Scroll down to see photographs taken by residents of Flint
The city of Flint, in Michigan, was once an industrial powerhouse. General Motors was founded here in 1908. By 1960, Flint's population approached 200,000, with 75,000 or more employed in the car factories. Life was very good, with Flint having one of the highest per-capita incomes in the world for a city of its size. Those days are not even a memory for our younger citizens.
Beginning in the early 1980s, General Motors began closing and tearing down plants. Where many miles of the city once sported huge factories, now there are just vast empty lots. The city's population has shrunk in size—the 2010 census recorded just over 100,000 inhabitants, of whom 40 per cent live below the poverty level.
Over the last few decades, Flint has consistently been one of the most dangerous cities in the US. In 2014 we had more murders per 100,000 citizens than Chicago. In 2012, Forbes Magazine named Flint the 6th most dangerous city for women in the US. In the past year, five neighbours with a half a mile of my home have been shot to death. In the summer months, I can hear the sound of gunfire at least weekly, and sometimes even gun battles.
A few years ago, Rick Snyder, our state's Republican Governor, along with the Republican-dominated legislature, enacted an "Emergency Financial Manager" law. It was draconian in its sweep. Any city the Governor deemed in need would be assigned one of these managers, who would report directly to the Governor. The manager had the power to strip any and all locally elected officials of authority and to void any contracts into which the city had entered. Flint was appointed a succession of such managers.
In an attempt to save money one emergency manager decided—over universal local objections—to change the city's water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River. The new source was not fit for drinking and the state agencies responsible for ensuring the water was safe failed to do so. As a result, residents were exposed to lead levels in the drinking water many times greater than the level that causes significant, long-term harm. MSNBC reports that at least 200 children under six have been affected by drinking water contaminated with lead. Worse, the new water source damaged the city’s water pipe system. The cost of making the necessary repairs has been estimated at one to one and a half billion dollars.
The trouble was discovered shortly after the new water source came into use. For a year, the state government failed to engage with the issue, and assured the citizens that their water was safe.
The US Department of Justice has announced that it will investigate. The Governor, after trying and failing to avoid direct responsibility, has since declared the city a state disaster area. He has only recently been granted Federal help.
Until we start to see the benefits from that, my sole source of safe water for drinking and cooking is the modest trickle that comes through the state-provided PUR water filter attached to my kitchen tap. They are providing replacement filters at no cost, but the water rates and access costs (set by Flint’s emergency financial manager) continue to be very high. No one knows when the city's water will be safe again. Our water source has been switched back to lake water, but the damage done to the city’s water infrastructure means that lead may continue to leach out of the damaged pipes, no matter what the source.
After the situation came to light, companies including Wal-Mart, Coca Cola and others donated water, as did at least one of the state's Native American tribes. That was fine as far as it went, but the supply and distribution was inadequate and random. No provisions were made for the elderly, handicapped or those otherwise unable to travel to distribution points. The county sheriff begun a program to distribute water filters using reserve officers and convicts sentenced to community service. None of the parties I've mentioned has any responsibility for this mess, but just stepped up to do the right thing in light of state inaction. These ad hoc efforts were appreciated, but failed to meet the city's need.
All that said, there is a deeper political story. The Emergency Financial Manager law, which led to Flint's current water trouble, was rejected in a statewide referendum. The legislature's immediate response was to re-write and pass the same law again. A new law prohibiting any public entity from providing information on pending referendums or ballot initiatives has been passed, as had one prohibiting straight ticket voting. All of the cities stripped of local control and put under an Emergency Financial Manager were centres of Democratic voters.
The Governor visited Flint on Thursday, 14th January, unannounced. He held a brief press conference with the mayor. The public was not allowed in, only media. He announced the creation of yet another group to study the situation and pledged to work with the city to resolve the crisis.
That the public was not allowed in was unsurprising. The press conference was announced one hour before it occurred, and there were already many very angry people and protesters gathered at city hall when he arrived. Most people here think the Governor should resign and many are calling for his arrest.
The state has finally begun co-ordinating water distribution—since the situation went public. Supplies have improved, but even so, what is donated goes fast. Most or all of the new distribution sites ran out of both water and filters very early on the first day they were available. The Governor has announced that state police officers will be going door-to-door to distribute water, water testing kits and water filters. He has designated 20 troopers and 75 national guardsmen to do this, for a city of about 100,000 people. We now also know that Flint will receive federal help, but the Governor was extremely slow to request it.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent representatives to the state capitol to observe the situation early last week, but many assumed they were there thanks to the work of US congressman Dan Kildee, who was very active in his attempts to get the feds involved. I learned that Kildee paved the way for federal intervention two months previously, meaning all that was needed was for the Governor to formally request it.
Around the same time last week, matters became even more serious. It came to light that there has been a dramatic spike in incidences of Legionnaires disease in the city. In the 18 months since our water supply changed, 87 cases of the disease have been confirmed, with eight deaths. Prior to this, six cases a year were diagnosed.
On Thursday, Governor Snyder finally requested that Obama declare the situation a federal state of emergency. In fact, he sought a “major disaster declaration” and asked for $96m in aid. On Saturday, the President gave his declaration—but it is of a lower order than the one Snyder requested. Flint is to receive up to $5m over a 90-day period.
That will not be nearly enough. But the rule is that only natural disasters qualify for the larger sum. The thinking is that this disaster was down to human error and could have been avoided. Whatever I think about the $5m, I certainly wouldn’t argue with the President on that.
The city of Flint, in Michigan, was once an industrial powerhouse. General Motors was founded here in 1908. By 1960, Flint's population approached 200,000, with 75,000 or more employed in the car factories. Life was very good, with Flint having one of the highest per-capita incomes in the world for a city of its size. Those days are not even a memory for our younger citizens.
Beginning in the early 1980s, General Motors began closing and tearing down plants. Where many miles of the city once sported huge factories, now there are just vast empty lots. The city's population has shrunk in size—the 2010 census recorded just over 100,000 inhabitants, of whom 40 per cent live below the poverty level.
Over the last few decades, Flint has consistently been one of the most dangerous cities in the US. In 2014 we had more murders per 100,000 citizens than Chicago. In 2012, Forbes Magazine named Flint the 6th most dangerous city for women in the US. In the past year, five neighbours with a half a mile of my home have been shot to death. In the summer months, I can hear the sound of gunfire at least weekly, and sometimes even gun battles.
A few years ago, Rick Snyder, our state's Republican Governor, along with the Republican-dominated legislature, enacted an "Emergency Financial Manager" law. It was draconian in its sweep. Any city the Governor deemed in need would be assigned one of these managers, who would report directly to the Governor. The manager had the power to strip any and all locally elected officials of authority and to void any contracts into which the city had entered. Flint was appointed a succession of such managers.
In an attempt to save money one emergency manager decided—over universal local objections—to change the city's water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River. The new source was not fit for drinking and the state agencies responsible for ensuring the water was safe failed to do so. As a result, residents were exposed to lead levels in the drinking water many times greater than the level that causes significant, long-term harm. MSNBC reports that at least 200 children under six have been affected by drinking water contaminated with lead. Worse, the new water source damaged the city’s water pipe system. The cost of making the necessary repairs has been estimated at one to one and a half billion dollars.
The trouble was discovered shortly after the new water source came into use. For a year, the state government failed to engage with the issue, and assured the citizens that their water was safe.
The US Department of Justice has announced that it will investigate. The Governor, after trying and failing to avoid direct responsibility, has since declared the city a state disaster area. He has only recently been granted Federal help.
Until we start to see the benefits from that, my sole source of safe water for drinking and cooking is the modest trickle that comes through the state-provided PUR water filter attached to my kitchen tap. They are providing replacement filters at no cost, but the water rates and access costs (set by Flint’s emergency financial manager) continue to be very high. No one knows when the city's water will be safe again. Our water source has been switched back to lake water, but the damage done to the city’s water infrastructure means that lead may continue to leach out of the damaged pipes, no matter what the source.
After the situation came to light, companies including Wal-Mart, Coca Cola and others donated water, as did at least one of the state's Native American tribes. That was fine as far as it went, but the supply and distribution was inadequate and random. No provisions were made for the elderly, handicapped or those otherwise unable to travel to distribution points. The county sheriff begun a program to distribute water filters using reserve officers and convicts sentenced to community service. None of the parties I've mentioned has any responsibility for this mess, but just stepped up to do the right thing in light of state inaction. These ad hoc efforts were appreciated, but failed to meet the city's need.
All that said, there is a deeper political story. The Emergency Financial Manager law, which led to Flint's current water trouble, was rejected in a statewide referendum. The legislature's immediate response was to re-write and pass the same law again. A new law prohibiting any public entity from providing information on pending referendums or ballot initiatives has been passed, as had one prohibiting straight ticket voting. All of the cities stripped of local control and put under an Emergency Financial Manager were centres of Democratic voters.
The Governor visited Flint on Thursday, 14th January, unannounced. He held a brief press conference with the mayor. The public was not allowed in, only media. He announced the creation of yet another group to study the situation and pledged to work with the city to resolve the crisis.
That the public was not allowed in was unsurprising. The press conference was announced one hour before it occurred, and there were already many very angry people and protesters gathered at city hall when he arrived. Most people here think the Governor should resign and many are calling for his arrest.
The state has finally begun co-ordinating water distribution—since the situation went public. Supplies have improved, but even so, what is donated goes fast. Most or all of the new distribution sites ran out of both water and filters very early on the first day they were available. The Governor has announced that state police officers will be going door-to-door to distribute water, water testing kits and water filters. He has designated 20 troopers and 75 national guardsmen to do this, for a city of about 100,000 people. We now also know that Flint will receive federal help, but the Governor was extremely slow to request it.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent representatives to the state capitol to observe the situation early last week, but many assumed they were there thanks to the work of US congressman Dan Kildee, who was very active in his attempts to get the feds involved. I learned that Kildee paved the way for federal intervention two months previously, meaning all that was needed was for the Governor to formally request it.
Around the same time last week, matters became even more serious. It came to light that there has been a dramatic spike in incidences of Legionnaires disease in the city. In the 18 months since our water supply changed, 87 cases of the disease have been confirmed, with eight deaths. Prior to this, six cases a year were diagnosed.
On Thursday, Governor Snyder finally requested that Obama declare the situation a federal state of emergency. In fact, he sought a “major disaster declaration” and asked for $96m in aid. On Saturday, the President gave his declaration—but it is of a lower order than the one Snyder requested. Flint is to receive up to $5m over a 90-day period.
That will not be nearly enough. But the rule is that only natural disasters qualify for the larger sum. The thinking is that this disaster was down to human error and could have been avoided. Whatever I think about the $5m, I certainly wouldn’t argue with the President on that.
