“The revised outlook reflects our view that rising costs tied to the Flint water crisis and Detroit Public Schools’ distressed financial position will limit the state’s ability to build reserves over the next two fiscal years”, said S&P analyst Carol Spain in a statement.
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“Plausible deniability only works when it’s plausible”, Rep. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania told Snyder as he pressed why the governor was slow to act. “You were not in a medically induced coma for a year and I have had about enough of your false contrition and your phony apologies”.
The governor, who initially declined to testify, told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee the Flint water scandal is “a failure of government at all levels”. “You weren’t on that email?” said Cummings.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder (R) finally testified along with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
“That’s cheap. ‘Oh yeah, we just got regrets.’ That’s cheap”.
233-a-09-(Bishop Bernadel Jefferson, pastor from Flint, Michigan, at news conference)-“we do matter (second reference, applause fades)”-Bishop Bernadel Jefferson, a pastor from Flint, Michigan, says switching the city’s water supply was a serious mistake”.
Snyder says the state government is taking responsibility for the man-made disaster, adding that officials are publicly releasing relevant documents from the state agencies involved.
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy put the blame squarely back on the state of MI.
An emergency wasn’t declared by the EPA until this January.
The water systems, which revealed lead levels exceeding Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, collectively supply water to some 6 million people, the report found.
Asked if President Barack Obama still had confidence in McCarthy, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said, “Absolutely”.
Representative Cummings responded, “You know what? That’s cheap”, Rep. Jason Chaffetz said.
“Not at that time”, McCarthy replied.
Anyone who drank the water – including almost 9,000 children, the population most vulnerable to lead’s adverse side effects – was exposed. Democrats on the committee mostly took shots at Snyder and his administration. Depite that general agreement that someone high up ought to get fired or quit, Republicans and Democrats disagreed on exactly who that should be. “We’ve heard calls for resignation – I think you should be at the top of that list”.
What is not discussed often enough is that what happened to the city of Flint was a crime. “But more importantly, we need to understand what is being done to fix the problem and help the people of Flint recover from this tragedy”. “Seven months”, said Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Virginia.
“Did you read any of those stories about, legionnaires disease, sick kids, rashes, since the switch to the Flint river and the number of cases …” “But it’s a little bit late now for the kids in Flint”. Blood samples taken from children in Flint contained high levels of lead.
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“Not one. Not one”, Connolly said.
