Mayor, Citizens Energy seek support for water deal (more GOP privatizing!)

[IndianaGreen]

Mayor, Citizens seek support for water deal

Indianapolis - The Ballard administration and Citizens Energy are working to gain support for a deal to sell the city's water systems.

Mayor Greg Ballard wants to sell the city's water and sewer systems to Citizens. He says the deal would provide the city with $425 million to spend on streets and sidewalks.

Meanwhile, Citizens says under its ownership, rates would go up 25 percent less than projected over the next 15 years. They say water rates wouldn't go up more than eight percent, but sewer rates could triple.

"I'm afraid the story on sewer rates is less optimistic than water. Sewer bills will go up, and a lot, because of the combined sewer overflow project. Less, as I say, under our ownership, but like the rest of the country, we're looking at much higher rates to fix our combined sewer overflow problems," said Citizens Energy CEO Carey Lykins.

http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=12370716

We got to put up with this dumb ass until 2012, assuming we defeat his sorry ass in 2011.

This is a bad deal for Central Indiana Hoosiers. We must pressure City Council to reject this deal!