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Welcome from the Newark Water Group. We’re a citizen organization (nobody gets paid) that promotes a strong,
lean, efficient public water and sewer department in the City of Newark, New Jersey.
Right now, our major fight is to prevent Cory Booker and Chris Christie from getting rid of the water/sewer department
and setting up a municipal utilities authority (MUA).
We think this is a very bad idea because it will remove the water and sewer agencies from direct public control and any
sort of real accountability. The MUA, for instance, could set whatever rates it wanted to, even if the public thought it was doing a lousy job, and
would be immune from initiative, recall, and even a referendum.
In New Jersey, MUA horror stories abound. The Plainfield MUA enraged residents by exacting huge rate hikes while
spending money on extravagant trips. The Jersey City MUA executive director has moonlighted as a consultant to Newark, a lobbyist for the Passaic
Valley Sewerage Commissioners, a legislative consultant to Secaucus, and an attorney in private practice—all the while pulling down a hefty
salary for his supposedly full-time job. And just a few miles over our border, the Harrisburg MUA ran up such a big debt—guaranteed by the
city—that the city is now financially ruined. Don’t let this happen to Newark!
Mayor Booker and Governor Christie are also salivating over the prospect of a multi-million dollar “concession
fee” that the MUA would pay to Newark. This is just a budget gimmick, and a bad one at that. The MUA would borrow long-term (with lots of fees
for lawyers and consultants), and give the money to Booker. Booker would burn through it in a few years to fix his budget holes and smooth his
transition to his next job. Newark’s ratepayers and its next generation would be stuck with the bill for Booker’s current spending.
Cities in New Jersey aren’t supposed to borrow money long-term for current expenses; and we think that’s how they should operate.
We’re not nay-sayers. We want to reform the water-sewer department by following Newark’s charter. We want
to bring in a full-time water-sewer director who’s paid by the City—something we haven’t had in many years, and hardly a radical
demand, except in Booker’s Newark. We support needed repairs and improvements to the system and if necessary rate hikes to pay for
them—but only after full study and public discussion, and only with competent staff in place to direct them
How can you help? Our major project this month is an initiative petition to force the Municipal Council to vote on our
Save Our Water ordinance—and for a special election if they don’t approve it. This ordinance forbids Newark from establishing an MUA or
guaranteeing debt without a public vote at a general election. We filed 3400 petitions with the City Clerk on August 8 , but we need a lot more by
the end of the month.
We’re meeting every Monday in August at 7 pm at 603 Elizabeth Avenue. Please join us then or ?
For more information about the MUA see http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/2012/03/newark_mayor_cory_bookers_wate.html.
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If you have any questions, you can contact us at in...@newarkwatergroup.org or visit www.newarkwatergroup.org
