The Poor of Flint Were Left Under the Cover of Darkness

[niyad]

The Poor of Flint Were Left Under the Cover of Darkness

Disaster in poverty-stricken areas often lack public attention

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The Michigan National Guard has been helping to distribute bottled water to residents of Flint, Mich., during the water crisis. (Photo ale G. Young/AP)
“Them that’s got shall get. Them that’s not shall lose” —Billie Holiday

It was in April of 2014 that the water turned bad. Residents of Flint, Mich., reported that the stuff smelled. It was yellowish brown. You drank it and your hair fell out. Or you developed a rash. Or you were nauseous.. Again, this was in APRIL (2014, emphasis and addition, mine).

According to a computer search, it was not until the following January that the Detroit Free Press, just an hour down the road, took note. It wasn’t until March that the New York Times began reporting the story. It wasn’t until Jan. 5th of this year — almost two years later — that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder saw fit to declare a state of emergency and nine days afterward that he asked President Obama to declare the city a disaster area. And it is not until this week that yours truly is writing about it.

There are many points of outrage in the story of Flint’s ill-fated attempt to save money by switching its water supply to the filthy Flint River.

. . . .




So yes, this slow-rolling disaster offers many causes for anger. But one of them is the very fact that it has been a slow-rolling disaster. It is inconceivable that it would take so long for public officials to respond or media to notice if the water became unsafe in New York, Miami, Charlotte, Chicago, Atlanta or L.A. But Flint is none of those places.

. . . . .


http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/01/24/poor-flint-were-left-under-cover-darkness

[daleanime]

1. K&R.....

[Wellstone ruled]

2. All by design from the

top down. It is called disaster Politics,while the press is watching the disaster unfold,the creators of the disaster are most likely pulling off another Political item on their wish list.

[niyad]

3. distraction politics as well.

[Wellstone ruled]

12. You nailed it,could not think of the right discription.

Old age and brain fartness syndrome. Do remember Rahm Emanuel doing this quite well during his career and yet today.

[Fumesucker]

15. Shock Doctrine is the term

Disaster Capitalism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shock_Doctrine

[JustAnotherGen]

4. thanks for this niyad

You always find the best articles to get to the heart of the matter.

[niyad]

5. thank you, although there are many here posting amazing information. I just wish there were not

such a need for doing so.

[RiffRandell]

6. Michael Moore was on The View today and said Snyder should be

arrested for at least manslaughter due to the 10 deaths out of 87 cases of Legionnaires' Disease.

Said Snyder got rid of the mayor and city council, put his crony in power and gave the residents water from the Flint River (known to be polluted) instead of Lake Heron where it formerly came from to save money because the people were poor, of color and have no power.

He said you would never see this happen in North Bloomfield or Gross Pointe.

Snyder is a fucking slimy shit bag that belongs in jail for life.

[niyad]

7. MM is absolutely correct. snyder and all involved in this horror should be jailed for life--AND

all of their fortunes used to at least compensate some of the financial damage for the people of flint. nothing will bring back the dead, of course, but we need for these rapacious, murdering thugs to face consequences that they might, possibly, understand

[Vincardog]

8. IT was all part and parcel of the plan to privatize the water supply. The bond holders should be

Held personally responsible for the actions of the political appointed "managers" who seized elected officials power.

[niyad]

11. I think they should, in addition to forfeiture of all their assets, be made to drink that water

--8 glasses a day.

"that water came from hinckley"

[Octafish]

9. Detroit and Michigan press pretended to be asleep.

You know, conspiracy theories and all.

[niyad]

10. I am a bit surprised at the detroit free press, but perhaps should not be.

[jwirr]

13. We are still without the information that will let us clearly

see the effects of this poisoning.

Lead poisoning is a cause of Developmental Disability - we need the statistics on this in Flint over the years. Not just the number but also the severity of the cases. This will show the taxpayer who has been voting for Snyder exactly what the cost is going to be.

It would also help to know how many homes are involved and still have lead pipes.

This story needs

[RiffRandell]

14. There are most likely several toxins in that water.

I feel so badly for the people of Flint.

I think we will be seeing high cases of cancers and other horrible diseases rising.

[jwirr]

16. Exactly.