On April 25th, 2014, with its government run by the latest in a series of Emergency Managers appointed by Republican governor Rick Snyder, the city of Flint, Michigan switched its water system over to the Flint River, ending a decades-long purchase agreement with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) which draws its water from Lake Huron. Within a few […]

Testimony in the first day of the preliminary examination for Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon, facing felony charges in the Flint Water Crisis, revealed that health experts believe the switch to the Flint River was the cause of the huge increase in cases of Legionnaires’ Disease in the beleaguered city: “My opinion is the most […]

Dear Gov. Snyder, It’s no secret that I have been highly critical of you and your administration since you took office in 2010. However, I have lauded your decision to take advantage of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion and, because of it, hundreds of thousands of Michiganders now have health insurance that they wouldn’t have otherwise, most of whom […]

After happily signing countless tax breaks for corporations into law in Michigan, Governor Rick Snyder finally found one to veto. It’s one that would benefit actual Michiganders and not for-profit corporations: Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed on Tuesday a tax cut recently approved by the Michigan Legislature, saying the measure would put too much strain on the state’s budget. Snyder vetoed […]

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s Flint Water Crisis continues apace with Flint residents still being told that their drinking water is completely safe but that they should not drink it without filtering it first. First we have gubernatorial candidate (and state attorney general) Bill Schuette telling reporters that he’s not going to charge Gov. Snyder in his investigation, at least not […]

In the wake of manslaughter and other charges being filed against five people involved in the Flint Water Crisis, including two current members of his administration, Gov. Rick Snyder issued the following statement: Gov. Rick Snyder’s statement in support of DHHS Director Nick Lyon and Dr. Eden Wells Wednesday, June 14, 2017 LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Rick Snyder issued the […]

Big news out of Flint this morning. Attorney General Bill Schuette has filed charges against two current and two former Snyder administration officials and one former Flint official. Michigan Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon is being charged with felony charges of involuntary manslaughter and misconduct in office. Four others, including former Emergency Manager Darnell Earley, are also facing […]

As bad as things are in Flint, Michigan – and they are REALLY BAD – in the past couple of weeks, they’ve gotten far, far worse. With the state of Michigan no longer subsidizing the city residents’ water bills having declared the water there now “safe” (it’s not), the city has now started charging residents again. Keep in mind that […]

Anyone who listened to our podcast interview with Flint activist Melissa Mays knows that having their drinking water poisoned with the powerful neurotoxin lead is only part of the ongoing catastrophe they continue to deal with three years after the switch to the Flint River. In addition to elevated lead levels, residents are still experiencing skin rashes, bacteria-related respiratory infections […]

Two years ago, after privatizing Michigan’s prison food services to a company that then set out to prove what a fiasco this sort of thing is with scandal after scandal after scandal after scandal), Gov. Rick Snyder finally fired Aramark. He then hired another private firm, Trinity Services Group. Since that time, Trinity hasn’t fared much better, racking up $2.5 […]

Today is Day 529 since Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder admitted that the city of Flint had had its drinking water poisoned with the powerful neurotoxin lead through the actions and inactions of his appointed Emergency Managers. The true span since their water has been unsafe to drink, of course, is much longer than that. There’s been very little news coming […]