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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWHY IS RICK SNYDER STILL GOVERNOR OF MICHIGAN?
In a country where we prize democracy, how have we allowed Governors to become dictators. Why as we see what has happened in Flint Michigan, other cities in Michigan and across the country do we as citizens just watch it as if we are watching a TV Reality show? Reading the news this morning I came across the following article:
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MI governor's aides urged switch away from Flint River
Two of Gov. Rick Snyder's top lawyers privately advocated moving the city of Flint back to the Detroit water system because of quality problems only months after Flint began to draw its drinking water from the Flint River and treat it at its own plant in mid-2014, according to a review of e-mails made public Friday by the governor's office.
Flint switched its water supply from Detroit to the Flint River in April 2014 in a cost-cutting move when the city was under a state-appointed emergency manager.
"They went out and asked tough questions of other people, but they were told the water was safe", Snyder said about Valerie Brader and Mike Gadola, who served as the governor's environmental policy adviser and chief legal counsel at the time.
"To anyone who grew up in Flint as I did, the notion that I would be getting my drinking water from the Flint River is downright scary", Gadola wrote.
A spokeswoman for the governor's office could not immediately be reached for comment.
The governor's top aides discussed Flint's water quality problems as early as the fall of 2014, the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News reported on Friday, citing emails released by the governor's office.
Top aides raised concerns about the water in the cash-strapped - and largely African-American - city of Flint long before its lead problem became a national embarrassment, their e-mails show.
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I continue to wonder why this continues to drag on after 2 years. Imagine if this were one of the following cities:
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1. San Francisco You'd need $124,561 to live comfortably in SF.
2. San Jose You'd need around $115,515 here.
3. Washington, D.C. $108,092 would be a comfortable salary in the nation's capital.
4. Seattle $93,634 would be ideal here.
5. San Diego You could be comfortable with a salary of $101,984.
6. Boston $106,082 is what you'd need to be financially comfortable in this northern city.
7. New York City To live comfortably, you'd need $131,365 in Brooklyn, $169,639 in Manhattan, and $116,907 in Queens.
8. Los Angeles $102,061 would have you sitting pretty in LA.
9. Denver $82,036 would be an ideal salary here.
10. Austin Surprisingly, in spite of the high percentage of people earning over $150,000, you'd only need $72,912 to be comfortable in this Texas city.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2015/01/25/cheat-sheet-10-richest-cities/21394881/
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How long would it take if one of these cities had been suffering with this problem? When if ever will this nation become a nation of, by, and for the people? I wonder...
librechik
(30,676 posts)Especially in Detroit.
monicaangela
(1,508 posts)What I would like to know is when will we as citizens decide we are angry enough to put a stop to this.
RDANGELO
(3,435 posts)Resigning would be like admitting that he did something wrong or extremely negligent.
monicaangela
(1,508 posts)recalled him. And, why hasn't the government put pressure on him to step down. Give him legal immunity if necessary, but get him out of there before he strikes again. Why do we allow people who we can see are not good for the people they are suppose to serve continue to sit in power as though we are helpless to do anything about it. This just amazes me.
N_E_1 for Tennis
(9,778 posts)But the twist comes with the fact the "replacement" for Snyder is worse than Snyder.
We must be careful for what we ask.
Check out this article from Detroit Free Press:
Panel approves 2nd Snyder recall petition over Flint
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/flint-water-crisis/2016/03/07/second-snyder-recall-petition-approved/81429958/
monicaangela
(1,508 posts)I believe he should go with Snyder, if they can't recall them both and have the write in they want then I believe they can control Calley for the two years he would have left in office before having to be re-elected. Even if he is worse, that is no reason to allow someone like Snyder to remain in office.... there is NO excuse for that.
Tanuki
(14,920 posts)and will be launched on Easter Sunday (March 27), where large church congregations will be assembled with a lot of potential signers.
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/michigan/flint-water-crisis/2016/02/23/snyder-recall-organizers-plan-easter-sunday-launch/80801252/
monicaangela
(1,508 posts)And something I plan to try to get involved in. I live about three hours from Detroit in Ohio. I lived in Michigan but on the other side of the state for 21 years. I have lots of friends there. I will definitely be contacting everybody I know and trying to get them to contact everybody they know so that this effort is successful. Thanks for this info Tanuki!
Tanuki
(14,920 posts)the petitions, phone banking, house parties, fund raising, etc.
http://www.stopsnyder.com/get-involved.html