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Quick update that I wanted to pass along:
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A quick update regarding the water crisis that I wanted to share:
Just a little something positive I wanted to pass along.
Last Saturday night, Bruno Mars announced during his concert in Auburn Hills, Michigan that he would be donating $1 million of that show's revenue to The Community Foundation of Greater Flint to help in the ongoing water crisis. "I'm very thankful to the Michigan audience for joining me in supporting this cause. Ongoing challenges remain years later for Flint residents, and it's important that we don't forget our brothers and sister affected by this disaster. As people, especially Americans, we need to stand together to make sure something like this never happens in any community ever again."--Statement from Bruno Mars "With a grateful heart, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint is honored to accept this inspiring donation. We know Bruno Mars' $1 million gift will be transformative to the children and families of Flint. He understands the issues faced by Flint citizens, and we are touched by his concern and generosity."--Statement from President and CEO Isaiah M. Oliver Brief thought: Nothing else really needs to be said, the act of generosity speaks for itself, and it's the kind of generosity and togetherness that the country needs right now. Another update in the Flint Water Crisis:
As if the fact that these people still don't have clean and safe drinking water isn't enough, now the state is spending milllions on legal fees connected to the crisis:
This story got lost in the chaos of the events that transpired yesterday, but there's been a major update in the Flint Water Crisis and here's what ya'll need to know:
"People" are feeling really bold and spitting out this N-word any chance they get!
The latest person to use the word and think they could get away with it: Phil Stair who was an official that worked in Flint, Michigan. He managed the sale, rehabilitation, and demolition of tax foreclosed homes. He resigned after he was caught on tape using "the word." The video was posted online by Truth Against The Machine. Here's what he said:
Also in the recording, Stair can be heard in the recording blame the entire Flint Water crisis on African Americans. Brief thoughts: Donald Trump got "people" out here feeling like they can be forthcoming with their racist bullshit. Sir, the water crisis wasn't the fault of African Americans, it was the fault of the city as a whole. The residents, who are predominately African American were trying to bring attention to the crisis and get city officials to do something about it. So, you're statement is null and void you dumbass! Not paying their water bills has nothing to do with the condition of the pipes! Yall keep on saying "the word" eventually you're going to run up on the wrong person after saying it and just resigning from your job or losing your show, won't be the only thing you'll have to worry about. Just trying to warn yall and do you a favor! Today US District Judge David Lawson will be reviewing the details of a settlement that was filed yesterday in the US District Court. Here are some of the highlights from the settlement:
This all sounds good and reasonable to me! The state should definitely be held responsible for the costs of fixing these water lines, especially after all the hell they forced these residents to go through! Regardless of if Judge Lawson approves this settlement, I'll keep yall updated! As y'all know, I'm really passionate about the Flint water crisis, and I'll do my best to update you along the way until these residents have clean and safe drinking water.
Steps in the right direction are being made, but residents unfortunately are years away from being able to drink unfiltered tap water. Retired National Guard Brig. General Michael McDaniel, who's coordinating the FAST Start Initiative has a high goal of finishing pipe replacements for residents of Flint by 2019. Before we move any further, a little background on the FAST Start Initiative. It was started by Mayor Karen Weaver and the City of Flint in February 2016 in an attempt to get the lead out of Flint's water system. Please, always remember, this has been going on for years, @ least 3 years if I'm not mistaken, some officials such as Mayor Weaver have been doing what they can to rectify the problem, but other officials have gotten in her way, do your research people...helpful hint, it's a blog posts back. Moving forward... The next phase of the project is slated to start in late April and the plan of attack is to replace lines to 4 1/2 homes per day in 10 different zones. This would equal 225 lines/homes per week and 900 lines/homes per month. Of course with such a grand project comes challenges, there's not enough staff to take on this big of a project, inaccurate records on locations of pipes have been discovered, and of course the biggest issue, funding! Funding past this year is uncertain, 2017 funding is covered, half of the funds needed for 2018 are available, but there's no funding to cover the project in 2019. It's estimated that it'll cost $106 to $108 million to finish replacing the estimated 20,000 lines/homes that need to be done. The state of Michigan gave $27 million towards the project, the US gov't (shocker) came through with their promised $100 million to combat the crisis. Another big concern, is the speed of the project. Some residents say the project is going well speed wise, some say it's going slowly. As of last week, there were fewer than 800 homes that had been replace with new copper pipes. My thoughts: I think the fact that there's a plan and somebody's actually doing something is light years ahead of where Flint was. I can understand that because this crisis has been going on so long that residents want it done quickly, I'm right there with them. They deserve to have clean and safe water ASAP and not just because of the hell they've gone through for the past couple of years, but because clean and safe water is a basic human right and necessity. The gravity of this project has to be taken into account, unfortunately, it's not gonna happen over night, it's gonna take some time to accomplish, but I do believe the right people are spearheading this project and they're gonna do their damnedest to get it done as soon as possible, so these people don't have to continue suffering. If you're interested in helping advance the timeline of this monumental project or just want to know how you can help in general, please go here ---> https://www.cityofflint.com/how-can-i-help/ The Mayor of Flint, Michigan met with Trump to discuss ongoing water crisis during his visit to Michigan yesterday.
Mayor Karen Weaver, who heavily criticized the lack of response from state and federal officials during the crisis, said she's "thankful" Trump reached out to her to discuss the crisis. Girl, he is playing you like a fiddle and just doing this for appearances, he could give an entire "F" about the people of Flint or about the water crisis, but I digress, moving on... Mayor Weaver released a statement saying, "I will be asking the President to do all things within his power to make our city whole and great again after the horrific man-made injustice that was caused here. I will not rest until the residents and businesses that I have the pleasure of servicing are able to drink, cook, and bathe with water straight from the tap which is a basic Human Right!" I commend her for still being so vocal about the issues that Flint still faces. And let's be perfectly clear, just because it's not dominating the headlines anymore and just because last August federal emergency declaration over city's water crisis was lifted, doesn't mean that the issue has gone away. @ the beginning of this year, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality released test results showing lead levels were just below federal limits, however residents are still being told not to drink the water and continue using filters. There is a plan in place to replace @ least 6000 lead water lines this year, but thousands of lead water lines will remain. In a previous post that I put on here awhile ago I made you all aware that federal credits were pulled, so residents are being charged in full for water they can't drink, shower in, or cook with. I keep telling you all it's all about the almighty dollar! Bottom line: I don't think he's going there with any intentions of doing or fixing anything, he's just going because he's going to Michigan and would be criticized if he didn't make a pit stop to Flint. It's sad that he's getting these people's hopes up to believe that he's gonna do something, but I guess if you've been dealing with unsafe conditions for just about 3 years, faith and hope are the only things you can rely on. I wouldn't put my faith and hope in Trump though, I would put my faith and hope in the people that have been on the ground, actively doing something to change this situation around. |
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