 @ MARIBYRNONG DETENTION CENTRE _ On September 21 to 23 Refugee Action Collective is organising a Solidarity Bus Ride to Woomera Detention Centre. In the wake of the Tampa Crisis such action is clearly needed to respond to bipartisan attacks on refugees. In solidarity with this initiative JORGE JORQUERA the SOCIALIST ALLIANCE candidate for GELLIBRAND invites those not on the bus, to be part of a three day hunger strike protest. Demand that these camps be closed, and that the war against refugees immigrants end now! SEPT 21-23 @ MARIBYRNONG DETENTION CENTRE, 53 Hamstead Rd, Maribyrnong (82 Tram from Footscray Station) Register for Hunger Strike ph 0417 537 388 VISIT THE HUNGER STRIKERS anytime over the weekend! ___ Also... on SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23: -- 11:30am to 1pm THE VIGIL @ Maribyrnong Detention Centre come and support the ongoing hunger strike at the weekly vigil. Bring placards, balloons and friends, but be sure to come along! ph 9689 9867 for more info -- 5PM to 10PM ROCK FOR REFUGEES @ the STORK HOTEL, 524 Elizabeth St (NOTE CHANGE OF ADDRESS) A night of music fun to mark the end of the hunger strike. A fundraiser for Socialist Alliance Gellibrand, which is focussing on refugee rights and closing down the camps as key aims in its campaign. ph 9318 6065 http://www.socialist-alliance.org -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:INFO: looking at borders
nationalism fear invisibility environmental catastrophe greed racism others . choose one border, what does it look like? An invitation to submit words / images to be compiled for a small publication for RE: MOVE BORDERS project, part of The Office of Utopic Procedures - WESTSPACE 18 October - 18 November, 1st floor 15 -19 Anthony Street, Melbourne deadline October 4th 2001 no one is illegal [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:DDV: Peace Vigil Sunday Sept 16
While it is still unknown who were the perpetrators of yesterday's violent acts in the US, there is growing concern that retaliatory measures will only lead to more suffering of innocent people. A meeting of peace, green, union and religious activists in Melbourne this evening have called a Vigil for Peace from 4.00 pm Sunday 16 September in the City Square on the corner of Collins and Swanston Streets. While many this evening had differing opinions and analysis of yesterday's atrocities, we were all in agreement that 'two wrongs don't make a right'. The purpose of the vigil is to call for a calm and balanced approach to apprehending the perpetrators rather than the escalation of racial and religious vilification and hatred. Religious and community leaders from many faiths will lead the call to stand together as one people in opposing all war and call for a peaceful and real resolution to the plague of violence based on social justice and equity. Bring flowers and or a candle. CITY SQUARE Corner of Swanston and Collins Streets MELBOURNE 4.00 pm Sunday 16 September 2001 -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:DDV: help to find - chairs for invisible people
assembly of the invisible gathering chairs for an action mid October one chair for every person who has moved and waits, imprisioned in Australian detention centres please call Kylie 9486 3804 or bring your chair to Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs in Melbourne October 15th 8am nooneisillegal -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:PR: Statement on human security by WILPF (Australia)
Statement by Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) (Australia) The loss of human life in New York and Washington yesterday is keenly felt. The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) (Australia) sends love and condolences to all those who have lost loved ones in the tragedies. Over recent months, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld have been working hard through all diplomatic channels to persuade the international community that their plan to build a missile defence shield to protect mainland US against rogue states is in the interests of human security. We in WILPF (Australia) have been saying that their plan is not in the interests of human security - either of humans in their own nation state, the United States, or of humans elsewhere in the world. In fact, WILPF believes that their missile defence shield is a plan which, if enacted, would further jeopardise human security by precipitating a new arms race. Clearly the US Administration has not had their eye on the main game. While they have been working to bring other nation states on board to support - or at least not to oppose - their billion dollar missile defence shield, they have failed to take the necessary steps to avert threats to human security through the very simple means of ordinary commercial airliners being turned into weapons of mass destruction. WILPF (Australia) believes that if we allow the present gross inequities in distribution of the world's wealth to continue, we in the affluent nations of the West must continue to expect anger and resentments to be directed against ordinary citizens. In order to ensure human security needs, our leaders must stop allowing a system where 99,000 children die each day. According to the United Nations Human Development Report of 2000, under our present international economic system, 1.3 billion of the earth's 6 billion people are surviving on US $1 a day or less. This is, in and of itself, a violent system violating the right to life of millions of innocent people each year who die due to poverty. While we have an economic and distribution system that allows such disparity and such inherent violence to exist as a normal part of everyday life, we have an extremely unstable situation. As the events of yesterday demonstrate, this instability has now reached volatile proportions. We have all allowed to develop a system which is serving the interests of only a very few multinational corporations. If world leaders truly value human security as they proclaim, then they will have to abandon their cant about barbaric acts of terrorism against civilised nations. To use such rhetoric and to try to posit an enemy other then the real culprit is to mislead people. To permit such racism to flourish is to further undermine our collective security. The real enemy is greed. Of the 100 biggest economic entities in the world today, 51 are no longer nation states but mulitnational corporations. If we are to find long-term and stable solutions to human security needs, then we have no choice but to find a way to share the wealth of our planet fairly among all peoples and to stop allowing a system marked by gross inequities. WILPF (Australia) believes that yesterday's disaster in mainland US is a failure of western foreign policy and economic policy. There has been a vacuum of leadership. In this context, to suggest that further billions of dollars of the world's wealth should be diverted to the boardrooms of the multinational corporations who manufacture armaments is to build a white elephant missile shield. It is a robbery of the world's people and does not make anyone more secure. As the Australian Government under John Howard has been one of the most gung-ho supporters of the proposed US Government missile shield, WILPF (Australia) encourages all Australians, and especially Australian women and girls, to contact your local MP, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, to insist that our real human security needs are met and that the Australian Government ends its support for the irrational missile defence shield. You can write to MPs at Parlaiment House. Canberra ACT 2061 or phone Parliament House switchboard on 02 6277 7111 Contact: Cathy Picone for WILPF (Australia) phone: 08 8296 4357 -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:DDV: Great Sustainable Building Debate
From: Glenda Lindsay [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, 4 September 2001 1:02:PM Subject: Great Sustainable Building Debate - Daylesford Sept 22- 24 THE GREAT SUSTAINABLE BUILDING DEBATE, Sat 22nd/Sun 23rd/Mon 24th/September. Daylesford, Vic - organised by Solar Sisters Maureen Corbett and Kerry Wise. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Three full days of speakers: Hear experts, radical thinkers, architects, owner-builders including # David Holmgren # Eric Zehrung # Frida Thornton # John Morgan # Sam Thompson # Kerryn Wilmot House Tours: Visit a range of 18 very different architect-designed and/or owner-built timber, mud and strawbale houses Debates: Argue the rules and how to break them! # Sustainable building # 5-star energy ratings # Embodied energy materials # Power, water people systems Solar Sisters welcome any promotion of this event you could undertake on our behalf. Feel free to contact us if you'd like posters, multiple hard copies of our brochure or further information, Sincerely Kerry Wise 5348 2055 Maureen Corbett 5348 2592 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
