Florida Mayor Seeks to Privatize Water

Tampa - Does anybody remember the movie “Tank Girl” starring Lorrie Petty? The movie is about a woman who is looking for water in a world where it's the most precious thing in the world. If you haven't seen it I don't recommend you buy it, as it's pretty bad. Instead I suggest the graphic novel, which is hilarious on many levels. If it helps any the animation was done by the same guy who animates The Gorrillaz.

Now that you're hyped up it's time for me to bring bad news. It seems Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn and state representative Dana Young want to privatize water under the guise of expanding its reclaimed water system. Buckhorn claims doing so would help lower water rates without a regulation agency taking away the water, but it seems like it's really just going to send the water down a one-way street to whichever company is picked to clean and then sell it at whatever price they choose. The process is named “toilet to tap” by some, which is probably as disgusting to say as it is to swallow.

Charles Van Zant, a Florida state representative, says about the process “Day by day by day this will destroy the Florida aquifer. ”

Not to say probably destroy you from the inside. It's not like you can just go without water, especially if you're poor.

So far water privatization hasn't worked well for Texas residents. The Stateman reports:

“Across the state, a growing number of suburban Texans are getting their water from large, private corporations owned by investors seeking to profit off the sale of an essential resource. State figures show private companies are seeking more price increases every year, and many are substantial. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which regulates water and sewer rates for nonmunicipal customers, doesn't keep numbers, but "their rate increases tend to be 40 and 60 percent," said Doug Holcomb, who oversees the agency's water utilities division. “

This is sure to be step one in privatizing water across the nation. If it can happen in Texas and Florida with hardly a peep, how far do you think it will go before a huge amount of people wake up to contaminated water flowing from their sinks unless they pay an obscenely high water bill.