February 1, 2016
By Sean Szymkkowski
The Flint, Michigan water crisis (click here) has put the spotlight on the entire state, as media and residents in the area look for someone accountable and wonder how a situation could have gone so badly, so quickly.
By Sean Szymkkowski
The Flint, Michigan water crisis (click here) has put the spotlight on the entire state, as media and residents in the area look for someone accountable and wonder how a situation could have gone so badly, so quickly.
It’s not only residents in Flint, however. Businesses have been crippled by the lack of clean water, shutting down countless operations while the lead and chloride flow freely through Flint water pipes. But, General Motors spared itself over what could have been something truly disastrous for the automaker and its Flint-based assemblies.
According to a report from Automotive News, GM had a major red flag back in 2014 with its water supply. After making the switch to Flint River water that same year, union employees noticed corrosion of engine blocks.
“The water was rusting the [engine] blocks,” Dan Reyes, president of UAW Local 599, which represents the plant’s nearly 900 workers, said. The super-high levels of chloride in the water was causing corrosion when it came in contact with materials.
In December of 2014, GM made a grand move: it stopped the flow of Flint River water, and switched to a fresh supply from Flint Township, something made possible due to it bordering the township and infrastructure already being in place. The option was not offered to other local businesses or residents.
GM’s problem wasn’t the corroded lead pipes spewing chemicals into fresh water, but the chloride added to break down solids and contaminants. The chloride caused much “visible damage on parts leaving the machining process”, GM spokesman Tom Wickham recalled....
I doubt small businesses could afford to change their water supply. This would fall on the shoulders of the State of Michigan once again. Why is it an Emergency Manager that is suppose to shore up financial fitness would completely disregard any problems businesses would have?
The fact businesses were not notified or consulted with before the water supply switch shows complete corruption of the state's purpose. Snyder's emergency managers weren't interested in protecting businesses so much as satisfying and promoting their cronies.
The only reason an emergency manager would not protect businesses, including GM, from any adverse effects of the corrosive water is because they didn't care. The emergency manager is suppose to be acting to protect financial fitness of Flint; they didn't care.
August 6, 2016
By the AP, Flint (Is there an AP office in Flint now? Or just a reference to the city?)
Hundreds of residents of Flint, Michigan, filed a racketeering lawsuit Wednesday targeting Gov. Rick Snyder and other state and local officials over lead contamination of the city's drinking water.
Filed in U.S. District Court in Flint, the suit is one of many arising from the decision to switch the Flint supply from the Detroit water system to the Flint River in April 2014 to cut costs. The move was supposed to be temporary, until Flint could join a new water authority that would pipe water from Lake Huron.
The lawsuit accuses Snyder and others of hatching a "wrongful scheme" to reduce Flint's indebtedness by stopping the impoverished city from buying treated Lake Huron water from Detroit, instead of "invoking time tested, well-honed federal bankruptcy protections for restructuring the debts of municipalities."
Snyder spokesman Ari Adler declined comment on the suit....
Considering the goal for a legislative initiative was completely ignored and businesses are suffering damage and losses along with the resident PROVES racketeering was the only goal.
Governing requires elected leaders to actually care about the people and their economy. It was nowhere in the Snyder administration.
This is not the first time Rick Snyder turned his back on Michigan. He did so in his private enterprises that sold a cutting edge Michigan company developed and started by the Michigan brain trust to Wall Street before he took office. Rick Snyder knows only his own best interests and not the best interest of the people of Michigan.
I doubt small businesses could afford to change their water supply. This would fall on the shoulders of the State of Michigan once again. Why is it an Emergency Manager that is suppose to shore up financial fitness would completely disregard any problems businesses would have?
The fact businesses were not notified or consulted with before the water supply switch shows complete corruption of the state's purpose. Snyder's emergency managers weren't interested in protecting businesses so much as satisfying and promoting their cronies.
The only reason an emergency manager would not protect businesses, including GM, from any adverse effects of the corrosive water is because they didn't care. The emergency manager is suppose to be acting to protect financial fitness of Flint; they didn't care.
August 6, 2016
By the AP, Flint (Is there an AP office in Flint now? Or just a reference to the city?)
Hundreds of residents of Flint, Michigan, filed a racketeering lawsuit Wednesday targeting Gov. Rick Snyder and other state and local officials over lead contamination of the city's drinking water.
Filed in U.S. District Court in Flint, the suit is one of many arising from the decision to switch the Flint supply from the Detroit water system to the Flint River in April 2014 to cut costs. The move was supposed to be temporary, until Flint could join a new water authority that would pipe water from Lake Huron.
The lawsuit accuses Snyder and others of hatching a "wrongful scheme" to reduce Flint's indebtedness by stopping the impoverished city from buying treated Lake Huron water from Detroit, instead of "invoking time tested, well-honed federal bankruptcy protections for restructuring the debts of municipalities."
Snyder spokesman Ari Adler declined comment on the suit....
Considering the goal for a legislative initiative was completely ignored and businesses are suffering damage and losses along with the resident PROVES racketeering was the only goal.
Governing requires elected leaders to actually care about the people and their economy. It was nowhere in the Snyder administration.
This is not the first time Rick Snyder turned his back on Michigan. He did so in his private enterprises that sold a cutting edge Michigan company developed and started by the Michigan brain trust to Wall Street before he took office. Rick Snyder knows only his own best interests and not the best interest of the people of Michigan.
