Yesterday, residents of the Detroit zip code 48217 held a press conference where they invited U.S. Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land to spend a day in their community to “enjoy” the polluted environment they live in every day. It’s polluted largely because those supporting Land’s failed candidacy have polluted it; groups like Koch Carbon and Marathon Oil. They want Land to explain her policies that protect these industrial polluters and allow them to get away for despoiling their neighborhoods and challenged her to organize an open forum with residents of the area so she can have a chance to defend her positions.
Two area residents spoke at the presser. Here’s what Emma Lockridge had to say:
Corporate polluters aren’t just dumping pollution into our communities, they’re dumping millions of dollars into political campaigns of people who will let them continue their polluting ways, politicians like Terri Lynn Land. That’s why we’re calling on Terri Lynn Land to spend a day in our community so she can breathe the air we breathe on a daily basis.Ms. Land should not only spend a day here, but she should also hold an open forum with residents to explain why she accepts the support of corporate polluters who are endangering our residents and harming our communities.
Another resident, 52-year old Sherry Griswold also spoke and talked about how corporate polluters have impacted her life and well-being. Griswold has lived in the area for 22 years, but only started to experience severe health problems when an oil refinery moved in four years ago:
Thanks to problems with the refinery and the pollution it spews on a daily basis, I have lost hearing in my left ear, I have burns on my skin, I have chronic problems with my eyes, my hair is falling out and I have a large tumor on my brain that affects my short term memory. I’m not alone in the problems I’ve experienced. My neighbors have had similar health problems. Despite this being my home, I won’t even allow my grandkids to visit me here because the pollution is in the soil, it’s in the grass, it’s on the buildings, and it’s in the water. You can’t get away from it.
NextGEN Climate also participated in the event. Their state director, Stephanie Chang, said, “Despite the problems that have persisted in this community from corporate polluters like the Koch brothers, Terri Lynn Land still questions whether burning materials like coal and oil is causing changes to Michigan’s environment. Meanwhile, Michiganders’ health and well-being are compromised and our environment continues to be harmed. Terri Lynn Land needs to answer for her policies that protect corporate polluters and put Michigan communities at risk.”
NextGEN Climate is currently running this hard-hitting ad in our state, highlighting the connection between Land and the Koch Brothers. The ad issues a public challenge to Land to spend a day in 48217 and live with the consequences:
By the way, when you hear the corporatists ranting about “hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer” working to help Democrats, this is the sort of thing they’re talking about. Steyer is the founder of NextGEN Climate.
Pretty nefarious, isn’t it? All this “protecting our planet” and “making the lives of our urban residents better” stuff? Why, it’s practically the same as the Koch brothers’ spending billions of dollars to elect politicians who will change laws and policies to allow them to pollute with impunity and make a killing off it in the process.
Gimme a break.
[Caricature by DonkeyHotey for Eclectablog. Adapted from: Wikipedia – State of MI / HHS – Chris Smith / Wikipedia – Thomas R Machnitzki]
