Testing the human right to water in Detroit

rabble.ca (blog)-

... In Our Right to Water: A People’s Guide to Implementing the United Nations’ Recognition of Water and Sanitation as a Human Right, Barlow explains that every government is now required to develop a plan of action based on the “obligation to protect, respect, and fulfill” the right to water. The “obligation to respect” in that sentence means a country must refrain from any action or policy that interferes with the enjoyment of the human right. For example, no one should be denied basic water services because they are unable to pay for them.

In other words, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, through the actions of state-appointed Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr, and Detroit mayor Mike Duggan are in violation of the human right to water by pursuing the shut-off policy. Upholding UN resolutions are often seen as a federal responsibility. Yet many would argue that lower levels of government (state and municipal) and the courts have the legal and moral authority—imperative even—to uphold international obligations where federal governments fail.

This article first appeared in the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' The Monitor (October 2014). The original article can be accessed here. Since the publication of this article, UN Special Rapporteurs Catarina de Albuquerque (human right to drinking water and sanitation) and Leilani Farha (housing) announced that the will visit Detroit on a fact-finding mission on October 20.

PENSIONS FUND PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPSWELCOME

--------------30--------------

In this BLOG we will look at pensions and their impact on what are called Public Private Partnerships or P3’s.  IT will also deal with other pension matters, such as Defined Contribution Plans (DC) vs Defined Benefit (DB) PLANS, the weakness in private plans, the need for pension reform in public pensions to have shareholder rights, directorships and ethical investment directives and policies.