Michigan's Lament: As Utah Senator Holds Up Aid Package, Flint Suffers

[Purveyor]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's been two years since problems began with the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, and nearly six months since officials declared a public health emergency there.

Yet a bipartisan congressional effort to aid the predominantly African-American city north of Detroit is idling in the Senate - stalled by the objections of a Republican senator from Utah.

"This is not an abstraction. This is 100,000 kids and adults all suffering every single day and it's pretty frustrating," said Rep. Dan Kildee, a Michigan Democrat who represents Flint.

"We will not give up, that's for sure," Kildee said in interview, vowing that congressional Republicans "are not going to run out the clock on Flint, Michigan."

MORE...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/midwest/ct-congress-flint-water-crisis-20160325-story.html

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/midwest/ct-congress-flint-water-crisis-20160325-story.html

[AxionExcel]

1. Republicans really hate Americans

[seamonkey58]

5. No, they really hate non-white Americans

Flint is majority black. All of the cities being taken over by Rick Snyder's emergency managers are majority black. If the water poisoning had happened to a white town or city, the problem would have been solved in about three minutes.

[Else You Are Mad]

2. How dare he?

I just don't get how anyone could do what he is doing. These are the lives of human beings, these are children that are suffering and will not be able to live the life they should due to lead poisoning.

He is trading lives for sound bites and the ability to show his state he is a good republican fighting wasteful spending.

[atreides1]

8. He doesn't care!

Or maybe he doesn't think that American Blacks deserve the same rights and privileges as White Mormons!

I don't call it the Moron Church without reason!!!

[The CCC]

3. Michigan's Lament: As Utah Senator Holds Up Aid Package, Flint Suffers

Force that worthless Lee and his family to drink Flint water.

[King_Klonopin]

18. Did he vote against relief for N.J. after hurricane Sandy ?

I bet he did. Another blue state with a lot of folks who are non-white.

Republican Senators have made a disgrace out of civil, parliamentary procedure.

[Gman]

4. And he is the ONLY GOP Senator to endorse Cruz

Says a lot.

[Reter]

11. Lindsey Graham endorsed him last week

But point taken.

[sulphurdunn]

6. If this happened in Utah

the SOB would demanding federal aid without delay. You gotta wonder what kind of people send someone like that to represent them in Washington. Are they like him? If so, how many of them are out there?

[atreides1]

10. What kind of people...

...send someone like him to represent them, people that feel the same way he does! I haven't heard a single damn word from the Mormon Church or the Mormon population of Utah, telling him to quit blocking this aid package, has anyone heard anything from those good God fearing folk in Utah?

[Umbral18]

12. His supporters are Teabaggers mostly, so they don't give a fuck about anyone but themselves.

They'll toss around a lot of platitudes that make it sound like its a philosophical position, in reality they're just mean spirited. It's the same with the Medicaid expansion, the Mormon/Republican controlled congress would turn down millions in federal money because the people that would benefit are very likely outside the preview of the Church (LDS) Welfare system. To put it more succinctly, "You're not one of us, fuck off and die!"

[AngryAmish]

7. Remember the Simpson's meteor episode?

I said it before, and I will say it again. Democracy does not work.

[NutmegYankee]

9. What do you support instead?

Autocracy?

[AngryAmish]

13. A representative republic.

[NutmegYankee]

15. Similar to a Representitive Democracy?

Technically the two are interchangeable as terms.

[Major Hogwash]

14. Didn't Hillary give a speech there in Flint?

That solved that problem?

Well, geez, I guess not, after all.

[notadmblnd]

20. I was told she could work with Republicans in congress and get things done?

Not so much, huh?

[fbc]

16. How much money are we going to have to sink into Flint?

Maybe the city should just be evacuated? Why invest in a city that is dying anyway?

Or maybe Michigan should pay it? They elected the republican governor. This wasn't an act of nature.

[Socal31]

17. Disgrace.

[greymouse]

19. question

So I read one of the articles and it says the objection is Michigan has a fat surplus and could pay for this itself. Is that true? Especially since it caused this problem, that would seem fair.

[jtuck004]

21. Lead poisoning and Republican Sen. Mike Lee. Both bad for children. n/t

[ViseGrip]

22. Flint is suffering because the state has a big fat SURPLUS and doesn't want to spend it

on FLINT!
Nor, give it back to the tax payers after they balanced their budget? States have to. I can see rainy day funds...and it's raining. What on Earth is the money for? A corporate welfare stadium? Something fancy that will line their pockets?

No pols like to fix pipes cuz they're underground where no one sees them, no one sees your name. Shameful. Why wait for the crazy feds when you have your own extra money, Michigan?

Republicans with surpluses....so funny.