Detroit's Water Shutoffs Take Center Stage In Comedic 'Water Hoarding' Report
By Christy Strawser
Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" took aim at Detroit's water shutoffs Monday, poking fun at a Detroit News columnist who once opined "water is not a human right. It's a human need."
The segment labeled "Water Hoarding," mocks Nolan Finley, who calls Detroiters who fail to pay for water "freeloaders" in the video.
"... These protesters, they don't really care what happens to this city next," Finley says. "That sense of entitlement is one of our biggest problems here."
The segment pits his comments against those of lawyer Alice Jennings, who counters that Detroiters too poor to pay for water aren't asking for freebies, only affordable payment options.
"Why would you pick a fight with poor people?" Jennings asks.
"Because it's easy to win?" interviewer Jessica Williams counters.
Joe Louis Arena, the old Tiger Stadium, Palmer Park golf course and other corporate entities are all in arrears on their water bills -- and still have water -- Williams points out.
Finley ends up being the butt of the joke throughout the report, but former councilwoman Sheila Cockrel is also mocked for a statement where she suggested people who don't have water should just head down to the Detroit River with a bucket.
Williams ends up suggesting if they can't find water to fill their buckets, they can fill them with beer and "party."