Gov. Rick Snyder delivered his State of the State address last night and, not surprisingly, he began with the nationally recognized issue of the Flint Water Crisis.
Amidst protests on the Capitol steps, Snyder expressed his deepest sympathies as well as his sincerest apologies for the events transpiring in Flint and promised the state is doing everything in its power to assure healing.
“I’m sorry most of all that I let you down,” he said in his speech. “You deserve to know the truth and I have the responsibility to tell you the truth.”
Thus, an extensive timeline regarding the process of recognition, declaration of a crisis and acting accordingly was mentioned during the address and posted on Snyder’s website.
“I want to tell you that you are not alone," Snyder said. "The state of Michigan stands with you."
The plan
The speech continued on the topic of the Flint crisis with Snyder listing all the state has done and will do to repair the wrongs so many have suffered from.
For example, he referenced several immediate actions of his executive office as well as suggested actions the Michigan Legislature can pass in order to alleviate the current situation in Flint.
Door-to-door deliveries of water filters, bottled water and water testing kits as well as keeping the Flint water on the cleaner Detroit systems are among the immediate executive actions taken by Snyder.
The suggested legislative actions include the replacement of water fixtures in schools, medical treatment of contaminated children, developed treatment centers and a study on the quality of the plumbing infrastructure.
“Michigan will not let you down,” Snyder said. “We will make Flint an even cleaner, safer, stronger city than it was before because that’s what you and your families deserve.”
“I know there will be long-term consequences. We have long-term solutions,” he said somberly.
Those long-term solutions, Snyder said, involve continuous monitoring of the affected children’s health, as well as seeking to replace the horribly outdated water infrastructure in Flint.
The statements rectifying the Flint crisis were met with rousing applause from the Michigan representatives and senators.
Students weigh in
The MSU College Republicans said it is important he works toward feasible solutions and is “the right person to lead us in finding a solution to the issue.”
In addition to their agreement with Snyder’s progress in Michigan’s economy, the College Republicans admired the fact the governor assumed responsibility for the current situation in Flint.
“It is important for leaders to take responsibility, and Gov. Snyder is doing exactly that,” they said.
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However, other students on campus held different opinions.
Political theory and constitutional democracy junior Ronald Owens III of the MSU College Democrats felt, while the apology issued by Snyder in the opening of his address was appropriate, “there is still so much to be done” to bring about these positive promises in Flint.
Owens also asserted the government must be held further accountable for the suffering transpiring in Flint.
“There is evidence that the state of Michigan knew about the homes being poisoned in February and did nothing until October,” Owens said.
Owens and the College Democrats also felt Snyder’s portion of the speech on Flint and his policies must do more to address the “root of the problem,” international relations senior John Wigent said.
Specifically, Owens feels there needs to be a significant bipartisan effort in order to bring about an end to the crisis.
“His goals are certainly attainable if he listens to the public first and then works with legislators from across the aisle,” Owens said.
In addition to students calling for more action on the part of the state, associate professor of social relations and policy and comparative cultures and politics in the James Madison College Louise Jezierski said the governor’s responses and plans for Flint were arbitrary.
Jezierski said the timeline provided by Snyder was particularly disingenuous.
While Jezierski felt the emotional references to the current standings of many Flint families were appropriate, there needed to be more talk of logistics to rectify the current situation.
“I hope the Michigan Legislature realizes this will cost a great deal of money,” she said.
Jezierski acknowledged Snyder’s “impressive grocery list,” but the crisis has done more than just adversely affect children, she said.
“The citizens simply don’t trust the water,” she said. “No one knows what is safe."
