State criminal prosecutions of the Flint Water Crisis ended this week with a decision by the Michigan Supreme Court refusing the state’s appeal of lower-court decisions to dismiss charges against former Governor Rick Snyder. It marks the end of a chapter in a very sad book.
Wherever you happen to stand on holding accountable the public officials who put Flint under state-appointed emergency management, I think we can all agree that the optics (not to mention the results) were terrible. And we can add this as a lesson learned — next time rich, "successful" businessmen tell us that they are better than career politicians because (1) they get things done and (2) they take responsibility, maybe we don't believe them.
For the record, I don't think how our state government handled the Flint Water Crisis is the only reason why Michigan population is stagnated. But it certainly hasn't helped. When you're a place that gets several inches of snow on Halloween, you already have enough challenges to keep and attract people.
John Auchter is a freelance political cartoonist. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management, or its license holder, the University of Michigan.
