That comes to $152 million dollars lost. This is a huge burden on Detroit residents. If the water has not been
turned off at these schools, it certainly would benefit the district and the city residents to conserve water by
doing so. Capturing this savings would prevent a rate hike.
Sometimes, for one reason or another, funding, and red tape may delay progress, but in this case the Governor
had control: The Emergency Manager, Kevyn Orr had the ability to turn off water at the schools. The
Emergency Manager over DPS had the ability to request that water services to vacant school property be
suspended. Says School Board Member, LaMar Lemmons, “We have made requests, the news has discussed
these issues, residents have complained, and yet we have been ignored.”
Police officers have complained about going in buildings at night to investigate crime and nearly falling into
deep water. A body of a homeless man who may have tripped was found frozen in a pool of flooded water.
The water rots the structure of the building. Yet, there has been six feet of water flooding a basement boiler
room at Douglass Academy. Guyton Elementary is also flooded.
The water at closed schools is dangerous. A witness stated:
“To shut water off on people living in their homes, while leaving it to breed rats and insects in vacant school
buildings says that the Governor thinks less of us than animals. Living under Governor Snyder’s rule is
psychologically damaging.”
Vacant Schools in Detroit courtesy DPS-Vacant-Schools.Silk.co
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