Michigan Governor Rick Snyder made a poor decision in 2014. His austerity policies influenced his order to switch the water supply for Flint, Michigan, from the Detroit water system to the Flint river. As early as August of 2014, City officials issued a boil-water advisory after coliform bacteria was detected in tap water.

In October the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality blames the problem on natural factors, such as weather, aging pipes, and a declining population. They failed to research the results of switching the city’s water supply before the action was approved.

Also in October, the General Motors plant in Flint ceased using city water; it was corroding its parts.

In February of 2015 a memo from the governor’s office claimed that the water was safe to drink.

“It’s clear the nature of the threat was communicated poorly. It’s also clear that folks in Flint are concerned about other aspects of their water — taste, smell and color being among the top complaints.” Memo from Rick Snyder’s office.

Testing of water samples in February revealed increased levels of lead in the light brown fluid; any amount of lead is considered unsafe for minor children.

In late February, Miguel Del Tora, an EPA expert, criticized the methods used by state officials to test the water, claiming that they were inadequate and inaccurate.

Continued testing revealed increasing amounts of lead in the water, but a consulting firm hired by the Snyder administration claimed that the water was safe, and met all state and federal standards.

In July of 2015, Dennis Muchmore, Snyder’s Chief of Staff, released a memo expressing concerns regarding the water in Flint, and expressed his concern about the testing of water, blood samples from residents, and how the state was responding.

In September, a water expert, Marc Edwards claimed that the lead in Flint’s water was the result of corrosion from old pipes and an aging infrastructure. The Department of Environmental Quality denied Mr. Edwards’ claim.

Late in September, 2015, state officials continue to claim that Flint’s water is safe.

On the first of October, state officials tell Flint’s residents to cease using the water coming from their faucets for drinking, bathing or cooking. Only bottled or filtered water should be used.

In December Snyder declares an emergency, and in January adds all of Genesee County, which includes Flint. A week later President Obama declares Flint’s situation an emergency, and makes the city available for FEMA to take action and provide up to five million dollars in aid.

Today Snyder is attempting to ‘pass the buck.’ He refuses to accept the fact that his decision caused the problem, and will not resign from his position. Snyder is blaming his staff for not giving him adequate information. Really?

“One of the frustrating things for me is that I learned about it at the end of September, in terms of our experts finally acknowledging it,” Gov. Snyder told an audience attending a breakfast event in Detroit on Monday, according to WDIV.

“I get a briefing on the night before telling me that there really isn’t a problem in Flint, that these outside experts aren’t correct. So I get on the call and I push them, and they tell me it looks like there is a problem. That’s the kind of thing you never want to see. And talk about getting upset. I was upset, because what’s going on here?”

Snyder wasn’t aware of what was happening in a city of 100,000 people? If that’s true, he must resign; he lacks the intellect to govern effectively. If he wasn’t aware of what was happening with the General Motors plant, he is a fool and has little or no concern for the state’s economy. It was his order to divert the water, and he must accept the blame for the entire situation. It is obvious that the investigation prior to the change was either inadequate or was never conducted. Over 60 percent of Flint’s residents are black, and the city has one of the largest numbers of families living in poverty in the nation.

Leaders must accept responsibility for all situations which occur while they are in authority. It is cowardly and immoral to blame others for your mistakes.

The timeline and serious nature of the problem could not have been unknown by Snyder. He is simply in denial.

“Man-up” Mr. Snyder; acting like a ‘wimp’ is not acceptable.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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Photo Courtesy of DonkeyHotey

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