August, 2006

Water Activists Speak Out at 'Water Symposium'

Fighting for water in the Detroit area. PHOTO/MICHIGAN WELFARE RIGHTS

Below are comments from some activists who attended the Water Symposium at the Midwest Social Forum in Milwaukee on July 7, 2006:

"At night people come outside with their porch lights off with buckets and hoses attached to houses. What kind of nightmare is it when 45,000 people are without water? I don't care what anyone says -- you know you can't turn off water. We need to say Stop! We're not going to do this anymore. We're going to start fresh!"
-- Maureen Taylor, Director, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization

"Youth have the power to do something. Water isn't something that you should be able to get simply because you're rich."
-- Domiana Alexander, East Michigan Environmental Action Council

"Communities feel forced to privatize when their 100 year old pipe systems are crumbling."
-- Jessica Roach, Food and Water Watch

"Education and mobilization is the solution. If people are aware, they will do the right thing."
-- Diana Seales, East Michigan Environmental Action Council

"The solution is for people to come together and educate themselves so communities have control."
-- William Copeland, Bogg's Center

"We need to nationalize water under the Government, but not with the same people running it. With the right folks, we won't have water you can't drink, or shut offs, or dry cities like Dallas. Nationalization gets people fighting in their own interests. Then we can talk about really owning the water."
-- Marian Kramer, Michigan Welfare Rights