thenation | The austerity agenda as it plays out on the ground in American cities
is often so relentless in demanding cuts in public services that it is
easy to imagine that it cannot be upended. And that goes double for
Detroit, where Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has given his appointed “emergency manager”—rather than local elected officials—control over critical decisions regarding city operations.
But that does not mean that austerity always wins.
Last week, protests by Detroiters and allies from across the country focused
local, national and international attention on the Detroit Water and
Sewage Department’s program of shutting off water service for thousands
of low-income families that have fallen behind in paying bills. On
Friday, religious leaders and community activists
were arrested after blocking trucks operated by the private contractor
that was responsible for the shutoffs. At the same time, a mass march
filled the streets of downtown Detroit with protesters arguing that the
most vulnerable citizens of a city hard hit by deindustrialization ought
not be further harmed by the loss of a basic necessity that the United Nations deems a human right.
