Congress considers bottled water for presidential inaugural? ... by gimleteye

This is one that is slipping under the radar: the campaign to stop Congress from authorizing bottled water during the presidential inauguration ceremonies. My source writes: "This water will possibly sucked from Florida's springs and shriveling aquifer....why shouldn't guests at the Presidential Ball be required to drink the same toxic tap water the rest of us have to drink?" Americans continue to assume that whatever comes out of the faucet is good enough to assure public health. The EPA, under pressure from the radical right and Tea Party'ers, has refused to do a comprehensive reexamination of testing standards, even though science is gaining ground on the interaction of minute quantities of chemicals in combination on public health. EPA drinking water standards identify only the worst of individual chemical constituents.

It's a good point about bottled water and the same point about the gold plated health care packages members of Congress are granted. Let Congress have the same health care individuals have to pay for and drink the same water from municipal tap water. Click 'read more' ...

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Have you heard the news? The presidential inauguration is set to serve bottled water over tap. If that’s got you scratching your head, join the club!

Call on Congress to ensure the inauguration is bottled-water free.

The way we see it, the inauguration ought to celebrate the best of American democracy -- not act as a misleading marketing plug for the bottled water industry.  But apparently, that’s not what the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) thinks. They recently announced an official bottled water brand for the inauguration. This absolutely sends the wrong message about our nation’s commitment to our most essential public
service, our public water systems.

But you can make a difference! Act now to reverse the decision.

Yesterday, we partnered with DC Water to send a letter to Chairman Senator Schumer and the JCCIC, telling them the presidential choice is America’s tap. And that set off a storm of media pressure, calling on the committee to change their decision.

If the committee hears a strong, clear call from the public that we want our inauguration to celebrate the tap and not bottled water, they will do what’s right and reverse their decision.

Join the call for a bottled water free presidential inauguration. Send a message to Senator Schumer and the JCCIC.

Previous generations of public officials made a commitment to building and maintaining our public water systems. They understood that clean, safe water from the tap is crucial to our quality of life, public health and economic
productivity. Today, tens of thousands of people, public officials and institutions across the country have made the commitment to go bottled water free.

That Senator Schumer and others are promoting bottled water with taxpayer dollars when high quality tap water is readily available is simply an insult to the investment we’ve made as a nation in this essential public service.

Our leaders should be toasting the tap with pride. It’s time for Senator Schumer and the JCCIC to think outside the bottle. Sign the letter asking for a bottled water free presidential inauguration now!
http://act.stopcorporateabuse.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11479

Thanks for your work to protect our essential public water systems. We’ll send an update about how the committee responds.

Kristin Urquiza
Director, Think Outside the Bottle & Public Water Works!
Corporate Accountability International

P.S. Ask your friends to tell the JCCIC that the choice for a momentous
occasion like the presidential inauguration should be America’s tap. Please
forward this email!