The Michigan Supreme Court dismissed charges against former Republican Governor Rick Snyder. - NPR
"Republican officials in Flint, Michigan failed to properly treat its municipal water system causing elevated lead levels in the city’s water and an increase in city children’s blood lead levels. This lack of ability to provide safe drinking water represents a failure to protect the public’s health at various governmental levels." - CBC
"Snyder, a Republican, was Michigan's top executive when state-appointed officials decided to switch the city's drinking water source from Detroit's water system to the Flint River in 2014. It stems from a decision billed as a way to save money and only supposed to be a temporary fix while officials built a pipeline to nearby Lake Huron. But it turned out to be costly, both in lives lost and in a settlement worth hundreds of millions of dollars . - NPR
What was behind Flint's lead contaminated water supply? Which communities in Flint were affected? How many victims were Black? White? How many of Michigan's Supreme Court that dismissed charges against Rick Snyder, were appointed by him? Get started with this StoryMap.
Door on criminal prosecutions closed
"The Michigan attorney general's office said that the state prosecution of former Gov. Rick Snyder and other officials for their roles in the Flint water scandal has ended. The state Supreme Court to decline to hear appeals of a lower court's dismissal of misdemeanor charges against Snyder "effectively closes the door on the criminal prosecutions of the government officials," said prosecutors.
Managers appointed by Snyder turned the Flint River into a source for Flint water in 2014, but the water wasn't treated to reduce its corrosive impact on old pipes. As a result, lead contaminated the system for 18 months. Some experts have attributed a fatal Legionnaires' disease outbreak in 2014-15 to the water switch... Snyder, a Republican, acknowledged that state government botched the water switch, especially regulators who didn't require certain treatments. - NPR
Republican failure to govern
"Environmental injustice occurred throughout the Flint water contamination incident... avoidable and abject failure of government on the local, state and federal level; environmental authorities; and water company officials to prevent the mass poisoning of hundreds of children and adults in Flint, Michigan from April 2014 to December 2015.
The failure by the city of Flint, Michigan to properly treat its municipal water system after a change in the source of water, has resulted in elevated lead levels in the city’s water and an increase in city children’s blood lead levels. Lead exposure in young children can lead to decrements in intelligence, development, behavior, attention and other neurological functions. This lack of ability to provide safe drinking water represents a failure to protect the public’s health at various governmental levels." - National Library of Medicine
TakeAway: Vote to elect leaders who'll govern with integrity and judges to enforce laws fairly regardless of their race, wealth or connections.
Deepak
DemLabs
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