It was announced today that the Michigan State Attorney General will file criminal charges against at least two officials of the Department of Environmental Quality for official misconduct, destruction of utility property, and evidence tampering. Bill Schuette is protecting Governor Rick Snyder who either knew what was occurring, or failed to do his job in a comprehensive manner.

I do not believe that Snyder was unaware of the seriousness of the situation for Flint residents. The fact that in the early stages of the disaster, General Motors announced that they would cease to use Flint water; it was rusting its parts; was not a fact that Snyder failed to be aware of.

A lack of researching the effect of redirecting Flint’s water can only be blamed on the governor. It was his decision, as he instituted a policy of austerity. A real leader takes the blame for misconduct and mistakes made under his or her watch; they do not ‘pass the buck’ to a subordinate. Rick Snyder is failing at his job, and must resign or be impeached. Our cities, states, and our nation can no longer tolerate corrupt and ineffective leadership.

In a ‘Trump-like’ stunt, Snyder took back to his office several bottles of Flint water which had been filtered, promising to drink it for the next month. The Mayor of Flint criticized his circus act, saying that the residents of Flint have been forced to drink the water for over two years.

Many Flint residents, more than 60 percent are black, are making the claim that this situation would not have occurred in an affluent white neighborhood. Protests outside of the Republican Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, are highly likely. The two cities are about 250 miles apart.

Republicans in the 21^st century have proven to be unqualified leaders who constantly make poor decisions. Beginning with the elections in 2000, Republican voters have mistakenly voted for a party instead of the best candidates. It’s time for change.

If you are loyal to either party, you ignore America. You are not supporting the welfare of all of our nation’s people, you are creating another millionaire who will work for his own. The working class will continue to suffer from the support of special interests.

Being an Independent is patriotic. We care about the future of our nation and all of its people. Political parties seek financial gain and power. As proven by this year’s election, elected officials claim that they will vote for their party’s candidate, even if he or she is the worst possible choice for the nation. This is not only wrong; it is criminal. When parties come first, the people suffer.

John McCain had a slogan when he ran for the presidency in 2008; “Country First.” He stated that he will vote for Trump if he is nominated, although he admits he is unqualified, and a disreputable human being. His new slogan is “Party First.”

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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