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They said that because that's what they were being told. But when you find out you were being given bad science, you take immediate corrective actions.
There are many people to blame here, the Flint City Council (who probably don't know a whole lot about pipe corrosion and lead), the emergency manager (who works for the governor), the Governor himself, the State environmental agencies.
When passing out blame, you forgot the Flint water department. It's their job to know how to treat water to remove the corrosive impact on pipes. There are dozens of cities in Michigan where the supply lines from water mains and the pipes in peoples houses have lead that can leach into the drinking water but other municipalities manage to properly treat the water to prevent the leaching from occurring at unsafe levels. This is not rocket science nor is it a situation that is unique to Flint, the main problem is that the Flint water department had become used to buying pre-treated water from Detroit and completely dropped the ball when the responsibility for treating the water from their new source was handed to them. Blaming Snyder for this situation is a ridiculous partisan spin of a tragic situation.
When passing out blame, you forgot the Flint water department. It's their job to know how to treat water to remove the corrosive impact on pipes. There are dozens of cities in Michigan where the supply lines from water mains and the pipes in peoples houses have lead that can leach into the drinking water but other municipalities manage to properly treat the water to prevent the leaching from occurring at unsafe levels. This is not rocket science nor is it a situation that is unique to Flint, the main problem is that the Flint water department had become used to buying pre-treated water from Detroit and completely dropped the ball when the responsibility for treating the water from their new source was handed to them. Blaming Snyder for this situation is a ridiculous partisan spin of a tragic situation.
Who manages the water department?
Found this nice little report put out by the city of Flint back in early 2015 before the lead hit the fan, detailing their decision to switch to the KWS water system, which prompted the city of Detroit to non-renew their contract, and forced Flint to use Flint River until the KWS was up and running for them.
Found this nice little report put out by the city of Flint back in early 2015 before the lead hit the fan, detailing their decision to switch to the KWS water system, which prompted the city of Detroit to non-renew their contract, and forced Flint to use Flint River until the KWS was up and running for them.
Strangely NO mention of the issue of lead treatment.
The City of Flint was still the managing entity, regardless of the fact that the EM had ultimate oversight. Just because the EM had to sign off on fiscal decisions does not mean the Department of Public works ceased to exist.
Everybody involved was on board with the plan to use the Flint River as a temporary water source until the pipeline was completed.
Hindsight is certainly 20/20 but if you actually look at what was happening at the time, it's clear that the city of Flint was the captain driving this boat over the falls.
The City of Flint was still the managing entity, regardless of the fact that the EM had ultimate oversight. Just because the EM had to sign off on fiscal decisions does not mean the Department of Public works ceased to exist.
Everybody involved was on board with the plan to use the Flint River as a temporary water source until the pipeline was completed.
Hindsight is certainly 20/20 but if you actually look at what was happening at the time, it's clear that the city of Flint was the captain driving this boat over the falls.
Walling said the decision to use the Flint River as an interim source was ultimately made by then-Flint emergency manager Edward Kurtz in about June 2013 when he expanded an existing engineering contract for the Flint Water Treatment Plant to cover needed upgrades.
The Emergency Manager reports to Snyder. Not to the city of Flint, not to the Flint City Council, the Emergency Manager reports to the Governor in a role that was specifically created by Snyder in the early part of his governorship.
In his own words: ..the governor can appoint an emergency manager who will be accountable to the governor and the legislature.
The revised and expanded Emergency Manager Law that was rejected by Michigan voters but then signed by Snyder anyway during a lame duck session. Ring a bell?
When passing out blame, you forgot the Flint water department. It's their job to know how to treat water to remove the corrosive impact on pipes. There are dozens of cities in Michigan where the supply lines from water mains and the pipes in peoples houses have lead that can leach into the drinking water but other municipalities manage to properly treat the water to prevent the leaching from occurring at unsafe levels. This is not rocket science nor is it a situation that is unique to Flint, the main problem is that the Flint water department had become used to buying pre-treated water from Detroit and completely dropped the ball when the responsibility for treating the water from their new source was handed to them. Blaming Snyder for this situation is a ridiculous partisan spin of a tragic situation.
Exactly. And the last I checked, the Flint Water Department worked for the City, the Emergency Manager had to approve their spending plan but it's not his job to validate their technical expertise. Neither is the City's to be fair.
This is a tragedy brought about by the gross incompetence of people whose job it was to treat the water. Not a political issue.
If we need to bring the politics into this whole thing, then why should I take seriously the opinion of City council two of whose current eight members are convicted felons, one served 19 years for murder and was released just 3 years before being elected.
Exactly. And the last I checked, the Flint Water Department worked for the City, the Emergency Manager had to approve their spending plan but it's not his job to validate their technical expertise. Neither is the City's to be fair.
This is a tragedy brought about by the gross incompetence of people whose job it was to treat the water. Not a political issue.
If we need to bring the politics into this whole thing, then why should I take seriously the opinion of City council two of whose current eight members are convicted felons, one served 19 years for murder and was released just 3 years before being elected.
If you have the "authority" that requires your signature on something, then that means you ultimately have the "responsibility" that goes along with it as well. The Emergency Manager is not some rubber-stamp position appointed by the governor. In his own words, the Emergency Manager usurps all power of the city. The EM law even allows the Governor to overturn elections, overturn city councils, etc.
A manager temporarily supplants the governing body, chief executive officer and/or chief administrative officer of the local government with the ability to remove any of the unit's elected officials. Managers have complete control over the local unit with the ability to reduce pay, outsource work, reorganize departments and modify employee contracts.[26] Emergency managers assigned to school districts may transfer failing schools to the Education Achievement Authority.[27]
The one city council member served 19 years for shooting a man to death who SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HIS MOTHER. He was 17 at the time, and turned himself into the police at the time.
The other council member was charged with assault and didn't even spend time in jail for it, back in the mid 80's. Of course, you neglected to add any of that info to your obvious mudslinging post.
Again, how that exonerates the Emergency Manager or the Governor is beyond me. It's a politicized crisis because it involved political decisions, many of them.
First and foremost is that we Michiganders need to do what we can to help the people of Flint, including putting a lot of pressure on the Governor who has the power to affect the situation. Digging up dirt on its city council members seems immature at best.
If you have the "authority" that requires your signature on something, then that means you ultimately have the "responsibility" that goes along with it as well. The Emergency Manager is not some rubber-stamp position appointed by the governor. In his own words, the Emergency Manager usurps all power of the city. The EM law even allows the Governor to overturn elections, overturn city councils, etc.
A manager temporarily supplants the governing body, chief executive officer and/or chief administrative officer of the local government with the ability to remove any of the unit's elected officials. Managers have complete control over the local unit with the ability to reduce pay, outsource work, reorganize departments and modify employee contracts.[26] Emergency managers assigned to school districts may transfer failing schools to the Education Achievement Authority.[27]
The one city council member served 19 years for shooting a man to death who SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HIS MOTHER. He was 17 at the time, and turned himself into the police at the time.
The other council member was charged with assault and didn't even spend time in jail for it, back in the mid 80's. Of course, you neglected to add any of that info to your obvious mudslinging post.
Again, how that exonerates the Emergency Manager or the Governor is beyond me. It's a politicized crisis because it involved political decisions, many of them.
First and foremost is that we Michiganders need to do what we can to help the people of Flint, including putting a lot of pressure on the Governor who has the power to affect the situation. Digging up dirt on its city council members seems immature at best.
It's funny how you put all the blame on the Emergency Manager who approved the financial aspects of the water switchover plan and the Governor who hired him, but not on the Flint Water Department who was responsible for the implementation and technical aspects of that plan - where the failure ultimately occurred - and the City Council that hired them.
If you're saying that there are many parties all of whom share some part of responsibility, I agree. But the blame must be applied proportionately. And it's the Flint Water Department that ultimately screwed up here. Shifting the blame to EM and Snyder is just a political game.
The fact that there are two convicted felons on Flint's 8-member City Council still stays. One of them served 19 years for the murder he committed at 17. He claimed that the man he shot three times raped his 32 year old mother and this clearly did not stop the jury from convicting him. The other guy made a plea deal and didn't serve time. This does not make him a model citizen either. They are both convicted felons in the eyes of law. Call it "mudslinging" if you wish, but if we must bring politics into this whole terrible mess, and start pointing fingers at Snyder when it was the City workers who screwed up, then I stand by my initial statement - why should I take seriously the position of an all-Democrat City council especially when a whopping quarter of it's members are convicted felons ?
I don't know whose responsibility it is to fix the situation. Honestly. Certainly Snyder must do something about it. But right now too many people seem all too interested in making this into a major political scandal before the elections, and from what I read the City Council is among the most vocal political voices.
It's funny how you put all the blame on the Emergency Manager who approved the financial aspects of the water switchover plan and the Governor who hired him, but not on the Flint Water Department who was responsible for the implementation and technical aspects of that plan - where the failure ultimately occurred - and the City Council that hired them.
If you're saying that there are many parties all of whom share some part of responsibility, I agree. But the blame must be applied proportionately. And it's the Flint Water Department that ultimately screwed up here. Shifting the blame to EM and Snyder is just a political game.
The fact that there are two convicted felons on Flint's 8-member City Council still stays. One of them served 19 years for the murder he committed at 17. He claimed that the man he shot three times raped his 32 year old mother and this clearly did not stop the jury from convicting him. The other guy made a plea deal and didn't serve time. This does not make him a model citizen either. They are both convicted felons in the eyes of law. Call it "mudslinging" if you wish, but if we must bring politics into this whole terrible mess, and start pointing fingers at Snyder when it was the City workers who screwed up, then I stand by my initial statement - why should I take seriously the position of an all-Democrat City council especially when a whopping quarter of it's members are convicted felons ?
I don't know whose responsibility it is to fix the situation. Honestly. Certainly Snyder must do something about it. But right now too many people seem all too interested in making this into a major political scandal before the elections, and from what I read the City Council is among the most vocal political voices.
Before what elections? Snyder can't run again (thank god).
You don't have to take the position of the all-Democrat city council seriously (btw you're the only one who is pointing out what political affiliation anyone has, for someone who doesn't want this to be politicized). Just listen to pretty much everyone in the State of Michigan and the national media now.
While the city council is not innocent in all of this, blaming them solves nothing. And blaming them also doesn't reduce the chances of something like this happening again.
Please. A partisan hit piece lacking in any facts.
There were a number of screw ups made including by the DEQ but blaming Snyder for this is as silly as blaming Obama for the EPA polluting the Animas River, when they monumentally screwed up.
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