[A-List] Leninism at City Soviet

["Charles Brown" <cbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 Patrick Bond was here in Detroit in support of the "water is a human right"
campaign. Some of the same activists Prof. Bond spoke with are involved in
this most recent water rights struggle.

CB


^^^^^^

"The council insisted that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's administration come up
with a plan to help low-income Detroiters pay for water service before
raising Detroit's rates."


 The Detroit City Council voted Wednesday to raise suburban wholesale water
rates for nearly all cities in southeast Michigan but Detroit, until the
Mayor gives Council a water affordability plan for the poor.

The council insisted that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's administration come up
with a plan to help low-income Detroiters pay for water service before
raising Detroit's rates. City Council has a well researched water
affordability plan.

The vote immediately sparked the ire of Detroit's suburban water and sewer
customers and again put Kilpatrick's administration in a defensive position.
Detroit Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams and Water and Sewerage Department
Director Victor Mercado said the legality and impact of the council's vote
is uncertain.

But, they said it puts in jeopardy the water and sewer system's $450 million
capital improvement program, compliance with federal Clean Water regulations
and a bond sale deal already under way.

"Obviously, we're very concerned from an operational and legal standpoint,"
Adams said. "Clearly, there are some leadership issues raised by this vote.
It's impossible for us to separate out the suburbs from the city. It's a
unified system."

The water and sewer system serves 4.3 million customers in Metro Detroit.
The city sells water at wholesale rates to suburban communities that
frequently add their own local charges.

Out-state leaders responded quickly.

Sen. Laura Toy, R-Livonia, author of a bill that would give suburban
communities a stronger role in managing the water and sewer system, said the
council acted to protect the residents of Detroit. She said she hoped the
governor would sign her bill -- currently moving through the state House
after the Senate passed it -- "so that the other 3 million customers served
by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department can have some accountability as
well."

The administration had asked City Council to approve an approximate 6
percent rate increase for all 125 suburban wholesale customers as well as an
approximate 6 percent increase for Detroit's residential and commercial
customers.

The measure introduced by council member Kwame Kenyatta to separate the
rates passed 5-4 with approval from Councilwomen Barbara-Rose Collins, JoAnn
Watson, Martha Reeves and Brenda Jones.

Collins said she could "guarantee" the Detroit rates will pass as soon as
the administration comes up with a plan to subsidize low-income Detroit
water customers. Last year, there were 40,000 water shutoffs, but Mercado
says 30,000 of those were turned back on after payment. "If the
administration is smart, they'll start working on it right now," Collins
said.

Officials in the city of Warren --which has taken a particularly combative
stance in relations with Detroit -- said they were displeased the council
didn't raise Detroit's rates.

"This is an obscene action by the Detroit City Council," said Joe Munem,
spokesman for Mayor Mark Steenbergh. "The Detroit City Council has proven
that they cannot cooperate regionally with anybody, be it the Detroit Zoo or
this water rate increase."

You can reach Lisa M. Collins at (313) 222-2072 or lcollins@ detnews.com.