# Flint, Michigan's water. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 8, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493 "2016-01-08T13:29:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/21 "2016-01-09T14:14:15Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > If their goal is to reduce public trust in government, they are succeeding admirably. Bonus points if they prefer stupid voters—they’ve found a way to _manufacture_ them. Sometimes I almost wonder if they do fuck things up just to lessen belief in government. I’m sure that’s not the case. I do believe in the saying “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”, but some things are just so appallingly stupid… ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/22 "2016-01-09T17:40:21Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > A governor from the party that supposedly hates big dictatorial government. The truth is they hate government that does things they don’t like, but a non-elected dictator that will do what they want? Well that’s fine and dandy. That’s one way to look at it… but it’s not like the governor just decided to take over a city did he? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/23 "2016-01-09T19:05:43Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > That’s one way to look at it… but it’s not like the governor just decided to take over a city did he? That’s pretty much exactly what he did. The person (people) who were given control of Flint were hand-appointed by the governor, with no third-party or popular approval, and answered to nobody but him. Not sure what the threshold is for an EM taking over a municipality, or if it is just whenever the governor feels it’s time, but whatever the threshold is, it was set and enforced by Republicans (first in the legislature and then in the governor’s mansion)-- the party that supposedly hates big dictatorial government. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/24 "2016-01-10T04:45:56Z")
Oh and [this adorable flyer](http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/613caffc13ba6d58b830b12c9cf3c11f4a301ff2/c=0-126-1080-938&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2016/01/09/DetroitFreePress/DetroitFreePress/635879523219965810-poster.jpg) that the state of Michigan designed for the city of Flint? The one with the cute widdle babies that reads “Hey Flint! It is safe to wash! Just don’t let the kids drink the bath water when they play in the tub…yuck!” [They took it down](http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/2016/01/09/state-removes-criticized-flint-water-poster/78559088/). _sadface_ Now how will the good people of Flint know that it’s not safe for their babies to drink the bathwater? 😕😕😕 I pay taxes! I demand they return this flyer to the state’s website immediately! If they don’t, who knows what lawsuits may result! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/25 "2016-01-11T03:48:06Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Sometimes I almost wonder if they do fuck things up just to lessen belief in government. > > I’m sure that’s not the case. I do believe in the saying “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”, but some things are just so appallingly stupid… I sometimes wonder if schools deliberately make really stupid decisions so they can say, “Oops, we goofed!” ---
**Author:** ![botsgotme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@botsgotme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/botsgotme)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/26 "2016-01-11T03:52:31Z")
Another reason not to vacation in Flint! Wasn’t that they theme of the movie (featured in “Roger and Me”)? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/27 "2016-01-11T04:14:14Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Sometimes I almost wonder if they do fuck things up just to lessen belief in government. Well, [here’s a Detroit News (Detroit’s conservative daily) columnist taking this opportunity to sing about the evils of government](http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/columnists/daniel-howes/2016/01/06/howes-flint-water-debacle-showcases-government-ineptitude/78394190/)– all government, including “Obama’s Washington”-- because of the clusterfuck created by Michigan’s Republican legislators and governor. So, yes, the right-wing media is definitely messaging this to blame it on “government.” See kids, it’s the government’s fault, and everyone in it is a rotten sumbitch regardless of party! Privatize! Corporatize! Capitalize! That’ll fix it! ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/28 "2016-01-11T15:02:44Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > That’s pretty much exactly what he did. The person (people) who were given control of Flint were hand-appointed by the governor, with no third-party or popular approval, and answered to nobody but him. Not sure what the threshold is for an EM taking over a municipality, or if it is just whenever the governor feels it’s time, but whatever the threshold is, it was set and enforced by Republicans (first in the legislature and then in the governor’s mansion)-- the party that supposedly hates big dictatorial government. “pretty much exactly” or “not sure”…which is it? What’s in it for Republicans to assume responsibility for a Flint or a Detroit? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/29 "2016-01-14T16:03:07Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > “pretty much exactly” or “not sure”…which is it? What’s in it for Republicans to assume responsibility for a Flint or a Detroit? They can tear up the union contracts and fuck over the workers, cut the pensions of city retirees, all kinds of evil shit. More bold action by Snyder- he sent in the National Guard. A grand total of seven members. What a shitty way to run things- send in a carload of troops just to be able to get the headline that he’s sending in the NG while doing it on the cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/30 "2016-01-14T16:10:08Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > What’s in it for Republicans to assume responsibility for a Flint or a Detroit? They can give the contracts for “fixing” things too their friends without having to worry about any pesky checks & balances or democratic oquestions. In other words, it the same thing that motivated the Republicans to assume responsibility for Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bruce\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/31 "2016-01-14T18:48:45Z")
> [@botsgotme](#): > > Another reason not to vacation in Flint! Wasn’t that they theme of the movie (featured in “Roger and Me”)? We gave up on tourism shortly thereafter. I think _Roger and Me_ coincided(somewhat) with [AutoWorld](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoWorld_(theme_park)), a failed attempt to revive a dying city. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bruce\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/32 "2016-01-14T18:54:29Z")
Oh, and now there could be a link between the water and [legionnaires disease.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/14/beleagured-flint-mich-sees-10-fatal-cases-of-legionnaires-disease-unclear-if-connected-to-water-supply/) ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/33 "2016-01-14T18:55:27Z")
> [@Bruce\_Wayne](#): > > We gave up on tourism shortly thereafter. I think _Roger and Me_ coincided(somewhat) with [AutoWorld](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoWorld_(theme_park)), a failed attempt to revive a dying city. I think AutoWorld was shown in _Roger and Me_. In fact I think the film mentioned that it had failed. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/34 "2016-01-14T19:01:49Z")
> [@Bruce\_Wayne](#): > > Oh, and now there could be a link between the water and [legionnaires disease.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/14/beleagured-flint-mich-sees-10-fatal-cases-of-legionnaires-disease-unclear-if-connected-to-water-supply/) It all comes down to infrastructure, something that we’re failing to maintain in this country. The longer we neglect it, the more expensive it becomes. Of course, in Flint the infrastructure was damaged by incompetence rather than neglect, but it still comes down to trying to save money in irresponsible ways. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/35 "2016-01-14T21:37:22Z")
Rachel Maddow has been discussing Flint’s water problems. This is a city of 100,000 with no drinking water, so a week ago NBC dispatched a reporter hoping that news footage of people queueing for drinking water would raise awareness. Arriving in Flint, the reporter asked where water was being given out and was told … nowhere! There was just a single shelter that was taking action and it had run out of water. [Cite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD4fR_Gw0ZU). In America. The country that put Man on the Moon and spends more on military than the rest of the world combined. With a problem known for weeks, it is unable to supply drinking water to a city in its heartland. I guess Gov. Snyder needs to get `Heckuva job’ Brownie on the case. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/36 "2016-01-14T22:08:50Z")
The unions of Michigan are doing what the governor refuses or simply doesn’t know how to do: Deliver water to the people of Flint by the truckload. [http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2016/01/uaw\_to\_bring\_truckloads\_of\_wat.html](http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2016/01/uaw_to_bring_truckloads_of_wat.html) Grand Rapids city workers local and a west Michigan Teamster local are also donating trucks of water and delivering them. Too bad their bank accounts have been dinged by right to work and state layoffs, or maybe they could’ve donated more. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/37 "2016-01-15T01:42:08Z")
> [@botsgotme](#): > > Another reason not to vacation in Flint! Just pack well! It’s fun here! > [@Bruce\_Wayne](#): > > We gave up on tourism shortly thereafter. I think _Roger and Me_ coincided(somewhat) with [AutoWorld](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoWorld_(theme_park)), a failed attempt to revive a dying city. Man, Autoworld was friggin awesome. I miss Auto world. 😞 ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bruce\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/38 "2016-01-15T02:29:22Z")
Water filters have been getting passed out.([Cite](http://www.abc12.com/news/headlines/Thousands-of-water-filters-available-for-Flint-residents--330775202.html?device=tablet&c=y)). Snyder doesn’t deserve all the blame for this, it just happened under his watch. The city has been mismanaged for years, that’s why there was an emergency manager appointed in the first place. [Between convicted felons getting elected to city council](http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/11/flint_voters_elect_two_convict.html) and [Eric](http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/11/flint_councilman_eric_mays_gui.html) [Mays](http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/07/police_force_flint_councilman.html) there isn’t a whole lot of confidence in local leadership. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/39 "2016-01-15T09:19:08Z")
(I intended to post originally in the Pit, but saw this thread already existed so posted here. If this is inappropriate, I apologize and ask Mods to delete my posts here and move them to Pit.) > [@Bruce\_Wayne](#): > > Water filters have been getting passed out.([Cite](http://www.abc12.com/news/headlines/Thousands-of-water-filters-available-for-Flint-residents--330775202.html?device=tablet&c=y)). Snyder doesn’t deserve all the blame for this, it just happened under his watch. The city has been mismanaged for years, … Snyder is Republican. Flint is a poor city, 41% black, voting Democrat. These people are not Snyder’s constituents. If you think the Republicans in control of the state give as much consideration to cities like Flint as they do to upscale GOP-voting suburbs, I envy you: It must be pleasant to be blissfully unaware of the mentality and morality that dominate GOP policies today. According to the link I gave upthread, some homes have no filters. Even those that do, need filters replaced frequently. Unfiltered tap water in Flint is toxic. Poor people, with public assistance programs already cut, may have difficulty affording bottled water. Providing drinking water to such unfortunates seems, to me, to fall in the realm of minimum requirements for self-respecting government rather than coddling welfare cheats. Yet for weeks, no government chose to provide drinking water to the residents of Flint. (Are they now?) Does this seem shameful? Nevermind the criminal stupidities that led to the toxic water in the first place. Nevermind the prior dastardly uncharitable behavior of the state to Detroit, a city which is 82% black. But do feel free to blame the victims; you’ll have plenty of company. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493/40 "2016-01-15T09:30:07Z")
[Michael Moore is also displeased with Governor Snyder.](http://dianeravitch.net/2016/01/14/michael-moore-arrest-governor-rick-snyder-of-michigan/) Yes, I know that many on this (“liberal” :smack: ) board will treat Moore’s position as a contrarian indicator, defaulting to Snyder’s side because Moore opposes him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flint-michigans-water/742493.md?page=3)