The Baltimore Green Party calls on the Baltimore City Council to take legislative action to end the water shutoff crisis. Since the announcement of 25,000 residential shut offs in March, the City has gone about its enforcement inconsistently and unfairly.
If you are a commercial business with a large bill, the City will give you more time. However, the City has shut off the water of thousands for residential consumers, many of whom live in poor and working class communities in Baltimore County and Baltimore City.
“That the Mayor and City Council have allowed these shut offs to go forward is reprehensible. Shutting off water is draconian, unsanitary, and ultimately, a violation of human rights. The United Nations needs to add Baltimore to its list trouble spots in the world,” said Vince Tola, treasurer of the Baltimore Green Party.
“There can be a legislative remedy to this manufactured crisis,” said Ian Schlakman, a New Economy Maryland fellow, and co-chair of the Maryland Green Party. “We are reviewing an ordnance that was passed in Philadelphia and created an 'Income-Based Water Rate Assistance Program.' The City Council has options that would really help our low/fixed income residents, and prevent unsanitary conditions in our communities.”
The Green Party will continue to advocate for legislative remedies to the crisis that has been manufactured by the Department of Public Works. In addition, the Baltimore Green Party supports continued non-violent, civil demonstrations and resistance to prevent additional water shutoffs, and to return water service to those who have been shut off.
Keep the water running in Baltimore!
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