UN: Detroit water cutoffs may violate human rights

[lostinblue 1,989]

UN: Detroit water cutoffs may violate human rights

• Steve Pardo
• The Detroit News
• 86 Comments

United Nations experts said Wednesday that Detroit’s decision to cut off water to residents who haven’t paid their bills may violate international human rights.

The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights put out a press release from Geneva citing three experts in response to reports that the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is cutting off water access to thousands of residents in the city.

“Disconnection of water services because of failure to pay due to lack of means constitutes a violation of the human right to water and other international human rights,” said Catarina de Albuquerque, identified as an expert on the human right to water and sanitation.

“Disconnections due to non-payment are only permissible if it can be shown that the resident is able to pay but is not paying. In other words, when there is genuine inability to pay, human rights simply forbids disconnections.”

The U.N. experts said international human rights law requires governments to take urgent measures, including financial assistance, to ensure access to essential water and sanitation.

“The households which suffered unjustified disconnections must be immediately reconnected,” the U.N. statement said.

The U.N. opinions were based on the assumption that mostly low-income customers are being targeted. But the accusation that the Detroit water department is targeting poor customers isn’t true, said Curtrise Garner, a department spokeswoman.

“We are seeking payments for our delinquent water and sewerage accounts,” Garner said Tuesday.

A coalition of welfare rights groups that appealed this week to the United Nations to assist Detroit residents about stopping the water shut-offs welcomed the comments of the UN’s experts. The groups included the Detroit People’s Water Board, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization and Blue Planet Project.

The groups said in a joint statement Wednesday that the city should “immediately restore water to all Detroit residents. Gov. Rick Snyder should also demand that water service is restored for all people in the state. Further, we call on Sen. Carl Levin and Sen. Debbie Stabenow to hold hearings to look into this evolving crisis.”

In March, the utility announced it was starting a campaign to target tens of thousands of Detroiters with balances more than $150 overdue or more than two months behind on their payments. Half of the nearly 324,000 water and sewerage accounts are overdue, according to the department.

The company put out 46,000 shut-off notices this spring. Shut-offs, so far, have totaled about 4,500, according to the department.

“DWSD is working closely with its customers in Detroit who are delinquent in their payments to prevent avoidable water shut-offs,” the city agency said in a statement Tuesday. “The department currently has more than 17,000 Detroit customers enrolled into a successful payment plan program that is designed to fit each customer’s financial situation and ability to pay. Next month, the DWSD also plans to launch a new financial assistance program for the city’s indigent population.”

Detroit Water Department Director Sue McCormick said, “Our goal is to have as few shut-offs as possible.”

Despite the city’s defense, U.S. Congressman John Conyers, D-Detroit, denounced the cutoffs in statement released Tuesday evening.

“Draconian water cutoffs are not a pathway to financial solvency,” he said. “To the contrary, actions that deny residents the ability to bathe, hydrate or prepare meals for themselves and their families create costly long-term public health challenges. These water cutoffs are not only inhumane but economically short-sighted.”

Last week, the City Council approved an 8.7 percent hike in water and sewer rates for Detroit customers.

The rate is higher than the average of 4 percent for the systems suburban customers and result, in part, from the increasing number of uncollected bills, the water department has said.

spardo@detroitnews.com

(313) 222-2112

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140625/METRO01/306250113#ixzz35kvFnjfo

[Jacque67 7,328]

The China Syndrome?

Edited June 26, 2014 by Jacque67

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Utility bills should be covered by benefit payments.

[lostinblue 1,989]

Utility bills should be covered by benefit payments.

Sounds like you know first hand about this matter.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Sounds like you know first hand about this matter.

Why do you say that?

[Jacque67 7,328]

Sounds like you know first hand about this matter.

Miaow.

Why do you say that?

For attention?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think when you have a city like Detroit that is bankrupt and experienced crippling unemployment, that the government should step in, rather than leave people with nothing.

Shutting off people's water is wrong.

[Jacque67 7,328]

Exactly. There will be a break out of dysentery .

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Which would cost a bit more than not paying the water bill...

[Jacque67 7,328]

And cholera

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

And cholera

And everyone's favourite, Typhoid.

[Jacque67 7,328]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_in_the_Time_of_Cholera

But there is always love!

[Boiler 46,283]

I thought the Detroit Government caused the issue.

Perhaps the UN should take over.

[2ndMessiah 184]

From what I have read, Detroit has been in decline for the last 40 years. The money moved out long ago and the only thing that was left after the failing/noncompetitive American motor industry collapsed, was a large unemployed poorly educated population. Living of handouts from a corrupt local authorities.

With no employment, there was not a sufficient tax base to keep this city alive and now we are seeing its last dying throws with the break down of essential services.

As we have seen the car industry survived, unfortunately those who relied on it did not.

We are seeing the other side of the market economy. A salient reminder to those that the cost of human existence is a bill that we should just pay without expecting any return on the investment.

It might well be time to declare Detroit gone. rescue and relocate those that are left. Bulldoze the place and start again.

Edited June 26, 2014 by 2ndMessiah

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

From what I have read, the Detroit has been in decline for the last 40 years. The money moved out long ago and the only thing that was left after the failing/noncompetitive American motor industry collapsed, was a large unemployed poorly educated population. Living of handouts from a corrupt local authorities.

With no employment, there was not a sufficient tax base to keep this city alive and now we are seeing its last dying throws with the break down of essential services.

As we have seen the car industry survived, unfortunately those who relied on it did not.

We are seeing the other side of the market economy. A salient reminder to those that the cost of human existence is a bill that we should just pay and expect not to make a profit.

It might well be time to declare Detroit gone. rescue and relocate those that are left. Bulldoze the place and start again.

Isn't that the premise of Robocop? Where's ####### Jones when you need him!?