Political fallout from Flint, Michigan water crisis spreads

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Political fallout from Flint, Michigan water crisis spreads
Reuters
By Timothy Gardner and Jeff Mason
23 minutes ago

WASHINGTON/DETROIT (Reuters) - President Barack Obama pledged to offer support for the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan on Wednesday and environmental regulators were set to provide Congress with information about their role.

Blame is swirling after a switch in the water supply to the financially strapped city of 100,000 north of Detroit led to elevated levels of lead in drinking water.

"What is inexplicable and inexcusable is once people figured out that there was a problem there and that there was lead in the water, the notion that immediately families weren't notified, things weren't shut down," Obama said in an interview with CBS.

"If I were a parent up there, I would be beside myself that my kid's health could be at risk," Obama said after touring a car show in nearby Detroit.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/political-fallout-flint-michigan-water-crisis-spreads-015602477.html

[Proserpina]

1. What fallout?

Has anyone been indicted? Has the governor resigned or even fired anyone?

The only fallout is the children, their health and futures compromised beyond the ability to repair.

Such remorse, such reparations, such BS.

[Mbrow]

2. +1

[Stuart G]

3. + 2

[Kelvin Mace]

11. And inexplicably

he didn't go to Flint to see the poisoning first hand

[yurbud]

16. I'm surprised that city manager hasn't been run out of his school post yet

that guy is more dangerous to kids health than a pedophile.

[harun]

19. It's scary out of state testers had to find the problem

One has to wonder how often things like this occur and it is never caught.

[lark]

21. You are so very right!

Even the email release is a total joke as it includes nothing from 2013. Snyder is doing his best to implicate everyone down to the neighbors' dog for being responsible when it is mainly his and his cronies fault. If everyone is responsible, he gets to escape justice. If he really cares, why are people still having water turned off for not paying for the undrinkable and totally dangerous water? All of those bills should be wiped out and even refunded, but $$$ is his main concern so of course he doesn't present this as an option. He's totally despicable.

[Vinca]

4. There was a Republican tool of an ex-State Senator on CNN a few minutes ago.

What he had to say, essentially, was "move along, nothing to see here." In typical GOP fashion he said he lived in Flint and he was perfectly fine so, therefore, it's just a bunch of poor people looking for government money. He didn't say that exactly, but it was clear it was what he meant. Disgusting. Maybe all Republicans were exposed to lead at an early age.

[yurbud]

17. leaded crystal--the rich love it.

[livingonearth]

5. Austerity at the expense of the people...

Penny wise, pound foolish

[blackspade]

6. The 'emergency' manager poisoned the water...

Like a cartoon villain.
There is no safe level of lead in drinking water so the media line about 'elevated' lead content is a smokescreen to shield Snyder and his gang of thieves from responsibility.

Fucking sickening.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

8. epa says 5 ppb is safe - 5000 ppb is toxic waste - some flint water has tested at 31000 ppb

source: michiganradio.org

also one other point constantly missed in articles/discussion is the fact that federal requirements to add anti-corrosion ingredients to water were ignored/not followed..... which is what caused the lead to leach.

So yes emergency mgr + the crony capitalist engineering firm they hired + the Michigan environmental dept are in fact the responsible parties.

Its just not a matter of them "not knowing" and failing to notify citizens and correct it. Its that they made conscious decision to ignore the safety requirements and caused the problem in the first place, and THEN blocked and resisted efforts b y citizens/epa to address the problem - criminal behavior, imho.

[Octafish]

7. Inexplicable and Inexcusable?

Michigan GOP is to blame for governing on the cheap so the rich can get richer.

[Stuart G]

9. I believed Obama used that word..inexplicable.. on purpose...

I do believe that the word inexplicable was used on purpose. We all know it can be easily explained, but proof of Snyder's involvement and direct responsibility does not exist yet. Obama, by using the word, points to Snyder, and says we need more proof that you did it, but we will get you when it comes out...inexplicable..we need clear evidence and proof for the truth to be known.

....then after that proof, the explanation will be clear.. we will call you the crook and poisoner that you are.. then, we will point to you. and.... and then everyone will understand, who, what, where, how and why...and then you will pay in ways you cannot imagine..

Is there one honest person in that administration who knows and willing to testify?

(and ...that is what I truly believe)

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

12. Cmon man do your research - look at the public record. What is already known is pretty damning -

whether Snyder personally directed it, or if it was merely at the direction of his appointees and the crony capitalist engineering firm they hired - really doesn't frickin matter. People are being seriously, irrevocably harmed... quite possibly killed. Lets start getting up to speed about what is going on here! Your speculations and what you "believe" is not really useful.

Sorry but after several days of reading posts on this forum Im starting to get really really annoyed.... and worried.... if we cant muster some honest anger at this clear example of the consequences of far right wing republican ideology ....then there really is no hope.

[Stuart G]

13. Perhaps there is another use of the word..inexplicable...perhaps Obama used it this way

2nd meaning.......How about this one?

.How do you explain the selfishness and greed of the Republicans that did this? I cannot understand how the Republican leadership, could after some very explicit warnings, do absolutely nothing to stop this. They kept it going with knowledge that they were poisoning the people who lived in Flint. Months past until action was taken to stop the poisoning

. How do you explain that??


Perhaps that is better?

[yurbud]

18. austerity, privatization, letting the rich dictate whether the rest live or die...

it's not that hard to say.

[rladdi]

10. And the Emergency Manager who was in charge and cut off Detroit water says the mayor

and council was responsible. They had no say or power to make any decisions. This Emergency Manager who had now taken over the Detroit School system is not fit to run a dog pound, But Gov. Snyder runs his state by using Emergency Managers. In using Emergency Managers the people lose their voices and votes. It pure dictatorship that Snyder is using.

[harun]

20. Coming to a city near you (sooner than you think)

[Sunlei]

14. water from the poorest area in Flint should be tankered to all politicans homes as their only water

[yurbud]

15. the primary fallout should be criminal charges of pols and their patrons who ordered the policy

Law enforcement and the courts need to start holding the corporatistas accountable for the effects of their policies until the federal government catches up.