I'm afraid I don't foresee anyone dying of dehydration in Detroit anytime soon.
Posted on 07/21/2014 8:17:06 PM PDT by Steelfish
Detroit Residents Fight Back Over Water Shutoff: 'It's A Life-or-Death Situation'
The beleaguered city says a water shutoff is essential to recoup $89m in overdue bills. But the decision outraged thousands of Detroiters – who have taken matters into their own hands
Of 178 homes whose water was shut off last week, 79 had restarted their supplies, triggering $21,750 in fines on top of what the residents already owed.
When the coast is clear, and the trucks from the contractor shutting off water for the city of Detroit have rolled away, the men with water keys come.
They offer residents whose supply has just been shut off a tempting deal. For $20, they will use their tools to turn the water main back on immediately, and illegally, sparing the household the agonising days spent without showering, cooking or flushing that have already been endured by at least 16,000 of their neighbours so far this year.
It is only the most desperate action being taken in response to the beleaguered city's aggressive campaign to recoup $89m in overdue water bills by abruptly cutting the supplies of people behind on their payments. Amid growing anger, Detroit officials agreed in court on Monday to a two-week pause, to allow poor customers to come forward and show that they genuinely cannot afford to pay. But then the shutoffs will resume.
“You're going to do what you have to do to get water back on in your home,” said Valerie Blakely, a community organiser and mother of five whose overdue bill stands at more than $1,000. “As far as I'm concerned, what the city is doing is the illegal activity. You're not going to come and put us in a life-or-death situation and not have us act like we are fighting for our own survival.”
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
That’s weird: When I don’t pay my utility bills, I get shut off and no one gives a fig about it and I have to put together some money to get it turned back on or whatever. Like getting a job, selling something or the like. But then, I’m not a minority member, I guess.
Approximately how many months is $1,000?
You have to be liberal to understand the logic here. This woman is saying that the city is at fault for cutting off water. She is NOT at fault for not paying her water bill, whatever her reasons are. That’s liberal logic.
“You’re going to do what you have to do to get water back on in your home,” said Valerie Blakely, a community organiser and mother of five whose overdue bill stands at more than $1,000. “As far as I’m concerned, what the city is doing is the illegal activity.”
Obama needs to raise the minimum wage for community organizers so they can pay their water bill. I mean, how do they expect a community organizer to raise five children and be able to keep the water on. /s
Michigan ranks at number 1 BTW with 41.27% or 39,881 sq miles of the surface area being water.
These people are like a cancer. Always taking taking taking and taking. Never contributing. Just taking. Everything is a “right” to them. Animals.
My water bill for my house is $50,every two months. And I’m told that water bills here in San Diego area are higher than most places. She could easily be years behind on paying. Or does she have a huge family or do other assorted people come to her house and use tons of water???
Is there any wonder why Detroit is in the shape it’s in?
Does it occur to them that the city has to buy that water it’s selling them? Do you suppose there’s some other ratepayer funded service they’d be willing to waive, or do they think water’s just like ObamaPhones, free?
Come to think of it, maybe that’s an answer: Obie can quit handing out free phones in Detroit and hand out free water instead. After all, we have a constitutional right to hydration. It’s right here somewhere in our new living constitution.
I’d also be interested in knowing how much she’s made in partial payments on account during that time. And what her cable bill looks like.
$50 for one month would be the minimum charge in a lot of places, although there are a variety of taxes and fees added to most ‘water’ bills.
Anyways, someone who owes $1000 on a water bill has ignored it for at least a year and a half, I’d guess.
Don’t most places cut off water after two months?
“... put us in a life-or-death situation and not have us act like we are fighting for our own survival.”
And really, who put you in that situation?
My water bill on Guam is about $50 a month but this is a little island without much other water.
My water would be cut off long before I reached the $1000 point
I watched a city council meeting when they were discussing the bankruptcy, and her logic matches that of their city council. A couple of them announced that it was up to Obama to bail them out because they’d given him their votes.
If I ever need a new job, I’ll open up an “Entitlements Are Us” franchise in Detroit.
Dey needsta git summa dat obamawater!
A note to people who don't pay their water bills: it costs money to make that water clean for you to use. That's why everyone has to chip in and pay a utility bill for it.
I know many people in Detroit can't understand economics on any level but expecting everything for free is just ignorance to its extreme. They should be provided with their ‘rude awakening’ ASAP because this is completely ridiculous.
Obozo’s free shit army just ain’t gonna stand for talk like that now.
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