Sign Petitions to Stop Detroit Water Shutoffs

You've heard about the thousands of low income Detroit residents whose water has been shutoff by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). These shutoffs have continued despite appeals from local residents, national groups and international organizations like the United Nations.

Please lend your voice and support to end these shutoff by signing one or more of the petitions below. Your actions will demonstrate to the DWSD, the Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, and President Obama that people across the U.S. -- across the world! -- say water is a human right!

Without water, all life withers and dies within a few days. Babies, the elderly and people who are ill are especially vulnerable to disease and sickness. Whole communities are at risk of public health crises from a lack of proper sanitation and hygiene. Most of all, water is a natural resource that belongs to everyone and must be publicly managed by communities, not profiteers and corporations.

Thank you for defending the human right to water!


More Online Petitions:

• Oppose Detroit Water Shutoffs, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee -- Target: Mayor Michael Duggan, DWSD Director Sue McCormick, and Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr, updated 7/18/14.
• Sign the petition: Declare a public health emergency in Detroit, Daily Kos -- Target: President Obama and Health Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell, 7/16/14.
• Grant Emergency Assistance to Families Affected By Detroit Water Shutoffs!, White House Petitions -- Target: President Obama, 7/12/14. CLOSED
• Provide disaster relief to the thousands of Detroit residents without clean drinking water due to city water shutoffs, Color of Change -- Target: Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and Detroit Emergency Manager Kevin Orr, 7/11/14.
• Tell Detroit to turn the taps back on: Water is a human right!, Blue Planet Project -- Target: President Obama and Gov. Snyder, Summer 2014.
• Sign the Petition to Keep DWSD Publicly Accountable, Food & Water Watch -- Target: Elected officials, Summer 2014.
• Preserve Water as a Human Right by Investigating Detroit Water and Sewage Department's Water Shut-offs., Change.org -- Target: President Obama and Governor Snyder, Summer 2014.
• Turn Running Water Back on for Thousands, ForceChange.com -- Target: Sue McCormick, Director Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, Summer 2014.

Stand Up for Democracy vs MI Secretary of State

Local news stations have shared the correspondence that Michigan Governor Snyder has offered an opinion to the Appeals Judges who are about to render a decision whether or not to certify the signature process aimed at placing Public Act #4 on the November ballot. He asks in his memo that these Judges NOT impede his forward momentum by certifying this effort.

We have a position as well. We would ask that these Judges NOT impede the people's right to democracy. 

So bizarre are these events relative to the petition activity that even the attention of national newscasters (like Rachel Maddow) has been captured each noting that nowhere else in the nation has so little been written about so huge an event. Over turning elections has a history.

Public Act 4, the emergency manager act, is the crux of what we are alarmed about. It allows the Governor, so he thinks, to void state and local elections in places where the finances of that municipality are stressed, and a person of his choosing is seated who answers only to the Governor.  This "dictator law" has no successful outcome anywhere in the State and, in every example, has led to even deeper financial debt as the assets of the people are sold to the highest bidder at pennies on the dollar.

Benton Harbor had a deficit and after the emergency manager was seated, the deficit is three times greater. Pontiac had a deficit and has a greater one today. The Detroit School District had a deficit and it has grown to a much larger number under the forced emergency manager. So one would ask, what the real agenda is with this outrageous act?

Attacking democracy is no small matter. It starts small -- a little less democracy here, a little less there, and before you know it people are convinced that to appoint officials must be the right thing to do because it keeps happening! 

That pesky "democracy" is getting in the way of what corporations want, so efforts to sideline it are underway across the State.  How egregious is it that the once mighty Pontiac Silverdome, that was the "mecca" of sports and other major events costed out at $55 million when it was first built, was sold for $500,000 just months ago? This businessman has now named the same emergency manager in charge of that sale to his team as he prepares to retrofit the Silverdome for the newest casino owned by him!

We are heading into deep, dark waters and should prepare ourselves for street to street battle.

On Thursday, all segments of the State will learn a valuable lesson about what is taught in civics and  government class in local schools: Do the people have a right to redress? Maybe not anymore. Can the size of the print on a petition be enough to disqualify the will of just under 240,000 people?  Apparently yes. Can a representative of the Tea Party, the Republican party or any party be allowed to tamper with this American process in such a way that democracy is sacrificed?  Don't know yet. No lover of freedom and open government can stand by and let such an action take place.

If you are able, come to the State Bldg at Cadillac Place, 3020 W. Grand Blvd, Suite 14-300 (at Second St) in Detroit on Thursday, May 17th, no later than 9am. Stand and watch as we look to see if democracy still stands. "...oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, over the land of the free and the home of the brave?" Democracy has been stolen.  The outcome of this Appeals Court hearing will reveal a great message and will help clarify what stage of this battle we are entering. 
 
MD Taylor
MWRO State Chairperson

Water Apathy in Detroit

An Open Letter from MWRO member, Ann Grimmett:

In the past few months while collecting signatures in & around Detroit for the advisory question initiative for the water affordability plan to be put on the ballot in November, I've experienced a great deal of apathy, negativity and outright ignorance.

It's appalling that in these troubled times, in this (could be) great nation, that the response to something as vital as assuring that we ALL have water (which is a HUMAN right), that simply signing a petition is viewed by those who (think) that they are "alright", as an affront to their personal choices, while their neighbor is LIVING without the most essential element that GOD made!

What's more appalling is that without listening to or reading the information supplied by the petitioners, far too many Detroiters are opting to "pretend" that they aren't affected by the possible "Corporate Takeover" of the citizens of Detroit's publicly owned water department/system!

Shame on you residents of DETROIT for the lackadaisical attitudes and practices that have
allowed our great city to be pillaged raped and plundered!

Get offyour butts and get a petition from Welfare Rights, circulate it among your family and friends and return it IMMEDIATELY so that we the people can decide, since we obviously
cannot trust "OTHERS" to make sure our "behinds" are WELL covered!

DO IT TODAY!

Latest MWRO Newsletter

The May MWRO newsletter is posted on the wiki http://mwro.pbwiki.com/
It is focused on the Water Affordability petition campaign.

http://mwro.pbwiki.com/

Fred