The politics of water and schooling in Detroit
A SMALL VICTORY -- Ongoing protests against Detroit's massive water shut-off to the city's poorest have forced a restructuring in the city's already bankrupt government. The so-called Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr has handed over control of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) to elected mayor,Mike Duggan.
Jason Stanley writes in yesterday's New York Times:
Orr’s actions are a result of sustained and heroic activism by Detroit citizens, and a concomitant international outcry. Still, any victory they may be tempted to claim remains tenuous. Clause 6 of the order reads, “The EM may modify, amend, rescind, replace, supplement, or otherwise revise this Order at any time.” ("Detroit's Drought of Democracy")And the reshuffling begs the question -- why is it that thousands of city residents can't afford drinking water?
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| Detroit photo-op for Duncan and T-Party pal Synder. |