Brooke Tucker, Staff AttorneyShare this on Facebook | Tweet This
Detroit's future is in court this week, as hearings to confirm the plan of adjustment for the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history begins.
As the bankruptcy hearing commences, we'll hear from banks, bond insurers, and other creditors vying to get their "fair" share from the city.
While those voices are loud, we cannot forget that there are thousands of everyday men and women whose lives are hinging on the bankruptcy judge's decision.
Paying for Detroit's Problems
For the past several decades, the economic problems have hit Detroit hard. The decline of the auto industry, the foreclosure crisis, and disastrous bond deals have left the city with massive debt and an expensive, aging infrastructure.Those few, loyal residents who have remained represent the most vulnerable members of our society: students, the elderly and those living in poverty.
These residents pay the price for Detroit's problems. Though many live in poverty, they are forced to pay high property taxes, inflated auto and home insurance, and water bills that are among the highest in the country.
The cumulative effects of these high bills leave many stuck in a cycle of poverty that renders them unable to afford even the basic necessities of life, such as water.
Detroiters have gone to great lengths in an attempt to pay for problems and bad decisions that they did not create.
Yet the water department has been ruthless in its shutoff policy. Thousands were shut off before the department even had a plan in place to help people avoid losing their water.
The water department now spends more paying its debts than it does on serving its customers or repairing its crumbling infrastructure.