Flint Water Crisis: Too Little, Too Late

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder should be ashamed of himself.

Snyder is staging a shameless damage control ploy to show that he is taking charge of a serious water poisoning crisis in Flint, which has resulted in children being irreversibly harmed after drinking lead-contaminated water.

The governor says now that the water is safe to drink, he would visit a home and drink unfiltered water. And there’s more: Snyder also said he will return to Flint every week and drink tap water for a month.

“I completely understand why some Flint residents are hesitant to drink the water, and I am hopeful I can alleviate some of the skepticism and mistrust by putting words to action,” Snyder told The Detroit Free Press. “Flint residents made it clear that they would like to see me personally drink the water, so today I am fulfilling that request. And I will continue drinking Flint water at work and at home for at least 30 days.”

I’m not impressed. It’s too little, too late. Where was Snyder when residents were drinking contaminated water and being harmed? Snyder’s response was too slow and unacceptable. He’s not the city’s savior, he’s part of the problem. He failed to help Flint residents, a predominantly black city of 100,000.

“To have a glass of water is pretty meaningless,” Mayor Karen Weaver of Flint told reporters.

Flint residents will have a chance to share their frustration about the water crisis with President Barack Obama when he visits Flint Wednesday, May 4.

Obama will also receive a briefing on the federal efforts in place to help respond to the needs of the people of Flint, and deliver remarks to community members, the White House said.

Meanwhile, Snyder’s sudden take-charge attitude comes as three Michigan officials were criminally charged on Wednesday after the state attorney general’s investigation into dangerous lead levels in Flint’s drinking water.

Flint Water Crisis: Too Little, Too Late  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com

1 2Next page »