Wednesday, October 29, 6:30 pm Thirst
Akron Main Library A documentary covering water privatization in Stockton, CA; India; and Bolivia — the film that sparked the formation of Citizens to Save Our Sewers and Water! Please tell your friends and neighbors to see the film that really spells out the dangers of privatization and what communities must do to fight it.
Wednesday, October 29, 6:30 pm
AFSCME International President to speak in Akron against Issue 8 and for Issue 9
Gerald McEntee, International President of AFSCME, will speak TONIGHT night for keeping Akron’s sewer system public. The meeting is free and open to the public.
Laborers International
720 Wolf Ledges Parkway
Akron
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Literature distribution Wednesday, October 29, 11:00 AM (note the change in time from 10 AM)
Walking Akron neighborhoods: No on Issue 8! Yes on Issue 9
Meet at AFSCME Ohio Council 8 office
1145 Massillon Rd., Akron
We need all the feet we can get!
If you can help distribute flyers to homes of registered voters, contact AFSCME at 330-784-6390
Thursday, October 30, 10:00 AM
Walking Akron neighborhoods: No on Issue 8! Yes on Issue 9
Meet at AFSCME Ohio Council 8 office
1145 Massillon Rd., Akron
We need all the feet we can get!
If you can help distribute flyers to homes of registered voters, contact AFSCME at 330-784-6390
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Tuesday, November 4, 7:30 pm Citizens SOS Victory Party! AFSCME Ohio Council 8
1145 Massillon Rd., Akron
We'll celebrate our victory and thank everyone for all the hard work that has been done to make a huge difference for the people and the future of Akron!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
---------------------------------- Tri-County AFL-CIO calls for Akron McDonald’s boycott for aggressive Issue 8 support
Akron-area McDonald’s are aggressively supporting Issue 8, due, no doubt, to the close connections between the Mayor and the head of Akron franchise license. The chain not only has Issue 8 signs on all their properties, but are now placing issue 8 fliers in all Happy Meals and other orders AND now have a recording of the Mayor touting Issue 8 aired over the inner-com prior to the placement of drive-through orders!
In response to the close ties between Ronald McDonald and the Mayor, the Tri-County Labor Council, AFL-CIO, has called for a boycott of all Akron-area McDonald’s through Election Day.
Show your solidarity with those who oppose Issue 8 — go eat elsewhere!
Phone calling Hundreds of calls were made last night. We need to keep smiling and dialing and letting Akron voters know about the facts on Issue 8 and Issue 9 that is not being reported in the Beacon Journal daily editorials. We calling every night this week and Saturday. If you can make calls for an hour or two, contact Mary @mac40oh@aol.com or Greg at 928-2301 or @ gcoleridge@afsc.org
If you can pass out SOS literature at the 1040 Tallmadge Ave. early voting center, please call AFSCME at 784-6390. Any time 8 am to 8 pm M-F or Sat/Sun 12-4, but best/busiest times are traditional before and after work times.
Funds are needed for yard signs, flyers and mailings.
Make checks/money orders payable to “Citizens SOS” and mail to:
Patricia Longville, Treasurer, Citizens SOS, 540 Stanton Ave., Akron, OH 44301
It sounds like a great deal: A private company buys or leases a public utility, giving a financially strapped community much-needed cash and bolstering the area’s infrastructure.
So what’s the problem?
Plenty, according to the AFSC’s Greg Coleridge, who late last year helped lead a successful fight against the privatization/corporatization of the sewer system in Akron, Ohio. (to read more click on the link above)
Sewers proposal sinks but may resurface
WKYC - Eric Mansfield reporting
Plusquellic says there's a "special place reserved in hell" for those who misled Akron voters on Issue 8
Let the People Decide! Issue 9 - City of Akron - Proposed Charter Amendment
(WITH 153 OF 153 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 52,484 66.84
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,035 33.16
Congratulations for all your hard work for so many months in the face of unprecedented opposition!
And thank you! Everyone contributed in one, several, or many of the following ways! Thank you for...
...showing up to the original showings of the film Thirst which launched the whole grassroots campaign
...helping start Citizens to Save Our Sewers and Water
...circulating fliers about our petition campaign to your neighbors and friends
...attending the forum at the Akron Laborer’s hall featuring Jon Keesecker of Food and Water Watch and Michael McDonald from Stockton, California who spoke in detail of the problems of privatization
...petitioning all over Akron to get our initiative on the ballot
...resubmitting our petitions when we were told the affidavit had to be on a separate piece of paper
...contacting city councilpersons
...attending the special meeting of Akron city council to place our initiative on the ballot...and pressuring city council by your presence not to place an additional 4 measures on the ballot only to confuse voters
...researching facts about privatization/corporatization of public utilities
...helping develop our strategic campaign against Issue 8 and for Issue 9
...helping organize several neighborhood public meetings
...attending debates, discussions and forums organized by other people and groups
...writing letters to the editor
...calling in to talk shows
...making phone calls
...canvassing neighborhoods with our literature
...putting up yard signs
...donating money to the campaign
...handing out literature at the early voting center
...telling your friends, family, co-workers, fellow students, neighbors, and others to “HATE 8 BUT 9 IS FINE!”
...supporting each other.
We didn’t have the support from the Beacon Journal, big companies, the Akron School Board, or many known “leaders” of Akron.
We didn’t have Ronald McDonald. We didn’t have LeBron. We didn’t have the blimp.
What we lacked in symbolic icons we made up for in commitment and determination to keep public utilities public and letting the people decide. We had each other. We had the support of Akron voters.
You are leaders.
Thank you for your leadership!
OVERVIEW:
Citizen Initiative Requires Voter Approval Before Sale of
Akron Sewer, Utilities
A coalition of citizens, labor, faith, and community organizers
have formed Citizens' SOS (Save Our Sewer and Water) to
prevent the sale of any Akron utility without voter approval.
A petition initiative to change the Akron Charter would require any
sale, lease, etc. of any Akron utility be decided by the citizens
of Akron. The group will gather the required signatures of Akron
registered voters to place the charter amendment on the November
ballot, beginning May 3rd and will continue throughout the summer.
Several community meetings and showings of the movie Thirst
(a documentary about privatization of utilities) have attracted
hundreds of people expressing interest in keeping the control of
Akron utilities in the hands of it's citizens. Citizens' SOS was
formed as a result.
Those interested in signing or circulating petitions,
endorsing the initiative, or to learn more are encouraged to contact: CitizensSOS@gmail.com or gcoleridge@afsc.org for more information.
PETITION LANGUAGE:
SALE, LEASE, OR TRANSFER OF CITY UTILITIES
Any action by the Council or Mayor of the City of Akron to sell, transfer, or lease any part of any interest in any City owned utility shall be without force and effect unless and until it is approved by a majority of votes cast by the electors of the City of Akron at the next general election occurring at least 90 days after such action.
Akron voters decide next week whether to allow the city to lease its sewer system for 75 years to fund college scholarships for Akron students. Opponents of Issue 8 say the city is rushing the plan and adding unreasonable stipulations. Officials say they've simply covered their bases. WKSU's Amanda Rabinowitz reports
