For immediate release Aug. 29,2014
CITY RETIREES DEMAND COUNCIL PUT SALE/TRANSFER OF WATER & SEWERAGE DEPARTMENT
ON NOVEMBER BALLOT
Want Council to vote on ballot question 1st week new session
The Detroit Retired and Active Employees Association (DAREA) and the WWTP Retirees demand that the City Council allow the PEOPLE to vote in the upcoming November election on any sale, lease, transfer, grant, or franchise of the Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept. proposed under the bankruptcy filed by Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr.
The City Charter clearly mandates a popular vote on any such action. It is Detroiters who built and paid for DWSD.
DAREA and supporters are demanding that the City Council place this ballot question on their agenda next week (Sept. 2 –Sept.5) and LET THE PEOPLE VOTE!!
The trial on the bankruptcy Plan of Adjustment is set to begin Sept. 2, 2014, after an 8:30 a.m. hearing on a lawsuit against water shut-offs in Detroit.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Gerald Rosen and Judge Sean Cox have been conducting secret mediation sessions with DWSD bondholders. They want to change the governance, management and ownership of DWSD to profit bondholders and contractors. EM Orr, the Water Board, the City Council, and state government just voted to allow $2.2 billion in DWSD bonds, originally “impaired” under the Plan of Adjustment, to be “unimpaired,” meaning the bondholders will be paid 100 percent instead of “pennies on the dollar.” Meanwhile, retirees and residents will suffer under the plan, from drastically reduced pensions, health care, services, more rate hikes, and shut-offs.
LET THE PEOPLE VOTE! For further information, contact 313-444-0061 or 313-622-6430
CALL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY CLERK, MAYOR TO DEMAND A PEOPLE’S VOTE ON DWSD:
Brenda Jones Saunteel Jenkins Andre Spivey Raquel Castenada City Clerk Janice Winfrey
(313) 224-1245 (313) 224-4248 (313) 224-4841 (313) 224-2450 (313) 224-3266
George Cushingberry, Jr. Scott Benson Mary Sheffield Gabe Leland Mayor Mike Duggan
(313) 224-4535 (313) 224-1198 (313) 224-4505 (313) 224-2151 (313) 224-3400