Problems in Flint/Detroit

[Toothfairy]

This is sad. Shame on Snyder. 

The National Guard sent dozens of additional members into Flint, Michigan, on Monday to help address the impoverished city's water crisis, as Gov. Rick Snyder came under widening criticism — from residents and presidential candidates — for his handling of a massive exposure to lead.

The 70 new guardsmen more than doubled the number already in Flint to hand out bottled water, filters and testing kits in the city's worst-hit neighborhoods. The first wave of troops arrived over the weekend, while President Obama declared a state of emergency and ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to join the effort.

The contamination is linked to Flint's decision — under the oversight of a city manager appointed by Snyder — to save money by taking tap water from the Flint River. Soon after the April 2014 switch, some of the city's 100,000 residents began complaining about the taste, smell and appearance of the water. Tests later showed the river water lacked proper treatment, causing lead to leach from old pipes. Local children have shown elevated levels of lead in their blood, a condition that can cause permanent brain damage.

Another problem in Detroit their public school system. This is a disgrace. 

Detroit’s students are trying to learn while breathing in black mold and sitting in classrooms filled with buckets catching toilet water leaking through the ceiling. And that’s not even the worst part.

Republican Governor Rick Snyder is not only using the financial emergency management laws to poison children in Flint; he’s doing the same thing in Detroit via the public school system, which the state has controlled for the last seven years. Darnell Earley, the same emergency manager who oversaw the changes in Flint’s water system, is currently in charge of Detroit’s public schools.

I believe flint residents  are 60% black and Detroit  has a 80% black population(correct  me if I'm wrong) This is so damn sad. Seriously  someone needs to be held accountable. How can anyone be so damn cruel. 

 

 

 

 

[HarryPotterFan]

It's awful. On top of that, in Detroit and surrounding areas older homes/apartments were painted with lead paint. So then residents breathe in paint dust from the old chipped paint. Small kids have also eaten paint chips, which apparently taste sweet.

[Jingerbread]

How has he not been arrested?

[kjmackin]

It's a pretty dreadful situation that is taking place there. 

For the Black population I believe Flint actually has a larger portion then Detriot these days. 

As for Synder I don't now if he could or would be arrested. With his actions in regard to Flint is just beyond disgusting but what occurred there for almost 2 years that blame is spread out over several higher ups in Michigan. If Synder is arrested or at least recalled/impeached then several other state officials should be as well. 

 

[browncoatslytherin]

this whole situation is appalling. my fiance previously loved the tap water in our new place but is now eyeing it warily and considering a permanent switch to bottled for himself and a definite ban on tap for jellybean once he gets here. i'm pretty damn sure our water is fine, but paranoia can be a bitch, and when something like this comes out, it just makes you wanna take all precautions.

i really do hope something happens to the officials that allowed this to happen and keep happening.

[laPapessaGiovanna]

14 minutes ago, browncoatslytherin said:

this whole situation is appalling. my fiance previously loved the tap water in our new place but is now eyeing it warily and considering a permanent switch to bottled for himself and a definite ban on tap for jellybean once he gets here. i'm pretty damn sure our water is fine, but paranoia can be a bitch, and when something like this comes out, it just makes you wanna take all precautions.

i really do hope something happens to the officials that allowed this to happen and keep happening.

You can take a sample to a lab and have it analysed. We have a well and every year or so we check the water for pollutants. 

[browncoatslytherin]

this whole situation is appalling. my fiance previously loved the tap water in our new place but is now eyeing it warily and considering a permanent switch to bottled for himself and a definite ban on tap for jellybean once he gets here. i'm pretty damn sure our water is fine, but paranoia can be a bitch, and when something like this comes out, it just makes you wanna take all precautions.

i really do hope something happens to the officials that allowed this to happen and keep happening.

You can take a sample to a lab and have it analysed. We have a well and every year or so we check the water for pollutants. 

i may suggest it to him...when we have the money for it. right now, after the move, we're just barely getting established (finally got to REALLY grocery shop on saturday! it was so awesome and also a really adult feeling lol).

[apple1]

13 minutes ago, browncoatslytherin said:

this whole situation is appalling. my fiance previously loved the tap water in our new place but is now eyeing it warily and considering a permanent switch to bottled for himself and a definite ban on tap for jellybean once he gets here. i'm pretty damn sure our water is fine, but paranoia can be a bitch, and when something like this comes out, it just makes you wanna take all precautions.

i really do hope something happens to the officials that allowed this to happen and keep happening.

(The current situation in Flint is a separate situation).

As a general thing, bottled water is not better quality nor purer nor safer than tap water. Many common brands of bottled water are actually tap water (from municipal sources) that has been bottled.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/19/health/upwave-bottled-water/

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/specials/water/bottled_water_sources/

[browncoatslytherin]

this whole situation is appalling. my fiance previously loved the tap water in our new place but is now eyeing it warily and considering a permanent switch to bottled for himself and a definite ban on tap for jellybean once he gets here. i'm pretty damn sure our water is fine, but paranoia can be a bitch, and when something like this comes out, it just makes you wanna take all precautions.

i really do hope something happens to the officials that allowed this to happen and keep happening.

(The current situation in Flint is a separate situation).

As a general thing, bottled water is not better quality nor purer nor safer than tap water. Many common brands of bottled water are actually tap water (from municipal sources) that has been bottled.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/19/health/upwave-bottled-water/

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/specials/water/bottled_water_sources/

i know, which is why i always check the brand and source before i buy.

[Toothfairy]

14 hours ago, Jingerbread said:

How has he not been arrested?

He's republican/white. And the Republicans are blaming Obama. Wtf? 

Meanwhile Flint police continue to throw black kids in jail for a dime bag of weed or walking while black but no one is in jail for attempted murder for lead poisoning 30,000 children. That's right, because it's republican/white governor doing it. 

[Ali]

I know more about the Flint situation than the Detroit one. I am thoroughly disgusted by both.

Another problem is that using water from the Flint River has permanently damaged the pipes. They are going to have to replace them and it is going to cost $1.5 billion. 40% of people living in Flint are in poverty. Public transportation is not great and there is not many options for grocery stores. Many did not have any other option but to drink the water even though it was obvious something was wrong with it.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/19/us/flint-water-crisis-whats-next/

I am not a fan of Snyder. He is a former businessman who decided to get into politics by running for governor. Sound familiar?

Residents have been screaming about the water for a long time. Those in charge repeatedly denied something was wrong with it.

The emergency manager issue is also controversial. It was rejected by voters and the governor signed a revised version into law that allowed him to appoint emergency managers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/new-emergency-manager-law-michigan-rick-snyder_n_2322722.html

[bashfulpixie]

They all need to end up in jail.  Every last one of them.  But they won't because they're rich and white. 

[Trynn]

They all need to end up in jail.  Every last one of them.  But they won't because they're rich and white. 

And the population in these towns has a lot of people of color in it, which is another point toward the "lots of people won't care" column. Sickening.

[Cats B4 Quivers]

Shameful and unforgivable actions by the governor. He seems hellbent on destroying the people in Flint and Detroit. 

[Guest]

At the end of the day, I really don't think Snyder or anyone else in Lansing really cares that much, on either side of the aisle. Maybe they do now that this is a major news story that could ruin their careers, but none of the lawmakers truly care about the residents of Flint or Detroit.

If they cared, Detroit Public Schools would not be in the state it is in right now. Detroit is poised for a comeback, I truly believe that, but the school system is and has been the thing holding the community back. Coming from the area, I know people who love Detroit and would gladly move there, but don't see any sort of future in the city because the school system is complete garbage. There are so many problems with the system, I wouldn't even know where to start. They don't have books, paper, or copiers for the students to do assignments, the teachers are paid miserably low and their salaries keep getting cut, which creates an incredibly high turnover rate which is not good for the schools, the buildings are falling apart, the list goes on and on. And almost nothing has been done to actually change any of these conditions for years.

Meanwhile, the level of complete disregard for the people of Flint is just as apparent. If this was an issue in Oakland County or Grand Rapids, it would have been taken care of in a heartbeat. Or, rather, wouldn't have been a problem because the governor would know better than to usurp the elected local government of any area in which he deemed the people worthy of democracy. Then, his "Emergency Managers" wouldn't be making decisions that the people of the city didn't want and would be more receptive to criticism when, oh, I don't know, the water turns brown and has a funny taste.

Sorry, it's late and I'm just super pissed off. I've tried giving Snyder the benefit of the doubt over the years, but this emergency manager shit was destined to fail big time. He tried it at the beginning of his first term, the voters (myself included) voted it out in a referendum, and he managed to find a loophole to make it work anyway. Just goes to show his complete disrespect of the democratic process and the people of his state, especially those who are poor and/or black.

[sawasdee]

I am woefully ignorant of US law, but is there any legal recourse for the residents of Flint against the Governor and the emergency manager he appointed? Surely they have both been criminally negligent in continuing to supply water when they knew there was a major problem.

[Toothfairy]

Ted snooze  is showing how prolife he is yall. He coordinated with anti-abortion group Flint Right to Life to collect water bottles to be distributed only to crisis pregnancy centers in the area. The water is for expecting moms and moms of little ones. Don't know  how true this is but if it is he's an asshole for making this about him and not helping out if the kindness of  his heart. 

[Guest]

I am woefully ignorant of US law, but is there any legal recourse for the residents of Flint against the Governor and the emergency manager he appointed? Surely they have both been criminally negligent in continuing to supply water when they knew there was a major problem.

I hope so - the whole EM thing smells awfully unconstitutional to me. But in the end, I have to say, I don't see any real repercussions happening. Flint has the nation's attention right now, but that attention will fade, and in the end, the governor and his EMs are rich and powerful and the residents of Flint are, on the whole, very, very poor. I certainly think it's the end of Snyder's political career, and he might even be recalled, but I fear that will be the worst of it. And it really sickens me.

[2manyKidzzz]

This is such a nightmare. Unbelievable. My heart goes out to the people of Flint. I did not know it was such an impoverished city.

[Ali]

9 hours ago, 2manyKidzzz said:

This is such a nightmare. Unbelievable. My heart goes out to the people of Flint. I did not know it was such an impoverished city.

Yes, it is a very poor city with a lot of urban blight. They have been trying to build up the downtown area.

Some areas are known for a high crime rate. There are areas of Flint that I would be scared to go to. You can buy a home in certain areas of Flint for under $5000. The auto industry struggles have really had a negative impact on Flint.

[Lillybee]

Michael Moore has been talking about the poverty in Flint in his documentary Roger and Me.

 

This is Mrs Snyder's birthday cake.

 

http://wonkette.com/598520/rick-snyder-gave-his-wife-this-extra-fancy-birthday-cake

[Lillybee]

This article is also about the Governor;s wife's birthday. It made my blood boil.

 

http://markmaynard.com/2016/02/fiddling-while-flint-burns-a-blind-item-about-an-administration-that-clearly-doesnt-care/

[Shadoewolf]

I used to hang out in Flint almost every weekend, its home to my favorite concert venue (the Machine Shop).  Even 10 years ago I was very careful coming and going, and I never went outside of the club without a few guys walking with me. If it was that bad then, I can't even imagine what it's like now.  Snyder just makes me sick,  fricking poisoned people (children for goodness sake and this crap gets into the DNA) and KNEW it, staff were getting water brought in long before the scandal actually broke. Making people pay for the water which is literally killing them. Not like smoking where there's a choice in the matter. There are several class action lawsuits being filed against Snyder and his goons.

Detroit schools have been a disaster for as long as I remember.  One of my BFF's mom was a special ed teacher at one of the high schools and again, they were deplorable then!  I can't imagine being in a class with no heat or no air. No supplies or books to even learn out of, wondering if the desk I'm sitting in is going to collapse at any moment.  The thing Ellen did brought tears to my eyes. I understand the teachers using the "sick outs" but......     while I dislike the idea of school being used as daycare, when it comes to Detroit alot of those children risk being left home alone because their parents *have* to work. The meals they get at school are the only food some kids see all day.  I'd rather the kids be in school then alone in bad neighborhoods, out on the street getting into trouble or starving most of the day.

[Ali]

What does everyone think of the Democratic debate happening in Flint?

I do like that it is bring more attention to the problem. Things in Flint were improving. Many restaurants were opening up downtown. The University of Michigan Flint has been expanding and it now has on campus housing. I worry about the long term economic effects for the city.

[Lillybee]

Rachael Maddow should win the Pulitzer or the Peabody for her excellent work on the Flint water story. She has been covering it for almost a year before it became mainstream news.

To those who have tap water concerns, my son is an hydrologist (water is his thing). He says that almost all tap water (except in Flint) is completely safe. It is better tested than most bottled water. If you do have a concern, just use a Brita water filter. Besides I don't trust the plastic used in bottled water.

Gov. Snyder decided to privatize the care of elderly veterans in the vetran's home. He fired all their state employees and hired a private company to run it. The home is now understaffed 81% of the time.