Charges Levied in Flint Water Crisis
April 22, 2016 12:20 PM Subscribe
The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, is proceeding past the finger-pointing phase into the actual-criminal-charges phase, as a city employee and two state Department of Environmental Quality employees have been charged with various crimes related to misconduct in office and tampering with evidence.
The former Flint utilities manager, charged with two felonies, says "I should've questioned some of the direction we were receiving" and notes that he and his family live in Flint and drank the water. Questions still remain regarding events past, present, and future, including what Governor Rick Snyder knew and when (Snyder has pledged to drink water from Flint for 30 days, which will doubtless make everything better). A bill in the state legislature would appropriate $144 million for line replacement and other services to Flint.
(Previously and previouslier.)
The former Flint utilities manager, charged with two felonies, says "I should've questioned some of the direction we were receiving" and notes that he and his family live in Flint and drank the water. Questions still remain regarding events past, present, and future, including what Governor Rick Snyder knew and when (Snyder has pledged to drink water from Flint for 30 days, which will doubtless make everything better). A bill in the state legislature would appropriate $144 million for line replacement and other services to Flint.
(Previously and previouslier.)
I am glad something is being done, but these token employees are just fall guys.
posted by psycho-alchemy at 12:30 PM on April 22, 2016 [45 favorites]
posted by psycho-alchemy at 12:30 PM on April 22, 2016 [45 favorites]
"High-profile conspiracy cases will get worked from the bottom up," said Kevin Collins, a former federal prosecutor in Texas, who's not involved in the Flint probe.
I sure hope so. The stink here goes well up the food chain.
The Environmental Protection Agency has been chided for not doing enough to oversee the state when it was making bad decisions. And Walters said she thinks Glasgow had nowhere to turn.
"I really kind of feel like Glasgow was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If you disagreed with what the MDEQ was doing, the EPA had already backed up the state, so who was he supposed to go to? Who is he supposed to talk to?"
Hanging the one guy who's been open and honest about this out to dry? That also stinks.
"With respect to this investigation, I have not been questioned or interviewed at this point,” Snyder told reporters. “Our office has been cooperating with this investigation.”
I do hope this means they are building a case against Snyder and will interview him when they have enough to nail him to the wall.
posted by Existential Dread at 12:33 PM on April 22, 2016 [10 favorites]
I sure hope so. The stink here goes well up the food chain.
The Environmental Protection Agency has been chided for not doing enough to oversee the state when it was making bad decisions. And Walters said she thinks Glasgow had nowhere to turn.
"I really kind of feel like Glasgow was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If you disagreed with what the MDEQ was doing, the EPA had already backed up the state, so who was he supposed to go to? Who is he supposed to talk to?"
Hanging the one guy who's been open and honest about this out to dry? That also stinks.
"With respect to this investigation, I have not been questioned or interviewed at this point,” Snyder told reporters. “Our office has been cooperating with this investigation.”
I do hope this means they are building a case against Snyder and will interview him when they have enough to nail him to the wall.
posted by Existential Dread at 12:33 PM on April 22, 2016 [10 favorites]
Surely this
posted by beerperson at 12:35 PM on April 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by beerperson at 12:35 PM on April 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Perhaps RICO laws could be applied at the federal level, from the top down, given there is obvious conspiratorial action between the DA and Snyder to keep Snyder away from any questions.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 12:36 PM on April 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by a lungful of dragon at 12:36 PM on April 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
Woman in Leading Flint Water Crisis Lawsuit Shot to Death in Home (not sure if this is related, not sure if I got the headline entirely right.) Link to Talking Points Memo.
posted by newdaddy at 12:37 PM on April 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by newdaddy at 12:37 PM on April 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
Against the lowest tier employees they could find.
posted by T.D. Strange at 12:38 PM on April 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by T.D. Strange at 12:38 PM on April 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
these token employees are just fall guys.
I haven't seen any of the evidence behind the charges, but at first glance it looks that way. But maybe they'll take some higher-ups down with them.
Which is entirely possible -- in saying that these guys didn't perform to a certain reasonableness standard, the defendants can claim that a) they were inadequately prepared for the job, b) someone else made them do it, or c) both.
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:40 PM on April 22, 2016
I haven't seen any of the evidence behind the charges, but at first glance it looks that way. But maybe they'll take some higher-ups down with them.
Which is entirely possible -- in saying that these guys didn't perform to a certain reasonableness standard, the defendants can claim that a) they were inadequately prepared for the job, b) someone else made them do it, or c) both.
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:40 PM on April 22, 2016
Woman in Leading Flint Water Crisis Lawsuit Shot to Death in Home
Incredibly sad, as well as a possible example of the now well-documented link between exposure to lead contamination and increased incidence of violent criminal behavior. The myths of poor/black criminality are absolutely reinforced by exactly the kind of neglectful policies in place in Flint and hundreds of other communities around the country.
Here's hoping that the buck keeps right on going and doesn't stop until it hits Snyder's desk at least.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:50 PM on April 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Incredibly sad, as well as a possible example of the now well-documented link between exposure to lead contamination and increased incidence of violent criminal behavior. The myths of poor/black criminality are absolutely reinforced by exactly the kind of neglectful policies in place in Flint and hundreds of other communities around the country.
Here's hoping that the buck keeps right on going and doesn't stop until it hits Snyder's desk at least.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:50 PM on April 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
"With respect to this investigation, I have not been questioned or interviewed at this point,” Snyder told reporters. “Our office has been cooperating with this investigation.”
I do hope this means they are building a case against Snyder and will interview him when they have enough to nail him to the wall.
I've been thinking about this a lot since AG BIll Schuette appointed an investigative commission. Schuette has made no great secret of his ambitions to take the Governor's Mansion in 2018. Taking out a fellow Republican would only burnish his law-and-order credentials, and it doesn't hurt that Snyder has never been greatly popular amongst the state GOP anyway (he very nearly ran as an independent for his first gubernatorial run). Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley would be in a better position to win in 2018 if he were the Governor, but he's young and has plenty of time to get away from any associated stink, and it's a no-win situation for him -- either he wasn't involved in any Flint-related stuff and is therefore out of touch with the administration, or he was in it and is tainted.
On the other hand, if Snyder goes down for this, it's going to hurt the entire Republican party, and Schuette is a dyed-in-the-wool Republican (he was a delegate to the state convention at the age of 18).
I think it's pretty much a coin flip as to whether Schuette wants Snyder out, and therefore whether he stacked his commission and will be pushing them to go ever higher.
posted by Etrigan at 12:58 PM on April 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
I do hope this means they are building a case against Snyder and will interview him when they have enough to nail him to the wall.
I've been thinking about this a lot since AG BIll Schuette appointed an investigative commission. Schuette has made no great secret of his ambitions to take the Governor's Mansion in 2018. Taking out a fellow Republican would only burnish his law-and-order credentials, and it doesn't hurt that Snyder has never been greatly popular amongst the state GOP anyway (he very nearly ran as an independent for his first gubernatorial run). Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley would be in a better position to win in 2018 if he were the Governor, but he's young and has plenty of time to get away from any associated stink, and it's a no-win situation for him -- either he wasn't involved in any Flint-related stuff and is therefore out of touch with the administration, or he was in it and is tainted.
On the other hand, if Snyder goes down for this, it's going to hurt the entire Republican party, and Schuette is a dyed-in-the-wool Republican (he was a delegate to the state convention at the age of 18).
I think it's pretty much a coin flip as to whether Schuette wants Snyder out, and therefore whether he stacked his commission and will be pushing them to go ever higher.
posted by Etrigan at 12:58 PM on April 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
these token employees are just fall guys
Not only that, but at least it supports Snyder's and the Republicans' narrative of "government bureaucrats" being inferior to "running government like a business," which is actually what led to the poisoning of Flint.
Until Snyder, or at least Flint's emergency manger, is up on charges -- complete with raps for conspiracy and obstruction of justice, thank you -- color me unimpressed.
posted by Gelatin at 12:59 PM on April 22, 2016 [23 favorites]
Not only that, but at least it supports Snyder's and the Republicans' narrative of "government bureaucrats" being inferior to "running government like a business," which is actually what led to the poisoning of Flint.
Until Snyder, or at least Flint's emergency manger, is up on charges -- complete with raps for conspiracy and obstruction of justice, thank you -- color me unimpressed.
posted by Gelatin at 12:59 PM on April 22, 2016 [23 favorites]
Given that Snyder's Michigan has removed democracy from localities like Flint, this needs to land on him. You don't get to treat things like a dictatorship and then not be responsible for the consequences.
posted by evilangela at 1:28 PM on April 22, 2016 [11 favorites]
posted by evilangela at 1:28 PM on April 22, 2016 [11 favorites]
these token employees are just fall guys.
Thing is, for some of these jobs, you're the fall guy as soon as you start the job. It's the point of having that particular position: someone who has the authority to do the right thing, and who is fully aware that it's his duty to push back against instructions from above, on pain of imprisonment. You're supposed to be aware of this, so that if it happens, you'll resign and blow the whistle rather than submit.
These prosecutions are not sufficient, but they are necessary.
posted by ocschwar at 1:29 PM on April 22, 2016 [7 favorites]
Thing is, for some of these jobs, you're the fall guy as soon as you start the job. It's the point of having that particular position: someone who has the authority to do the right thing, and who is fully aware that it's his duty to push back against instructions from above, on pain of imprisonment. You're supposed to be aware of this, so that if it happens, you'll resign and blow the whistle rather than submit.
These prosecutions are not sufficient, but they are necessary.
posted by ocschwar at 1:29 PM on April 22, 2016 [7 favorites]
From the article:
Snyder has taken responsibility for what happened in Flint, but he's also repeatedly blamed bureaucrats in his administration for not properly treating the river water for corrosion and endangering public health
Can anyone explain to me what "taking responsibility" means nowadays? It clearly does not mean resigning. It does not mean pleading guilty. And it obviously in this context does not mean paying out of pocket to make things better. And as this sentence shows, it doesn't actually mean taking the blame.
So WTF does it mean?
posted by ocschwar at 1:32 PM on April 22, 2016 [35 favorites]
Snyder has taken responsibility for what happened in Flint, but he's also repeatedly blamed bureaucrats in his administration for not properly treating the river water for corrosion and endangering public health
Can anyone explain to me what "taking responsibility" means nowadays? It clearly does not mean resigning. It does not mean pleading guilty. And it obviously in this context does not mean paying out of pocket to make things better. And as this sentence shows, it doesn't actually mean taking the blame.
So WTF does it mean?
posted by ocschwar at 1:32 PM on April 22, 2016 [35 favorites]
It means "Okay okay! I get it! Gosh! Lemme alone!"
posted by avalonian at 1:41 PM on April 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by avalonian at 1:41 PM on April 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Wrong. It means i don't give a damn about the people I was supposed serve and make their lives better. I've got mine. I'm above the law and my cronies will protect me.
posted by BlueHorse at 1:57 PM on April 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by BlueHorse at 1:57 PM on April 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
Republicans think taking responsibility is the same thing as answering the 'gotcha question'.
"Governor Snyder, you poisoned thousands of people with your ideological and inept cost cutting."
"Oh, yea. I guess we did. You got me good on that one! But it was because of government waste, so that's the real story. And tax cuts would've solved it anyway. Now who's up for some golf?"
Bush joking about the lack of WMD in Iraq is the quintessential example of the genre, but it's the standard Republican playbook.
posted by T.D. Strange at 2:07 PM on April 22, 2016 [13 favorites]
"Governor Snyder, you poisoned thousands of people with your ideological and inept cost cutting."
"Oh, yea. I guess we did. You got me good on that one! But it was because of government waste, so that's the real story. And tax cuts would've solved it anyway. Now who's up for some golf?"
Bush joking about the lack of WMD in Iraq is the quintessential example of the genre, but it's the standard Republican playbook.
posted by T.D. Strange at 2:07 PM on April 22, 2016 [13 favorites]
Thing is, for some of these jobs, you're the fall guy as soon as you start the job. It's the point of having that particular position someone who has the authority to do the right thing, and who is fully aware that it's his duty to push back against instructions from above, on pain of imprisonment.
Mike Glasgow was definitely in a tough spot, one with which I can sympathize, but I agree with you. I once held a job where I was the one with the statutory responsibility, not my boss, and I was put on the spot (albeit not with the kind of stakes that Glasgow faced). I can definitely remember how awkward it was to tell my boss that I was refusing an order because it would be illegal for me to comply with the order, even if it was in fact entirely legal for him to issue the order.
posted by RichardP at 2:07 PM on April 22, 2016 [9 favorites]
Mike Glasgow was definitely in a tough spot, one with which I can sympathize, but I agree with you. I once held a job where I was the one with the statutory responsibility, not my boss, and I was put on the spot (albeit not with the kind of stakes that Glasgow faced). I can definitely remember how awkward it was to tell my boss that I was refusing an order because it would be illegal for me to comply with the order, even if it was in fact entirely legal for him to issue the order.
posted by RichardP at 2:07 PM on April 22, 2016 [9 favorites]
In saying that these guys didn't perform to a certain reasonableness standard, the defendants can claim that a) they were inadequately prepared for the job, b) someone else made them do it, or c) both.
On the one hand, if the excellent summary in C&E News is anything to go by, the level of technical mismanagement at the Flint water plant was mind-boggling. (They failed to control for pH, which is a factor I think many high school students might think of.)
On the other hand, it sounds like a lot of people signed off on the decisions that were made by the plant, and those are the people who really ought to be held accountable.
(FWIW, the comments are also worth reading: there are several water treatment experts, including one from Flint, who appear to discuss some of the technical details.)
posted by steady-state strawberry at 2:17 PM on April 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
On the one hand, if the excellent summary in C&E News is anything to go by, the level of technical mismanagement at the Flint water plant was mind-boggling. (They failed to control for pH, which is a factor I think many high school students might think of.)
On the other hand, it sounds like a lot of people signed off on the decisions that were made by the plant, and those are the people who really ought to be held accountable.
(FWIW, the comments are also worth reading: there are several water treatment experts, including one from Flint, who appear to discuss some of the technical details.)
posted by steady-state strawberry at 2:17 PM on April 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley would be in a better position to win in 2018 if he were the Governor, but he's young and has plenty of time to get away from any associated stink,
There is an E-mail that says something about Bris' sit-rep.
and it's a no-win situation for him -- either he wasn't involved in any Flint-related stuff and is therefore out of touch with the administration, or he was in it and is tainted.
And that is Calley is spending about 3 days a week in Flint working on the problem. Having Calley step-in wont solve anything.
Follow Dr. Mark Edwards on this issue. He is furious over the EPAs handling of the problem derived from his experience with D.C.s lead problem. (We're the former mayor of Flint worked in the D.C. Mayors office during its lead crisis)
posted by clavdivs at 3:38 PM on April 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
There is an E-mail that says something about Bris' sit-rep.
and it's a no-win situation for him -- either he wasn't involved in any Flint-related stuff and is therefore out of touch with the administration, or he was in it and is tainted.
And that is Calley is spending about 3 days a week in Flint working on the problem. Having Calley step-in wont solve anything.
Follow Dr. Mark Edwards on this issue. He is furious over the EPAs handling of the problem derived from his experience with D.C.s lead problem. (We're the former mayor of Flint worked in the D.C. Mayors office during its lead crisis)
posted by clavdivs at 3:38 PM on April 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
I think a bunch of you are being way too harsh on this. Token fall guys? As Collins, quoted above, says this is how you make a case. You arrest the lower level people for whom you have a very strong case. Then you pressure them to make a deal and testify against the higher ups. You know, like on The Wire. You guys like The Wire, right?
If nobody else ever gets arrested then, sure, token fall guys. But the further arrests are a direct result of initial lower level arrests.
posted by Justinian at 4:33 PM on April 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
If nobody else ever gets arrested then, sure, token fall guys. But the further arrests are a direct result of initial lower level arrests.
posted by Justinian at 4:33 PM on April 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
"You know, like on The Wire. You guys like The Wire, right?"
Remind me again how The Wire ended?
(Your point's valid, but your example is dubious ;) )
posted by klangklangston at 6:25 PM on April 22, 2016 [7 favorites]
Remind me again how The Wire ended?
(Your point's valid, but your example is dubious ;) )
posted by klangklangston at 6:25 PM on April 22, 2016 [7 favorites]
Remind how The Wire ended again?
"Larry, let's go home."
-McNulty.
🙈🙉🙊
posted by clavdivs at 6:31 PM on April 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
"Larry, let's go home."
-McNulty.
🙈🙉🙊
posted by clavdivs at 6:31 PM on April 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
I go into Ann Arbor (where the idiot Governor lives) just frequently enough to worry that I'll run into Snyder and punch him in his fucking mouth.
posted by HuronBob at 7:59 PM on April 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by HuronBob at 7:59 PM on April 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
My reference to the Wire was, admittedly, somewhat tongue in cheek.
posted by Justinian at 9:15 PM on April 22, 2016
posted by Justinian at 9:15 PM on April 22, 2016
Yeah. There's a point at which performative cynicism about the possibility of justice turns into a form of backhanded consent for corruption and oligarchical rule.
posted by Sonny Jim at 5:41 AM on April 23, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by Sonny Jim at 5:41 AM on April 23, 2016 [9 favorites]
HuronBob you're safe this week - he's off on a trade mission to Europe. Of course there are the weekly protests outside his condo but he tends to come and go out the back door to dodge them.
I have been working on the recall effort and had someone sign a petition right in front of Sue Snyder. If looks could kill I'm sure I'd be done. And yes to those who ask - we would end up with Calley but it's so unlikely to succeed given Snyder having changed the laws last year - now we have a 60 day period to collect 790,000 valid signatures.
There's a lot of protesting going on around the state to make sure this stays in the public eye in a big way.
More and more I've come to believe that much of the Flint situation arose out of some of Snyder's pals wanting a cheaper water source for fracking - the Karegnondi line from Lake Huron won't be pre-treated like Detroit water so would cost less for that purpose. Poisoning Flint residents was collateral damage. Am I incredibly cynical about this? Better believe it. There's also a land grab going on in Flint - think about New Orleans post-Katrina and you get the idea. Snyder and his pals are looking to make bank off of Flint. I hope the low-level people turn state's evidence and bring Snyder and his emergency managers down.
posted by leslies at 9:46 AM on April 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
I have been working on the recall effort and had someone sign a petition right in front of Sue Snyder. If looks could kill I'm sure I'd be done. And yes to those who ask - we would end up with Calley but it's so unlikely to succeed given Snyder having changed the laws last year - now we have a 60 day period to collect 790,000 valid signatures.
There's a lot of protesting going on around the state to make sure this stays in the public eye in a big way.
More and more I've come to believe that much of the Flint situation arose out of some of Snyder's pals wanting a cheaper water source for fracking - the Karegnondi line from Lake Huron won't be pre-treated like Detroit water so would cost less for that purpose. Poisoning Flint residents was collateral damage. Am I incredibly cynical about this? Better believe it. There's also a land grab going on in Flint - think about New Orleans post-Katrina and you get the idea. Snyder and his pals are looking to make bank off of Flint. I hope the low-level people turn state's evidence and bring Snyder and his emergency managers down.
posted by leslies at 9:46 AM on April 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
When Will the People of Flint Get Real Resolution? The culpability here goes far beyond three low-level employees.
posted by homunculus at 9:53 AM on April 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by homunculus at 9:53 AM on April 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Michigan Officials Charged in Flint Water Poisoning, But Gov. Snyder Has Not Even Been Questioned
posted by homunculus at 9:54 AM on April 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by homunculus at 9:54 AM on April 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Apparently, the plant foreman has died too.
posted by joycehealy at 1:13 PM on April 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by joycehealy at 1:13 PM on April 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
There's also a land grab going on in Flint - think about New Orleans post-Katrina and you get the idea.
No, I don't and there is no land grab. I believe there is one stat that shows that houses/ buildings torn down versus home sales are about par.
Me, I like to sleuth. I called a few moving van places and business is steady, lots of out bound trucks.
Also, local scuttlebutt and what not helps to snap your speculation in half. Unless you mean this scumbag, which mainly happened before the water crisis because you see, GM closed plants and then tore them down years ago. I mean whole plants that employed 3000 a shift.
So comparisons to Katrina seem erroneous.
posted by clavdivs at 8:51 PM on April 23, 2016
No, I don't and there is no land grab. I believe there is one stat that shows that houses/ buildings torn down versus home sales are about par.
Me, I like to sleuth. I called a few moving van places and business is steady, lots of out bound trucks.
Also, local scuttlebutt and what not helps to snap your speculation in half. Unless you mean this scumbag, which mainly happened before the water crisis because you see, GM closed plants and then tore them down years ago. I mean whole plants that employed 3000 a shift.
So comparisons to Katrina seem erroneous.
posted by clavdivs at 8:51 PM on April 23, 2016
"Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out"
-Robert Graves, I, Claudius.
posted by clavdivs at 9:00 PM on April 23, 2016
-Robert Graves, I, Claudius.
posted by clavdivs at 9:00 PM on April 23, 2016
My comparison to Katrina is this - a city that had significant problems, was hit by a disaster and those who could have done a lot more to help the main population did not and in fact have profited from it. I agree with you that GM pulling out was a first cause of the disaster in Flint. However, watch over time and I think you will see people making money off of the collapsed real estate market there. I am certainly NOT saying that the people who live in Flint now are going to make out like bandits - all indications are that shamefully otherwise.
posted by leslies at 6:04 AM on April 24, 2016
posted by leslies at 6:04 AM on April 24, 2016
On the one hand, if the excellent summary in C&E News is anything to go by, the level of technical mismanagement at the Flint water plant was mind-boggling. (They failed to control for pH, which is a factor I think many high school students might think of.)
In that regard, Flint is just the tip of the iceberg.
When a small city's one mill shuts down and the jobs evaporate, and people start to move away, you first get a loss of morale in the civil service because your (e.g.) sewer plant main engineer is overworked and underpaid, no raise in years, and he's surrounded by people who are letting themselves go in every sense. Then when he retires or moves away, the next guy is not likely to be as competent to begin with. The managerial levels suffer from the same effects, and corruption sets in.
It's not just Flint. Fitchburg, MA is another example. And Brockton, MA. Fall River. Springfield. A news story search on those towns will turn up lots of examples.
posted by ocschwar at 6:37 AM on April 24, 2016
leslies, yes, but New Orleans has a complex municipal infrastructure, Flint does not. I think we can agree on crumbling but in many cases, the infrastructure was meant to decay, thus easier to replace; for example the pipeline that connects Detroit water to Flint/county. It was designed to be easy to replace but, The 3 counties (Genesee, Lapeer, Sanilac) are building a new line based on old plans and it's nearly done.
This was a man-made diaster, New Orleans was not.
Corruption might be similar, but the land grab you speak already sorta happened but I suppose any area is going to have land grab/gentrification issues, hell, I moved because of that.
I'm puzzled why someone buys a house, 2xs the rent, thus breaking the lease. I got a free lawyer and that was that.
It's the over time thing that your right about and that concerns me. There are some cool things planned and that just seems to be on hold.
A poisoned water supply is the oldest real estate killer around.
I just want this Govenor to get the frog out of his throat and fix the problem.
Sure, I understand the fear harming a person like Huronbob expresses, colloquially and I respect petition drives, oh the petitions I have seen in the QUAD.
I grew up on Hatcher Crescent. Little cracker box house with a sludge pond in the back, parents paid under $12,000.
I saw it for sale in 2007 for over a quarter million. My point is Flint days of outta control housing prices are over for a very long time.
But we're still building robots.
posted by clavdivs at 12:04 PM on April 24, 2016
This was a man-made diaster, New Orleans was not.
Corruption might be similar, but the land grab you speak already sorta happened but I suppose any area is going to have land grab/gentrification issues, hell, I moved because of that.
I'm puzzled why someone buys a house, 2xs the rent, thus breaking the lease. I got a free lawyer and that was that.
It's the over time thing that your right about and that concerns me. There are some cool things planned and that just seems to be on hold.
A poisoned water supply is the oldest real estate killer around.
I just want this Govenor to get the frog out of his throat and fix the problem.
Sure, I understand the fear harming a person like Huronbob expresses, colloquially and I respect petition drives, oh the petitions I have seen in the QUAD.
I grew up on Hatcher Crescent. Little cracker box house with a sludge pond in the back, parents paid under $12,000.
I saw it for sale in 2007 for over a quarter million. My point is Flint days of outta control housing prices are over for a very long time.
But we're still building robots.
posted by clavdivs at 12:04 PM on April 24, 2016
A woman who was among the first to file a lawsuit in connection to the Flint, Michigan water crisis was identified as one of two victims of a fatal shooting that happened earlier this week.
She was identified Thursday, the same day the death of a Flint Water Treatment Plant foreman who was wanted for questioning in connection with the crisis was announced.
Sasha Avonna Bell, 19, filed a lawsuit that alleged her 1-year-old suffers from the effects of lead poisoning as a result of contaminated water in Flint.
posted by agregoli at 6:40 PM on April 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
'State police using online surveillance to track talk on Flint water'
posted by clavdivs at 2:15 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by clavdivs at 2:15 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
The speech given by President Obama while visiting Flint.
Man, the president, the Govenor, and Mayor Weaver drove from the Tarmac to the high school in the same Limo.
That's presidential.
That's how you help diffuse a REAL smoldering political/civic nightmare.
The crowd sorta got testy but his repeated use of "simmer down now" worked. The glass of water thing was distracting, like a prop not there on time.
posted by clavdivs at 8:57 PM on May 5, 2016
Man, the president, the Govenor, and Mayor Weaver drove from the Tarmac to the high school in the same Limo.
That's presidential.
That's how you help diffuse a REAL smoldering political/civic nightmare.
The crowd sorta got testy but his repeated use of "simmer down now" worked. The glass of water thing was distracting, like a prop not there on time.
posted by clavdivs at 8:57 PM on May 5, 2016
Well, here's some WTFery:
The former city administrator of Flint, Michigan, filed a federal lawsuit against the current mayor's office, claiming she was fired after raising concerns about donors being directed away from a charity for victims of the city's water crisis and toward a fund sharing a name with the mayor's campaign fund.posted by Etrigan at 9:32 AM on May 10, 2016
Why Did We Turn Water into Capitalism? The water wars raging in small American towns are a measure of ceaseless corporate power.
posted by homunculus at 5:03 PM on May 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by homunculus at 5:03 PM on May 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by Pope Guilty at 12:28 PM on April 22, 2016 [68 favorites]