From Gov. Walker's Friday "E-Update":
As a part of our trade mission, The Water Council, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), and Veolia, an international water company based in France, announced intentions to develop a two-year entrepreneurial challenge called 'POW! emPowering Opportunities in Water.' ....Veolia's entrepreneurship program...validates southeastern Wisconsin's status as the nation's home of water technology, commercialization, and entrepreneurship.
Scott Walker wants to "commercialize" your water. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Explanation below the dingbat.
Formerly known as Vivendi Universal, Veolia is the largest water privatization business in the world, and has come under attack by water rights activists for many of its contracts that reveal consistent prioritization of private profit at the expense of the environment and the public interest. Veolia is infamous for water privatization, mismanagement, and corruption around the world. Worldwide consumers of Veolia’s privatized water have experienced high prices, poor service, limited oversight and the discouragement of water conservation efforts in their communities. Veolia’s privatization in Puerto Rico was considered a world-class consumer disaster. The British Environmental Agency listed Veolia as the second worst polluter in Britain. From Africa to Latin America and Asia to Eastern Europe, Veolia’s drive to privatize water has left a trail of debt, destruction and growing opposition, while avoiding countries with the greatest water access needs.
Veolia has an extensive history of questionable environmental practices. In Indianapolis, the company’s lack of safeguards led to a “boil water” advisory for more than a million people, forcing local businesses to close and school to be canceled for 40,000 students. In Kentucky, Veolia’s cost-cutting led to diesel contamination of the water supply, after the company deemed that the equipment to remove the fuel was too expensive to operate. In Illinois, a Veolia subsidiary operating a hazardous waste incinerator for more than 10 years was fined more than $3 million for small explosions that released toxic chemicals, including carcinogenic dioxins, into the air. In Ohio, a Veolia Environmental Services plant housing several 200,000-gallon chemical tanks exploded in 2009, injuring workers and damaging more than a dozen homes.
Veolia Energy currently manages wastewater from hydraulic fracturing for natural gas and oil. This highly toxic byproduct of fracking contains carcinogenic chemicals and has been found to be radioactive. Given Veolia’s track record, its plan to discharge some of the water back to local waterways should be cause for considerable concern.
Veolia has cost numerous municipalities millions of dollars in the cleanup of wastewater and untreated sewage dumped illegally into waterways; in damage to water treatment plants as a result of neglect; in injuries to workers; and in the unfair denial of pensions and other benefits. Veolia has been sued for breaking state contracts and overcharging residents. Globally, managers at Veolia-controlled plants have been charged with corruption, bribery, embezzlement, kickbacks and falsifying reports.
The name change did not put an end to the company’s long history of graft and corruption. In 2002, one CEO was convicted and fined millions of dollars for fraud by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Corruption, bribery and embezzlement appear to be part of Veolia’s corporate culture. Veolia recently disclosed accounting fraud amounting to $120 million in the U.S. from 2007 to 2010.
Why would Scott Walker want to get into bed with Veolia? Well, there is this:
Veolia has a history of treating its workers badly. Veolia likes to impose lower wages and reduce retirement, health care and other benefits; break contracts; enforce lower work standards to the detriment of workers and the community; and reduce the workplace environment to levels below safety standards.
Why wouldn't Scott Walker want to lie with them?