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Speakers at meeting attended by 150 suspect Plusquellic has more privatization proposals
By Carl Chancellor
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, May 29, 2008
After the sewers, what comes next?
That was the question, as well as the main concern of the more than 150 people attending Wednesday's community meeting of the Citizens to Save Our Sewers and Water grass-roots organization.
It is the group's contention that Mayor Don Plusquellic's plan to lease Akron's sewer system is only the opening gambit to privatize the city water systems and other public-operated departments.
''It's the domino-effect. Once they [private corporations] get a foot in the door nothing is safe,'' said Stevan Pickard of the AFSCME Ohio Council 8.
Pickard, in representing the 122 AFSCME members with Akron's sewer and water departments, has met with Plusquellic and has informed him the union is against the sewer lease proposal.
''We don't oppose high school graduates going to college. We are just against bad public policy,'' said Pickard.
Pickard was referring to Plusquellic's plan to use money from the leasing of the sewer system to pay for scholarships for Akron's public high school
graduates to attend the University of Akron or trade schools.
AFSCME along with a number of community activist groups, including the American Friends Service Committee, formed Citizens SOS in March specifically to challenge the sewer lease proposal. The group wants to amend the city's charter to block the sale or lease of the sewer or water systems without voter approval.
Pickard said his union is committed to gathering approximately 12,000 signatures needed to put the proposed amendment on the ballot.
Several times during the two-hour program the chant of — ''Let the people vote'' — rang out in the Laborer's International Hall.
Robert Otterman, a retired state representative, attended the meeting. He now serves on the mayor's advisory group studying the sewer plan.
''I'm here with an open mind,'' Otterman told the gathering.
Carl Chancellor can be reached at 330-996-3725 or cchancellor@thebeaconjournal.com.
After the sewers, what comes next?
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