- An independent panel investigating the Flint water crisis laid blame directly on Gov. Rick Snyder’s office, concluding that inept state employees in charge of supervising water quality and state-appointed emergency managers ignored mounting problems with the city water supply and stubbornly disregarded signs of widespread contamination.
I think Snyder should resign. This is the worst public health crisis is Michigan in my life, and it was entirely human caused. Doesn't even matter if or what he knew. He's the leader. He should go. For the record, I voted for his reelection, so shame on me.
Agreed. A good leader, at ANY potential sign that the well-being thousands of constituents was at risk, would have had his subordinates completely and undoubtably verify that zero risk existed before turning away from a given situation. Rick Snyder should have listened to the folks in Flint, but chose not to. Should he go? I'm not so sure. Would Lt Gov. Brian Calley do any better for Flint? It hurts to say it, but maybe it's better right now to have Snyder out front taking heat and drawing attention to his mess. It may keep the awareness of Flint's troubles at the top of state priorities.
I think you make some good points, and of course I have no idea of things would be better without Snyder at this point. But I also just feel like there's a leadership component at work here, where of things blow up that bad on your watch that you have an obligation to resign, even just as a symbolic measure. It's probably not worth a recall at this point, but if support it. This is dereliction of duty, in my opinion.
What's more important is that the damage lead does to people sticks with them for all their lives, making future adults more aggressive, less intelligent, and more likely to have really crappy lives in general in the long run. All the kids in that city should be getting checks in the mail from Michigan for the rest of their lives.
I was pretty irritated by the Congressional hearings the other day because of the GOP trying very hard to lay the blame on the EPA. And Snyder's non-apology of saying "there were failures at all levels of government" is a giant cop out. Good on the one Congressman who told him, "I don't believe you didn't know about this, because you weren't in a medically induced coma for an entire year." Sad that it has to be a partisan affair. You'd think if those turds could depoliticize anything at all it might be poisoning children.