On September 7, fires swept through large parts of Detroit, destroying or damaging nearly 100 buildings. Before the smoke had cleared, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing declared it a “natural disaster” that no one could have predicted. In fact, this disaster was produced not by nature, but by corporate profit and budget cutbacks. And it could happen again—the next time with more devastating consequences.
These public meetings of the Committee Against Utility Shutoffs (CAUS) will examine the conditions that made the fires all but inevitable. They will detail the neglect of the electrical infrastructure by DTE, which has focused all its resources on cutting off impoverished Detroit residents from gas and electricity while maximizing its profits. The meetings will review the impact of decades of budget cutting on the Detroit Fire Department and other essential city services.
CAUS and Socialist Equality Party members D’Artagnan Collier and Lawrence Porter will also examine the broader social and political context of this latest tragedy to strike the population of Detroit. CAUS encourages the widest participation of everyone concerned, including testimony from those impacted by the fire. The events are free and open to the public.
Meeting Details:
Wednesday, September 22, 6:30 p.m.
The Center (Matrix) Community Hall
13560 East McNichols
Detroit, MI
Wednesday, September 29, 6:30 p.m.
Blightbusters Resource Center
17405 Lahser Rd (north of Grand River)
Detroit, MI
To find out more or to get involved with the Committee Against Utility Shutoffs, click here, or follow us on Facebook.