Detroit begins shutting off water for 150,000

[Ed Anger]

This is what happens when Democrats run a place without opposition.

Chicago works (more or less) fine despite having Democrats run without opposition.

The politicians who run Detroit are more akin to heads of rival families in a Renaissance city state; (or the head of a crime family) rather than party politicians.  Kwame Kilpatrick's mother was a congresswoman, father was a county executive and aunt was a state representative.  His rival, Shrek Cockrel Jr.'s father and step mother were city council members.

Reminds me of the McLin family in Dayton. Acted like they owned the place. Until the black churches turned against the fancy hat wearing boob Rhine McLin over the murder rate.

[Admiral Yi]

Chicago works (more or less) fine despite having Democrats run without opposition.

Chicago has $18.4 thousand dollars of unfunded pension liability per resident.  That's more than twice what NY has, the nearest competitor.

[DGuller]

Chicago works (more or less) fine despite having Democrats run without opposition.

Chicago has $18.4 thousand dollars of unfunded pension liability per resident.  That's more than twice what NY has, the nearest competitor.

It's just money.

[The Brain]

We can always mint more gazillion dollar coins.

[KRonn]

Chicago works (more or less) fine despite having Democrats run without opposition.

Chicago has $18.4 thousand dollars of unfunded pension liability per resident.  That's more than twice what NY has, the nearest competitor.

Time for UN intervention! 

[Admiral Yi]

IMF would make more sense.

[Caliga]

Speaking of "only in Detroit", I saw some thing on the news earlier that a little kid was missing for like two weeks, and today the police finally found him, hiding in his own basement.

Apparently the kid's father was on the Nancy Grace show and she broke the news to him live on the air.

[Savonarola]

Speaking of "only in Detroit", I saw some thing on the news earlier that a little kid was missing for like two weeks, and today the police finally found him, hiding in his own basement.

The police say he wasn't down there when they had searched the house previously:  http://www.freep.com/article/20140626/NEWS01/306260136/charlie-bothuell-missing-boy-12-year-old

Apparently the kid's father was on the Nancy Grace show and she broke the news to him live on the air.

Only in America

[Savonarola]

Detroit's bankruptcy judge, Steve Rhodes, has already ruled that there is no right to free water (and that he wouldn't deny the bankrupt city a stream of revenue).  So until Detroit exits bankruptcy the shutoffs will continue: 

U.N. officials hear good, bad on Detroit water shutoffs
Francis X. Donnelly, The Detroit News 11:50 p.m. EDT October 19, 2014

Detroit – — Water shutoffs have brought out the best and worst in city residents, the United Nations learned Sunday.

The shutoffs, enacted by the city after many residents failed to pay their bills, have led to residents helping neighbors by giving money, jugs of water or running hoses to their homes.

But a woman said her water bill jumped $600 after neighbors helped themselves to her outside faucet, using it so often they broke the handle.

The woman, Barbara Russo, said she didn't blame her neighbors for their actions.

"If you treat people like animals, you can only expect them to behave like animals," she said.

The residents spoke during a public hearing held by two U.N. officials trying to determine if the water shutoffs have led to human rights violations.

About 350 people attended the meeting in the atrium of the downtown campus of Wayne County Community College District.

Monica Lewis-Patrick, a member of the Detroit People's Water Board, one of the citizen groups that organized the hearing, led a chant with the crowd: "Whose water? Our water. Whose water? Our water."

Members of the group held signs and hung others along the walls: "Water is a Human Right," "Water Justice for All," and "Turn on the Water."

As residents recounted their personal tribulations with the loss of water, they were often supported vocally by the boisterous crowd.

"Today I charge genocide against the president of the United States," Lewis-Patrick said to cheers. "Today I charge genocide against Mayor Mike Duggan."

Resident Nicole Hill said her water was turned off after a billing mix-up. Nine months after moving, she was still being billed for water at her old residence, she said.

The mother of three said she couldn't turn to her neighbors for help because most of them had lost their water as well.

"I went to court but they can't have a hearing until 2015," she said.

Another resident said the loss of water has aggravated problems in a neighborhood already ravaged with blight and foreclosures.

Gregory Price said he hoped the UN officials could do more than just hold a hearing. Otherwise, its effort would amount to little more than "people hollering and clapping."

"I'm hurt. The community is hurt," said Price. "I hope you can do something about it."

One of the U.N. officials tried to temper the expectations of the crowd.

Leilani Farha, U.N. special rapporteur on adequate housing, said the organization can make recommendations but can't force the city to make changes.

She and the other representative plan to meet with city officials Monday and then will propose ways for the city to help the residents.

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It's nice how white people, like Mike Duggan, and African-Americans like Barack Obama can work together on something really important; like genocide.  It gives us all hope for the future.   

[derspiess]

Is genocide an impeachable offense?  I'm asking for a friend.

[MadImmortalMan]

I can't even remember how many times I got up for school to find the water had been shut off as a kid. It sucked, but it's hardly a human rights emergency.

[Barrister]

I can't even remember how many times I got up for school to find the water had been shut off as a kid. It sucked, but it's hardly a human rights emergency.

I seem to recall that if the water wsa shut off we had to go home.  No water = no bathroom, which doesn't work out too well...

[derspiess]

I can't even remember how many times I got up for school to find the water had been shut off as a kid. It sucked, but it's hardly a human rights emergency.

I seem to recall that if the water wsa shut off we had to go home.  No water = no bathroom, which doesn't work out too well...

I had that happen at work one time eons ago.  About an hour after I got to work they had to turn the water off in the building for the rest of the day and we were all sent home.  Like a free vacation day

[Savonarola]

I can't even remember how many times I got up for school to find the water had been shut off as a kid. It sucked, but it's hardly a human rights emergency.

One problem is that the Detroit Water and Sewage Department was a city department until quite recently; and consequently moves at the speed of bureaucracy.  A water shut-off will take several days to resolve.  A second problem is that water billing is handled by the individual municipality.  The city of Detroit is notoriously inept at bill collection; mistakes are inevitable and resolving them can take several months.

On the other hand not shutting off the water due to delinquent bills has led to a situation where only half the the citizen pay their water bill.  Judge Rhodes is right, Detroit cannot afford that.

[garbon]

I can't even remember how many times I got up for school to find the water had been shut off as a kid. It sucked, but it's hardly a human rights emergency.

I seem to recall that if the water wsa shut off we had to go home.  No water = no bathroom, which doesn't work out too well...

I had that happen at work one time eons ago.  About an hour after I got to work they had to turn the water off in the building for the rest of the day and we were all sent home.  Like a free vacation day

Yeah my work did the same recently. Wasn't like a vacation day though as we were expected to manage from home.