Flint: Two years too long

Editor’s note: What follows is a statement to the supporters and sympathizers of the Flint water crisis at an anti-Veolia rally in Los Angeles on April 25, 2016. This date marks two years since the switching of Flint’s water to the polluted Flint River, poisoning an entire city.
FLINT, MI — After two years, the fight for safe affordable water in Flint, MI., continues. It’s like we’re living in a third world country,” still living off bottled water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Lead and other toxins in the water have not dampened our resolve.
Michigan’s Emergency Manager system, where the governor can send a crony into a city or school district and takeover is the untold story in this tragedy. These managers are empowered to sell off public assets as well as privatize public services without a say so by the people. In their zeal to seize our water and water rights, our city was poisoned!
Veolia, the largest private operator of municipal water and sewer systems in the U.S., played a treacherous role in the Flint tragedy. In February of 2015, the Emergency Manager here hired Veolia as a so-called consultant to conduct an analysis of the Flint water system.
For months, the hue and cries of the people with rashes, foul odors, water discoloration, and illnesses, including Legionnaires’ disease had been ignored. Yet a few weeks later, Veolia declared “Your Water Is Safe” in its final report, for which they were paid $40,000 for a month long study. The report reads: “Indicates compliance with State and Federal water quality regulations.” At no time did Veolia sound the alarm or suggest that the failure to use corrosion control in the River water could and did result in the lead crisis we face today. In that regard, the so-called report was another betrayal to the people of Flint.
Veolia jumped in bed with the local government (Emergency Manager), state (the Governor and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality) and the Federal Government (EPA), in its abject failure to protect the health and safety of even our most vulnerable citizens, especially the children.
The struggle continues here in Flint and in Michigan. We are seeking disaster relief status from the Federal government to replace all of our lead pipes. We are demanding Medicare for all regardless of age to confront the enormous health challenges. Last but not least, we demand an end to the dictatorship system gripping ours and other Michigan communities.
We have received overwhelming love, water, and finances from around this country and the world. The most powerful support of all is your voices of resistance.