WATER ABLAZE - Patagonia Sin Represas

Turning these into private monopolies inevitably leads to social
problems. The public is forced to pay for ever-increasing corporate
profits. One extremely serious problem on top of all this is the loss of
any kind of co-determination and control, in other words, the loss of
democracy. Decisions affecting our elementary human requirements
must be made democratically by the people.
Delegating the control of private operating companies to
supervisory boards and other consultancy groups is a mistake in two
respects. When, as in the case of Baden-Württemberg, politics and
the business sector are so thoroughly intertwined, any control over
companies not only disappears but the exact opposite takes place:
politicians with close ties to companies allow business interests to
shape everyday politics. In addition to this, the technical and legal
surveillance of the council’s business transactions is paralysed when
office bearers from ministries are rewarded – financially or otherwise
– for the work they do on corporate advisory boards.
The system of holding local citizens’ referenda to prevent the looting
of public property hardly stands a chance of being implemented in Baden-
Württemberg. The state constitution makes this kind of public involvement
in decisions concerning our essential public services and public assets almost
impossible. The quorum, i.e. the percentage of the electorate necessary
for any ballot poll is too high. This should be lowered so that responsible
citizens are able to intervene effectively, as they are in Bavaria.
Neither does Baden-Württemberg’s local government code allow
citizens sufficient right to sue in the case of a – possibly – illegal sale of
public assets. What we need here are clear regulations strengthening
the rights of the citizens.
The nondisclosure of contracts and expert opinions in connection
with the sale of municipal infrastructure, but also in connection with
CBL deals, is totally and utterly unacceptable. Democracy can only
function when the public are exhaustively informed about ownership
structures or planned sell-offs and if they can effectively intervene
should things go wrong.
It is only natural in a prosperous city like Stuttgart that price
increases do not lead to immediate protests like they do in poorer
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