Just heard on the news - President Obama sending another $80,000,000 to Flint

[Siwsan]

Thank you, President Obama!

Damn, it's breathtaking how many things are happening, now. The damage is done, but hopefully we can stem the long term extent.

[riversedge]

1. Good for the folks of Flint and Thank you Pres. Obama

[MADem]

2. How much? Eighty million? That's a lot of money.

I hope he's sending some experts with it....

[Siwsan]

5. It sounds like there are people being sent here, too

As long as we can keep Snyder and his minions away from any decision making, things might start looking up, for Flint.

[MADem]

7. That was MY first thought!!!!! Don't let that pig near the cash....! nt

[Mr.Bill]

21. That's about how much the state of California

spent fighting fires last summer during one of the worst fire seasons in decades.

[MADem]

25. Eighty million here, eighty million there...pretty soon we're talking REAL money!!! nt

[KamaAina]

3. That's about 800 bucks for each Flint resident.

That should be enough to buy every household in town a heavy-duty water filter that works on lead.

[malaise]

4. Who is in charge of the money-

non-elected ReTHUGs appointed by a proven duplicitous LIAR aka the ReTHUG scumbag governor?

[Siwsan]

6. I know that the official who handled the Ebola issue is now in town

I've been searching for her name, but haven't found a related story, yet.

I expect that Washington DC will keep an eye on things. And I can ASSURE you that Congressman Kildee, Senators Stabenow and Peters won't let this off of their radar.

Snyder's being called to Washington for a hearing on Feb 3 or 4. So much news, today, I can't keep things straight!

[malaise]

8. That's great news then

The Feds are running the show

[hifiguy]

14. Yep.

Snyder would steal every last dime if he comes anywhere near it.

[valerief]

9. I hope this is for Flint and Snyder can't touch it. nt

[Siwsan]

10. I would think since they are federal funds, the feds will control the spending

We are still trying to pry some of the states 'rainy day' surplus $$ out of Snyder's greedy hands.

[Wellstone ruled]

11. That is the price tag for the new water line to contect

to a lake water source,and it will take about a year to complete.

[Siwsan]

12. I heard that the price to replace all of the pipes, in the city, runs to much more

Like $750,000,000. All of the pipes that carried untreated water from the river are bleeding lead into the households. The water coming out of some of the household pipes is so bad, it can be classified as toxic waste.

Had this not happened, the pipes in the city would have eventually needed replacing, but not all at once.

[Cal Carpenter]

13. And this is just one small city. We've been ignoring infrastructure for so long

from the local to the federal, politicians have been putting this stuff off for decades all over the country. Bridges, water supply, sewer systems, stormwater systems, schools facilities, roads... I guess these projects aren't sexy enough for politicians to prioritize them but we are all gonna be fucked if the country as a whole doesn't start focusing on public infrastructure.

[hifiguy]

15. Hey, there are endless wars of choice

to be fought. And the arms manufacturers make enough to own their own politicians, unlike the citizens of Flint.

[Siwsan]

20. Big mistake to ever underestimate Flint

People need to remember that we are the home of the big 1936-1937 Sit Down Strike and that sit down striker blood still runs deep, in this city. Michael Moore is a prime example.

[navarth]

28. Siswan is correct! NEVER underestimate Flint.

Sez this Detroiter. We care about Flint. We are family.

[Siwsan]

29. We had a big support group from Detroit join us on Tuesday, in Lansing

This country became great because of Flint, Detroit, and the auto industry. We created well paying jobs and the middle class. And I'm stealing that directly from Michael Moore because nobody says it better.

[navarth]

33. Preach it, cousin

and leave us not forget Pontiac, Lansing, Saginaw, Benton Harbor, Port Huron....

[Siwsan]

35. Absolutely. Michigan is a true treasure

I love living in the Mitten!

[navarth]

36. The Great Lakes State is all right with me.

[Cal Carpenter]

44. Even Ann Arbor, where a politician's (D) stands for Developer

most of the time, had a march on Monday to Gov Snyder's million dollar condo on Main Street. One or two hundred people on a very cold day.

And, as I'm sure everyone knows, Ann Arbor ain't what it used to be (and arguably it never really was, especially when looked at in the context of labor movements in other parts of the state over the years...) But BLM and some other groups have been getting organized in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti in the last couple years and seem to be gaining some traction. A woman named Aura Rosser was shot by Ann Arbor cops a little more than a year ago and that got some folks mobilized even though the media has barely mentioned her name.

Anyway, even in la-la land people can't help but pay attention.

[brush]

41. You're right. Infrastructure renewal has been purposely not addressed by the repugs as . . .

doing it would created too many jobs and rev up the economy.

Can't make the dems and Obama look good.

[hopemountain]

19. yes, when initially,

the cost was estimated to be $6million to filter the water from the river - but snyder didn't want to spend it so he took over the city, disempowered the elected mayor and sent in his appointed "environmental"/city "manager" to run the show - two years ago this coming march.

[CommonSenseDemocrat]

16. Would have been cheaper just to bail Flint out in the first place

[Siwsan]

18. That's a good point!

I think they should fine Snyder, personally. No doubt he's got many millions socked away from his 'business' days. Flint should be able to 'redact' his bank book.

[hopemountain]

17. he is a father. he is outraged. nt

[Mr.Bill]

24. He has done the only thing that any politician needs to do.

He has taken "full responsibility". Whatever the fuck that means these days.

[hopemountain]

26. some do know what that means.

my statement refers to president obama.

[Mr.Bill]

40. Sorry, my mistake.

I was referring to Snyder. I meant to reply to Siwsan in post 18.

[hopemountain]

48. got it...

[alcibiades_mystery]

22. And then Bush said, "What's an eighty million?"

[JDPriestly]

23. This should remind us that environmental issues encompass a lot more

than just climate change. Clean air and water are environmental issues.

[Siwsan]

27. And now, of all times, the GOP are going after the Clean Water Act!!!!

Obama protects Clean Water Act from GOP effort:

Within weeks of the 2014 midterm elections, the new Republican-led Congress made clear one of its priorities would be trying to limit the Clean Water Act. The Obama administration’s EPA expanded pollution restrictions on previously unregulated waters – through a policy called the Waters of the United States rule – and conservatives said this could not stand.

And for the most part, Republicans took some steps towards their goal. Using “a rarely invoked law known as the Congressional Review Act,” GOP lawmakers voted in November for a measure, championed by far-right Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Okla.), to curtail the Clean Water Act. It passed both chambers.

As a practical matter, though, Republicans were just wasting their own time – they knew President Obama would veto the effort, and this week, he did exactly that.

President Obama issued the ninth veto of his presidency Tuesday, rejecting a congressional resolution that would have overturned federal regulations on clean water. […]

“Too many of our waters have been left vulnerable,” Obama said in a veto message to Congress. “Pollution from upstream sources ends up in the rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters near which most Americans live and on which they depend for their drinking water, recreation, and economic development.”

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/obama-protects-clean-water-act-gop-effort?cid=sm_fb_maddow

[Uncle Joe]

32. Precisely. n/t

[Tarheel_Dem]

30. This is great news for Flint!

[Vinca]

31. Cleaning up the mess a Republican made . . . again.

[Siwsan]

34. Yup - but I'd call it a Republican made Disaster

It is so hard to wrap one's mind around this nightmare. And it all could have been avoided, for the $100 a day it would have cost to treat the water, first!!!

[elmac]

37. and the millions of dollars of tax breaks the facists gave to the rich

so they could screw the poor in Michigan. They all should go to prison.

[tapermaker]

38. seems to me

that I recall there is new technologies that use durable liners to fix leaking sewer lines . I am not an engineer but It seems to me this would be something that could be done without replacing everything. Reducing the price tag by millions. Does anyone have industry knowledge here that could enlighten us?

[Doctor_J]

39. I would be leery of sending them money until Snyder and his "emergency managers"

are at least relieved of their duties, and probably sent to prison.

[turbinetree]

42. And what is really classic...................................

the folks in FLINT have to pay there WATER BILLS, you know the water that is poisoned--------------amazing.

And this right wing AYN RAND Governor has a raining day fund in the State of Michigan how much of this is from the poisoned water




http://www.michigan.gov/budget/0,4538,7-157-21706_40794-139072--,00.html





Honk-----------------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016

[Siwsan]

43. I think if they REALLY want to see more torches and pitchforks, they will push to collect that money

Flint has the highest water cost of anywhere in the country. I'm in the township and like a lot of my neighbors, I have a well. The county more than DOUBLED our sewage tax to help "pay" for Flint city water. When we complained about the rate hike they said 'keep it up and we will make you fill in your wells and tie into the water system - at your expense.' Which would be thousands of dollars.

I think there is much more evil going on, here, than the lead poisoning, alone. We are surrounded by the biggest bodies of fresh water, anywhere on the planet!!!! Why should we be paying premium dollars???

[turbinetree]

47. You have in your.................from us looking on in a state of shock a.............

state a coordinated effort, even in Wisconsin, Kansas, Kentucky for example are being run at full throttle by right wing Legislatures and governors office, dismantling the commons and the back bone of having a decent society, based on greed-------------------------by right wing republicans, the right wing legislature, and the criminals of the right wing courts, and finally the self promoting right wing business interest.

For example your state built a new hockey and football stadiums, what was wrong with the old ones, not much but they didn't give tax credits to the elite, but the state got threats of moving the teams if the event centers were not being built off the backs of the taxpayers, (DIVIDE and CONQUER MENTALITY).

Then paying a college coach over 6 million a year doing exactly what, trying to win championships in a brand new over 65 million plus university stadium, a university mind you that gave to the Snyder campaign.

And those infamous charter schools being sold as saviors of educations, throughout the country, while these schools have no transparency on the public dollars being given to a CEO, and the "public" schools that have been neglected by the state legislature are falling apart---------------------------amazing.
Imagine when you went to school they were called PRINCIPLES----------------just the semantics of having a title like CEO is full of BS.

I am sure everyone there sees what is going on better than those of us from afar, but when they use the tactic of dividing the population, and just blaming the population for what " they" have created , that's not how the game is played, IF YOU DON'T CHEAT WHY PAY FOR THOSE THAT DO, especially if they are some appointed lackey and corrupt republicans -------------------
sorry I see republicans has the problem

Just like in your thread, they placed a rate hike on private well water and sewage, the key is the sewage, I don't know if you have a captured system (tank) or if you have perks rights, but they, the city criminal former manager (because in my eyes he should be brought up on manslaughter charges for the deaths of 10 people) assessed you a rate hike and then your corrupt legislature gave him carte blanche to do whatever he wanted being aided and abetted by a AYN RAND Governor

His quotes say everything about this hypocrite: He sounds like some tooth fairy and he sold himself as one with the corruption funding his criminal campaign.

This jerk this Atlas Shrugged jerk, Fountainhead acolyte, has deliberately caused a man made not natural disaster, it's that simple.

He alone along with his crones has managed to poisoned over 100,000 people, and there are now reports that there as been 10 deaths associated with Legionaries, and we the entire population of the United States gets to pick up the tab, when this could have been prevented---------------------amazing---------------- and people keep voting these right wingers into office------------------I understand there was petitions, but you know what more petitions, until the job is done

"Quotes"

From Snyder..........................

"I'm a proud Republican - there's no issue with that at all, so why can't I be a proud Republican and just try to solve problems?

But as a practical matter, Detroit's the sports city in the country.

So if you want great sports, Michigan's the place to be.

I'm very proud of the auto industry in Michigan."

The first one says it all..........................

"I'm a proud Republican - there's no issue with that at all, so why can't I be a proud Republican and just try to solve problems?"

If I was in that state he would be under recall so fast it would make his head swim, in fact I would have a petition to recall the courts, Legislature and then this twit, and then to have the "appointed manager" frog stepping into a court room.

These republicans did the same thing in 2000 during a presidential election and they got away with it, and that is in my opinion how they are doing it at the state level





Hang in there trust me, there are thousands having your back, and we want something done, not yesterday but today




Honk-----------------------for a political revolution

Democracy begins with you-----------------------tag your it-----------------Bernie Sanders to Thom Hartmann

It is about getting a Progressive President, U.S. Supreme Court, Congress, and State and Local Legislatures

[subterranean]

45. And to think it all could have been avoided at a cost of $100 a day.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

46. They have to purge the entire system....

The water from the Flint River was so corrosive that it ate the plumbing throughout the city.

All of the storage tanks have to be cleaned and maybe relined and a lot of the really old pipe needs to be replaced.

It's going to cost a fortune for a Republican budget cut.

They're attitude was, "water is water - fuck the EPA and their liberal bullshit".

[jmowreader]

49. He needs to also send a paddy wagon to Lansing