March, 2006

Water for the rich and nothing for the poor

By Marian Kramer

The Detroit City Council held a public hearing on February 9, 2006, to consider a rate increase for the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). The public was angry about the request for a rate increase. There are still thousands of people with water off in Detroit, with no relief in sight. Whenever Victor M. Mercado, the director, is asked what happened to the 40,000 people whose water was shut off by DWSD, and how many have their water back on, he never has a decent answer. It is as if 40,000 people have disappeared in space.

At the public hearing, the residents of Detroit were interested in supporting the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization's program to stop water from being shut off. Michigan Welfare Rights hired an expert to develop a "Water Affordability Program." The program is for a low income resident of Detroit to pay 2% of their income to pay their bill, or 2.5% of income if they have past overdue bills. The program was submitted to the DWSD Board of Commissioners last year, in January, 2005. But the director claimed they could not implement it because it is not feasible.

To add more frustration to the agony of the residents of Detroit, it was reported by one of the members of the union for DWSD workers that $150 million was spent for wireless meters. Mr. Mercado claimed DWSD needed more money. So they took public funds of $150 million to pay a private company for the meters The person who worked out the deal is Arthur Blackwell, the financial manager for the city of Highland Park, Michigan. He is also the leading consultant for the mayor of Detroit.

Highland Park residents pay the highest water bills in the nation. Arthur Blackwell is the same person who got a contract with the DTE, the private utility company for lights and gas, to read the water meters and bill the residents of Highland Park. Once again, public funds are going to private companies to manage our affairs. The result is big profits for the companies. The struggle continues.

Michigan Welfare Rights Organization will continue to fight for the "Water Affordability Program" for the cities of Detroit and Highland Park. We must keep organizing and fighting for our water as a basic human right. The capitalists are trying to take our water.