Declaring “Water is a Human Right,” hundreds marched in the streets of Detroit on July 18 to protest the city shutting off water services for thousands of residents too poor to pay their utility bills. Since March of this year, the Detroit Sewage and Water Department (DSWD) has cut off running water to over 15,000 … Continue reading »
Detroit
Detroit and the bankruptcy of America’s social contract
One way to view Detroit’s bankruptcy — the largest bankruptcy of any American city — is as a failure of political negotiations over how financial sacrifices should be divided among the city’s creditors, city workers, and municipal retirees — requiring a court to decide instead. It could also be seen as the inevitable culmination of … Continue reading »