-------- Original Message --------
Gov. Quinn's office; 217-782-0244, 312-814-2121
Please call now, this morning Tues. Aug 23rd and say No to HB 1091!
The Governor has till today to Veto HB 1091. The Public Private
Partnerships in Transportation Act, I call it "The Illinois is Open for
Corruption Bill"!
Say No to Privatization and Public Private Partnerships of our Public
Highways and Mass Transportation!
In these privatization schemes and Public-Private Partnerships, all we
are doing is trading a short term, up front cash payment for long term
debt, holes in our future revenue, increased costs, fares, fees and
tolls, relinquishing public control of our highway, mass transit and
possibly safety. Also the jobs that this bill talks about do not have to
stay in Illinois, out of state companies and even other countries can
bid on our infrastructure! Is that OK with everyone out there in the
Land of Lincoln!
Our children will pay the price for these schemes! And if you read
below, the Governor's office told us yesterday, this bill is
unnecessary, Illinois can still float their own bonds, we are not bonded
out! Say No to HB 1091!
HB 1091 has so many different privatization schemes and the co-mingling
of public-private money and responsibilities, it will make figuring out
the TIFs here in Chicago look like child's work!
The public never seems to come out on the winning side of these deals!
We always lose, is that just chronically bad negotiations on the part of
our elected officials or an epidemic of corruption-you decide! (press
release below)
Thanks so much for the calls to the Gov this morning!
Please pass this email to your contacts.
Dr. Lora Chamberlain
Protect Chicago's Water
Privatization Watch Illinois
drlora2@yahoo.com
August 22, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information:
Tom Tresser, Protect Our Public Assets – 312-804-3230, tom@tresser.com,
www.publicassets.us <http://www.publicassets.us/>
Dr. Lora Chamberlain, Protect Chicago's Water - 773-486-7660 -
drlora2@yahoo.com, http://www.protectchicagoswater.com
<http://www.protectchicagoswater.com/>
GOVERNOR'S TOP AIDE TELLS ANTI-PRIVATIZERS THAT KEY REASON FOR
PRIVATIZING PUBLIC ASSETS IS INVALID
A group of anti-privatizer activists met separately yesterday with
legislators proposing a massive new privatization scheme aimed at
Illinois' transportation infrastructure and with Governor Quinn's top
legislative and policy staff. The legislators told the activists that
the main reason for proposing new privatization of roads, bridges,
tunnels, bus projects and high-speed rail projects is that the state
can't borrow money. But the governor's legislative director, Lindsay
Anderson, told the group that the state has untapped abilities to raise
money via the bond market.
At issue is HB 1091, The Public-Private Partnership for Transportation
Act, which for the first time would allow private entities to build and
operate road ways, toll ways, bridges, tunnels, bus systems and
high-speed rail operations in Illinois. The bill is awaiting Governor
Quinn's signature.
"We made a strong case to State Senator Heather Steans and State
Representative Elaine Nekritz this morning," said the organizer of the
meetings, Dr. Lora Chamberlain of Protect Chicago's Water. "Our team of
volunteers had thoroughly reviewed HB 1091, which Steans and Nekritz
sponsored, and listed the dozens of serious issues we have with this
bill. Despite our deep reservations about this policy, we were told by
the legislators that the state is broke and unable to get funds for
needed transportation projects."
And yet, one hour after the meeting with the legislators, the activists
met with a team of Governor Quinn's top policy aides, including John
Kamis, Senior Advisor to the Governor and Lindsay Anderson, the
Governor's Legislative Director. "Ms. Anderson was quite emphatic that
the State of Illinois has not reached its limit on its ability to borrow
or to go to the bond market for needed and worthy projects" said Tom
Tresser of Protect Our Public Assets. "So what is the reason for this
rush to privatize when doing so is detrimental to state taxpayers?"
The group of activists that were in the meetings today were Dr. Lora
Chamberlain (Protect Chicago's Water), Joyce Good and Cyndi Green
(Citizens Act to Protect Our Water), David Kennedy (Protect Chicago's
Water), Joan Levin, Roy Lipscomb and Clare Tobin (Illinois Ballot
Integrity Project), Charles Paidock (Citizens Taking Action-CTA Riders),
Tom Tresser (Protect Our Public Assets). This group of concerned
citizens is organizing a larger coalition to fight privatization whose
working title is Privatization Watch Illinois.
Says Dr. Chamberlain, "We are urging all concerned citizens to call the
Governor's office at 312-814-2121 and 217-782-0244 and tell him to veto
HB 1091. People can also circulate our online petition via Twitter
at*http://act.ly/45d*."
Tom Tresser – Public Defender <http://www.publicassets.us/>
Sign up for news and updates @ http://eepurl.com/e6KpQ - you'll get "The
Public Defender" Newsletter.
Follow Tom on Twitter @tomstee <http://twitter.com/#%21/tomstee>
Join the Public Defenders Group at LinkedIn
<http://tinyurl.com/LinkedIn-PublicDefenders>
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