Wanting Answers
Wanting Answers
The crisis in Flint is moving into courtrooms. Last week reports documented a “floodgate of lawsuits on behalf of aggrieved residents.” Seven families filed a lawsuit on March 7, 2016 charging wide-reaching negligence. Among others, the suit names Governor Rick Snyder and several of his appointed officials. The suit could eventually include 8,000 young people who have been exposed to lead through their drinking water. This latest effort joins at least three others filed since November of 2015.
Meanwhile, Governor Snyder has called for an investigation into the role the State Department of Health and Human Services played in the crisis. Sounding as though he was a person living in Flint and forced to drink poisoned water, Snyder said. “The public health issues the people of Flint and Genesee County are facing warranted an internal review of how the state handled these situations.” Snyder said, “I want some answers.”
This is yet another public relations move to show that Snyder is still the governor of relentless, positive action. Until last month Snyder did not even have a full time Chief Medical Officer. This, in spite of months of concern about lead poisoning and possible deaths from bacterial infections caused by bad water. The Public Health Code requires such an appointment. Snyder had no problem appointing Emergency Managers. He had no problem appointing “transition” boards. He had no problem hiring public relations firms and extra lawyers. Yet he did not appoint a full time Chief Medical Officer until February 1 of this year.
State Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich of Flint said he was “baffled” as to how Snyder “can continue to push for investigations of departments that carried out his wishes, and then blame them for operating in a departmental culture he created.”
This culture was on full display as more emails surfaced last week. As early as October of 2014, two top aids in the Governor’s office advocated for Flint to get back to Detroit water. Valerie Brader, deputy legal counsel and senior policy adviser to Snyder, raised problems with Flint River water in her email to the governor's Chief of Staff Dennis Muchmore and other top aides.
She called the situation an "urgent matter to fix." She cited bacterial contamination in the river water and reduced quality that caused "GM to leave due to rusted parts."
Brader was joined in her concerns by Michael Gadola, then the governor’s legal counsel. Noting his mother lived in Flint, Gadola called the idea of drinking water from the Flint River “downright scary.” He said Flint “should try to get back on the Detroit system as a stopgap ASAP before this thing gets too far out of control.”
These concerns were rejected as Emergency Managers. Flint did not switch back to the Detroit system for another year.
Both Brader and Gadola contributed to the culture of secrecy and denial of the Snyder administration, in spite of their concerns. Brader raised her concerns in a way that would avoid efforts by the public to find out what was going on. She said, "P.S. Note: I have not copied DEQ on this message for FOIA reasons.”
Now we know why. As these emails surface we see relentless, incompetent, callous inaction. Snyder and his team protected their own interests. They dismissed critics as “citizens against virtually everything” and accused the press of seeking to manufacture readers.
Such arrogance is finally being revealed as a depraved disregard for people and for democracy. Snyder and his emergency manager law need to go. We want answers. We deserve accountability.
From Gaza to Flint
I received this in a message from a friend from Palestine and it brought me to tears. I know you will feel the same. - Tawana Petty
Dearest Women in Flint,
On International Women’s Day, we, the Palestinian women living under Israeli occupation, announce our solidarity and extend our compassion to you. We understand what you are going through because we face similar hardships in Gaza.
Access to clean and healthy water is a basic right according to international law and agreements. But many people are still fighting to achieve this right. For example, we are living in the Gaza Strip and are suffering a lot and struggling to get clean and healthy water. The Israeli occupation steals our water from the aquifers, controls our water resources, and does not allow us to access the clean water in the West Bank or to build water treatment facilities. Sea water, waste water, and other pollutants contaminate our water leading to sickness and death. This forces us to choose to buy clean water at unaffordable prices or to provide other basic necessities for our families. We know you face these impossible choices too.
In Gaza, we survived three brutal wars in six years and we have lived more than 10 years under harsh economic conditions as a result of the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip. The poverty and unemployment reached unbelievable levels. Because what we have been through, we know and we understand what you are going through. It is sad, it is tough.
Disease is spreading among our children because of the polluted water in Gaza and Flint. We know what you are going through. We understand your sadness and helplessness. And we want you to know that you are not alone. We are standing with you until all of us overcome this crisis and access our right as humans to clean water for ourselves, our families, and our communities. We are standing with you as we struggle to hold the governments and private companies accountable for poisoning our children.
Our hearts and full compassion are with you.
Signed by mothers, activists, students, workers and leaders in the Palestinian community in Gaza:
Mona El-Farra
Safaa El-Derawi
Sana Al-Mashal, Red Crescent Society of the Gaza Strip
Nehaya Abu Nahla, Qattan Center
Jamila Dalloul, Olive Roots
Women of Afaq Jadeeda Association
Women of Sanabel Society
Leila Nassar
Iktamal Al-Ayla
Randa Martja
Maha Abu Zur
Niveen Madi
Maha Al-Aqed
Mariam Shaqura
Fayrouz Al-Asar
Fayrouz Arefa
Amahl Siyam
Nadia Abu Nahla
Zayneb Al-Ghanimi
Jehan Al-Aklok
Zahra Al-Bas
Ferdos Al-Ktri
Marian Abu Duqa
Maha Al-Farra
Nadia Al-Farra
Mona Al-Madhun
Dunya Al-Aml Ismail
Maysr Abd
Lily Qarmot
Samira Al-Ayla
Suha Mousa
Sabah Abu Reda
Nahla Al-Bader Sawi
Mariam Al-Farra
Mariam Abu Awda
Mada Abu Khattab
Inam Mousa
Ghadeer Shat
Raja Bseso
Araksi Wahed
Rosette Nasrawi
Sabhia Al-Jamal
Isaf Al-Borno
Layla Qlibo
Mariam Al-Derawi
Haneen Al-Derawi
Wafa Al-Derawi
Intima Al-Masri
Hadeel Al-Said
Mona Hammad
Manal Maqdad
Safa Maqdad
Manal Abu Ayesha
Nisreen Abed
Ibtisam Maqdad
Lina Abu Hamra
Haneen Al-Samak
Fadwa Taqish
Zaynab Al-Daghma
Sabah Al-Qara
Rana Abu Ramadan
Hanan Abu Ramadan
Huda Abu Ramadan
Besan Abu Hameed
Haya Al-Agha
Sana Al-Klut"