LANSING (WKZO-AM) — While hundreds of protestors could be heard outside, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder once again apologized to the people of Flint during his sixth State of the State address, over the water contamination crisis in the city.
Snyder took full responsibility and said he will fix the problem so everyone in Flint will, once again, enjoy clean water. He also promised steps would be taken by his administration and its agencies to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.
He also announced that he will beef up the Michigan National Guard deployment to make sure all of Flint’s residents have safe water to drink.
Snyder also has requested $28 million from the state legislature to pay for more water, filters and testing kits. That money will also be spent to cover bills for testing children not only for lead, but the developmental disabilities and behavioral problems lead poisoning can cause.
Snyder insisted the people responsible for the crisis will be held responsible. He also commanded that he be informed completely by his agencies when situations that may threaten the health and wellness of Michiganders arise.
Snyder produced a timeline of events that led to the crisis at the decision to switch the city’s water source from the Detroit Department of Water to the Flint River, not mentioning that decision was driven by an emergency manager he appointed as a cost-cutting measure.
The Environmental Protection Agency informed the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality last April the water in Flint contained dangerous levels of lead, but the warning wasn’t communicated to the public at that time.
Several investigations are underway to determine who knew what and when. Snyder also said he would release all emails pertaining to the issue of Flint water from 2014 and 2015, to provide transparency in an effort to clarify the course of events.
Snyder dovetailed that discussion with comments on their ongoing efforts to improve the infrastructure in the state, including the plumbing in urban areas. He says some of the mains are over 100 years old in some communities and both need to be addressed at the same time, because the mains often run under roads.
His address also included a discussion on his administration’s efforts to, once again, attempt to restore the Detroit Public Schools to financial viability, praise for the success of the auto Industry and pledges to support the high technology that automakers are pursuing. There was also a discussion of plans to expand the Soo Locks.
Reaction to the speech has been predictably partisan, and while there wasn’t a lot of meat on the bones, there never is with these addresses.
More detail will be offered when Snyder presents his proposed budget in a few weeks.
– John McNeill
