It seems quite viable that there are actual criminal actions involved in this. I'm not, unfortunately, optimistic that the responsible people will be punished.
The bottom line is, Detroit government was gouging Flint; Flint arranged a new supplier from Lake Huron (Karegnondi Water Authority), choosing to drop Detroit's usury system once it was complete; Detroit cut them off ENTIRELY instead at the earliest date they could, leaving Flint dry for 3+ years and the Flint River as the only choice.
That's a pretty strong statement to make -- but you aren't providing any specifics to contradict (or weaken) any of the claims he's making. At best you seem to be providing side arguments -- that is, counterspin. But you aren't giving us anything that would help us evaluate what the guy is actually saying, one way or the other.
Other than the fact that he's Michael Moore, and you apparently don't like him.
"The Flint River has a history of poor water quality due to industrial pollution and agricultural runoff, according to an assessment by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. But efforts to remove pollutants and clean up the river have been successful in the past 40 years. Now, some are wondering if the problem lies in the city’s treatment of the water, which differs from its treatment of its previous water source, Lake Huron."
4 comments
[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 15.1 ms ] threadIt seems quite viable that there are actual criminal actions involved in this. I'm not, unfortunately, optimistic that the responsible people will be punished.
Even Mother Jones has reported that water problems predate the system change; see comments on https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11003287
Previous discussion you can see both sides of the argument discussed here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10961513#up_10963376
Here is reporting on the original decision; note that in the 7-1 vote to change, 6 of the ayes were Democrats:
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/03/flint_city...
The bottom line is, Detroit government was gouging Flint; Flint arranged a new supplier from Lake Huron (Karegnondi Water Authority), choosing to drop Detroit's usury system once it was complete; Detroit cut them off ENTIRELY instead at the earliest date they could, leaving Flint dry for 3+ years and the Flint River as the only choice.
That's a pretty strong statement to make -- but you aren't providing any specifics to contradict (or weaken) any of the claims he's making. At best you seem to be providing side arguments -- that is, counterspin. But you aren't giving us anything that would help us evaluate what the guy is actually saying, one way or the other.
Other than the fact that he's Michael Moore, and you apparently don't like him.
Since following the discussions I linked to above has proven too difficult, here they are directly:
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/03/flint_city...
https://www.cityofflint.com/wp-content/uploads/CoF-Water-Sys...
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2015/10/26/opinion-...
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10961513
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10737915 320+ comments
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10747020 3-part documentary
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10763480
"The Flint River has a history of poor water quality due to industrial pollution and agricultural runoff, according to an assessment by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. But efforts to remove pollutants and clean up the river have been successful in the past 40 years. Now, some are wondering if the problem lies in the city’s treatment of the water, which differs from its treatment of its previous water source, Lake Huron."
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/05/3666238/flint-mi...