AIG is forcing America's poorest to choose: "Food or Water"

[annabanana]

http://www.alternet.org/story/144203/bailed-out_aig_forcing_poor_to_choose_between_running_water_and_food

Southern Kentucky:
Real unemployment hovers somewhere around 30%, and the state is so broke that half the people eligible for unemployment benefits can't receive them. Life may be tough and most people live in poverty, but that doesn't mean they can't be made a little poorer. That's the lesson locals learned after bailed-out insurance villain AIG took over their water utility and instantly raised rates to squeeze an extra $1 million in profits out of its new customers, forcing some to consider choosing between running water and food.

The towns are so rural, their residents have yet to be touched by the Internet revolution. Forget comment sections or forum threads. In Clinton, you have to track down actual hand-written notes that residents filed with city hall to read their complaints about the rate increase. Luckily, city officials were nice enough to scan some of them. Here's one, dated August 8, 2009:

My husband and I are on a fixed income and with everything going up in price this would be very a very large burden on us as well as most of the citizens of Clinton. Our town is mostly of people like us and this would be such a hardship for us. A 50.8% raise is outrageous on anything. Please do not let this happen. It would mean the difference in bringing buying food and medicine or paying a high water bill to make someone else's life easier.Text

Here is how the AIG takeover went down: In 2005, flush with cash from its shady dealings in the mortgage derivatives market, AIG announced that it was in the process of acquiring Utilities Inc., a holding company that controlled scores of small water utilities across 17 different states. With just 300,000 customers, the company wasn't huge, but it boasted of being the largest privately held water utility in the country.Text

If this story doesn't become common knowledge, discussed on Keith & Rachel, burrowed into by every progressive website, if AIG doesn't come under blistering attack by every commentator and late-night comedian. . then there is not much point of an internet.

[MadHound]

1. Then I suggest that you email this story to both Keith and Rachel,

Generally they're very responsive to stories like this that the public gets to them.

[annabanana]

3. Done, of course.. but we both know that LOTS of people

have to pass the word around to get it to "bubble up" to national attention.

So, thank you for your assistance. If you think the story is worthy of a spotlight.

[MadHound]

6. Already sent the email

Hopefully this will get some attention on the situation.

[Political Heretic]

2. Mail also to Democracy Now, Thom Hartmann, TYT....

I will tomorrow... I'm supposed to be asleep and woke up in the middle of my night.

[Echo In Light]

4. K&R

[Octafish]

5. BFEE's boy Hank Greenberg's doing all right.

What's the problem?

http://blogs.wsj.com/source/2009/11/26/aig-greenberg-full-text-of-the-settlement/

$4 billion buys a lot of water.

[lonestarnot]

7. That face needs to be burned into everyone's mind so that fucker isn't ever seen in public.

[annabanana]

8. THIS face?. .Oh he's doing just fine thank you.

[lonestarnot]

9. Yeah that one, but a warning needs to be posted!

:puke:

[eilen]

10. He kind of looks like C. Montgomery Burns

"Monty"

[dkf]

11. My uncle pays $65/month for water in a vacant house.

I'm in Hawaii with a public utility. I guess we are being ripped off worse than Kentucky.

[annabanana]

12. midafternoon kick . .n/t