Toxic Debt

From the mid-nineteenth until the mid-twentieth century, environmentally unregulated industrial capitalism produced outsized environmental risks for poor and working-class Detroiters, made all the worse for African Americans by housing and job discrimination. Then as the auto industry abandoned Detroit, the banking and real estate industries turned those risks into disasters with predatory loans to African American homebuyers, and to an increasingly indebted city government. Following years of cuts in welfare assistance to poor families and a devastating subprime mortgage meltdown, the state of Michigan used municipal debt to justify suspending democracy in majority-Black cities. In Detroit and Flint, austerity policies imposed under emergency financial management deprived hundreds of thousands of people of clean water, with lethal consequences that most recently exacerbated the spread of COVID-19. Toxic Debt is not only a book about racism, capitalism, and the making of these environmental disasters. It is also a history of Detroit's environmental justice movement, which emerged from over a century of battles over public health in the city and involved radical auto workers, ecofeminists, and working-class women fighting for clean water. Linking the histories of urban political economy, the environment, and social movements, Toxic Debt lucidly narrates the story of debt, environmental disaster, and resistance in Detroit.

In 1980, with the passage of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, Congress created the Superfund as a mechanism to clean up the toxic legacy of the industrial and chemical revolutions. Over a decade later, the consensus is that the program has failed: too much has been spent and too little accomplished. Harold Barnett unravels the history of this failure, examining the economic and political factors that contributed to it and suggesting policy changes necessary to create a viable cleanup program. Barnett argues that the Superfund has failed because of conflict over who will pay the toxic debt and the impact of this conflict on interdependent funding and enforcement decisions at state, regional, and national levels. He argues that the inability of legislators and regulatory agencies to take effective and timely action is related to the economic and political power of major corporate polluters. Spanning the Reagan and Bush administrations, the book highlights the ongoing conflict between deregulatory policies and environmental programs. Originally published in 1994. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

Your fool-proof guide to paying off debt, planning for the future, and breaking free of our debt-loving culture. The consumer credit industry wants us to believe that debt is necessary to bridge the gap between our pitiful incomes and the lifestyles we desire. But the problem is not that we don't have enough money. It's that we don't know how to manage the money we already have. And until we learn that, more money will never be enough. In this life-changing book, Mary Hunt shows you how to live a rich, fulfilling life without any consumer debt. By applying her simple principles and specific methods, you will learn how to effectively manage and maximize the money you have. No more guessing, wondering, or worrying. Just peace and a more abundant life. What have you got to lose?

Americans young and old are flunking their finances. A shocking 77 percent live paycheck to paycheck with no savings. And 43 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement, while 49 percent could cover less than one month's expenses if they lost their income. In the face of this bleak financial picture, bestselling author and finance expert Mary Hunt offers 7 Money Rules for Life®. This no-nonsense and encouraging book gives readers the keys to get their money under control and get prepared financially for the rest of their lives. In her warm and engaging style, Hunt takes everything that she's learned over the past twenty years and boils it all down. Presented in a conversational style and readable in a weekend, this book offers applications for each of the seven rules as well as practical advice for how to recover from past financial mistakes. These simple, unchanging, basic rules work in every financial situation, for every income level, and for every stage of life. Money mastery isn't really that hard. 7 Money Rules for Life® can help readers change their futures from uncertain to rock-solid with principles they can apply right away.

While financial disharmony can blow a marriage apart, financial harmony can bind it together. In this highly practical book, Mary Hunt helps couples bring the principles of intimacy-the foundation for harmony and debt-free living-into management of their money. These principles include acceptance, freedom, safety, and honesty in money matters, creating an atmosphere that unifies two lives into one. Debt-Proof Your Marriage is packed with real-life advice that infuses readers with hope and direction. It covers everything couples need for managing their money in harmony, including how to: * reconcile different money behaviors and beliefs * let go of financial fears * understand the basics of practical money management * share financial work between two people * manage roller coaster income * successfully live debt-free Hunt's essential guide will help couples protect both their marriage and their money. With the interactive workbook, it's ideal for small group study or pre-marital counseling as well.

THOUGHT PROVOKING. INVIGORATING. INSPIRATIONAL. A ROUSING ROADMAP FOR ANYONE WHO DESIRES TO TRANSFORM THEIR FINANCIAL SITUATION AND DISCOVER HOW TO USE WHAT’S IN THEIR HANDS TO CREATE GENERATIONAL WEALTH AND TRUE FINANCIAL FREEDOM. LaShawne Holland never knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. Unlike her 3rd grade classmates, who wanted to be attorneys, astronauts, chefs, and doctors, she never had THAT vision. Her vision was unconventional and so was her answer to the teacher. “I DON’T WANT TO BE BROKE” were the words that escaped her mouth. Loud and clear, she confidently repeated it as second time as if the class didn’t hear her the first time as confirmation of her big dream. She was an honor roll student all throughout school, then in her 12th grade year, her High School Guidance Counselor told her in a meeting that “kids like you don’t go to college”. Confused and shocked by his comments, she left that meeting more determined than ever to not become the statistic that society would try to box her in to be. She went to college, working three jobs to pay her way through school, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and went to work in Corporate America. It didn’t take long for her to start to feel the uncomfortable tug in her heart that she didn’t want to be placed in a box and only make in a salary what her boss deemed she was worth. Born to Multiply is about seizing and taking hold of the promises of God in the bible where wealth and riches is concerned and apply them to your life. It’s about employing your gifts, that was placed inside of you before the foundations of the world to create wealth. LaShawne believes that wealth follows purpose and no one has the right to tell you that you can only have a certain income level. LaShawne disrupts the social-economic norms that society tries to tag children of teen parents with. In Born to Multiply, she shares her journey and helps the reader discover how to transform financial suffocation to financial success.

Get out of debt and use credit wisely with this easy-to-understand, comprehensive guide to making your debt work for you. The key to borrowing, managing, and paying off debt is understanding what it is, how it works and how it can affect your finances and your life. Debt 101 is the easy-to-follow guide to discovering how to pay off the debt you have plus learning how to use debt to your advantage. Debt 101 allows you to take control of your money with strategies best suited for your personal financial situation—whether you are buying a home or paying off student loans. You will learn the ins and outs of borrowing in a simple, straightforward manner, managing student loans and credit card debt, improving your credit score, understanding interest rates, good debt vs. bad debt, and so much more. Finally, you can get ahead of the incoming bills and never let your debt intimidate you again!

The contemporary church faces a financial crisis of epic proportions. The reason is simple. While wealthier than any generation in history, many believers do not consider tithing or generosity to be part of their Christian lifestyle. Join the Giving Generation and discover— Why you feel poorer despite making more than ever. The simplest way to shed financial stress. The one thing keeping you from experiencing greater wealth and opportunity. How to leave a true legacy to your children. An amazing vision for what your generosity can accomplish. Genuine joy and freedom in your financial life. “A Giving Crisis can only be remedied by a Giving Generation. I believe we have everything we need to become that generation—to learn the upside-down world of Christ and become the most generous generation in human history, in addition to being the most wealthy.” If you long for financial freedom, boundless joy, and deep satisfaction, join the Giving Generation!