I've seen emails lately from Netroots Nation, the Detroit Water Brigade, and others declaring victory in the Detroit water crisis - but that's premature. Yes, the unelected emergency manager did pause the shutoffs and gave control of the water department to the mayor, two great steps. BUT, Mayor Duggan has not yet said he'll actually end the shutoffs; he has only criticized the way in which they were implemented. Read on to learn more, and send your message to Mayor Duggan and the water department.
Roslyn is a 48-year-old single mother of two. She lost her job several years ago and has been struggling to make ends meet ever since. She wants to pay her bills, but often can't.
$300 is clearly a lot to ask of an unemployed mom -- but that didn't stop Detroit officials from shutting off Roslyn's water, and the water of thousands of other citizens, when they couldn't pay the bills.
That's right -- in a terrible environmental injustice, a major American city is denying running water to up to 40% of its residents.
Water is a human right. Without it, we die. It coursed through the earth long before humans came around -- but top Detroit officials don't see it that way.
The Sierra Club has spent decades fighting for clean water -- and we do so for ALL people, not just the wealthy. It's up to activists like you to stop this crisis!
Raise your voice today, before the mass water shutoffs start up again on August 5. Tell Detroit to stop the injustice and permanently end the mass shutoffs!
Much more after the jump.
The image is me at the water rally in Detroit during Netroots Nation.
Roslyn borrowed money from her mom to keep the water on, but she still can't afford the monthly bills and knows another shutoff is probably in her future. And she's not alone -- 38% of Detroit residents are caught under the poverty line, yet the city's water bills are almost twice the national average and still rising. That means we're asking more of those who can afford the least.
Denying clean, running water to America's poorest citizens is immoral and wrong, especially with the majestic Great Lakes right there. No wonder the United Nations called this crisis "an affront to human rights." Yet some Detroit officials even want to privatize the water, a vital resource that should never be about private profit!
Activists like you have already made a big difference in this fight. Last month, after thousands of progressives marched through the streets of Detroit, the city's unelected emergency manager paused the shutoffs for 15 days. Then just this Wednesday, he transferred control of the water department to the elected mayor -- a great start, but there's more to do. While Mayor Duggan has criticized the way the shutoffs were implemented, he hasn't said he'll permanently end them -- and they're still scheduled to start again on Tuesday.
Plenty of cities have found ways to enforce collection other than mass shutoffs that threaten public health and cause children to suffer. Until Mayor Duggan permanently stops the mass shutoffs, begins crucial reforms, and publicly opposes all efforts to privatize the water, this water crisis isn't over.
Water is a natural resource for everyone. It's wrong to deny it to our neighbors, regardless of their financial status. Tell Mayor Duggan to stand with his citizens and stop the mass shutoffs before they start again on Tuesday!
Many citizens' organizations are hard at work to restore these human rights, including the Sierra Club, the People's Water Board, the Blue Planet Project, the Michigan Welfare Rights Coalition, Food and Water Watch, and We the People of Detroit. Their volunteers and staff on the ground are doing amazing work -- and your voice can help bring this home. Please sign the petition today -- this is about right vs. wrong.