Flint’s lead tainted drinking water has been a crisis for more than a year.
Now it’s also national political issue.
Flint Mayor Karen Weaver strode to the podium at the Democratic National Convention last night after delegates watched video tracing the history of the crisis dating back to April of 20-14.
Once at the podium, Weaver stated the situation bleakly.
“The problems in Flint are not over,” Weaver told the packed sports arena. “The water is still not safe to drink or cook with from the tap. Our infrastructure is broken, leaking, and rusting away.”
Weaver blasted Michigan’s Republican state government for decisions that created the crisis and Congressional Republicans for blocking federal aid to Flint.
Flint’s mayor then praised Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton:
She came to Flint when the water crisis hit. She joined with our community groups, and our civic leaders, and our churches. Hillary said that, "every single child should have the opportunity to live up to his or her God-given potential." She said, "I will fight for you. I will stand with you, every step of the way. I will not for one minute forget about you, or forget about your children. I will do everything I can to help you get back up, and to help you get your strength and resilience flowing through Flint again."
The Michigan Republican Party criticized the Democrats, accusing them of using the Flint Water Crisis for political gain.
Flint is still a city in crisis. Republicans in Michigan are focused on solutions, whereas Democrats are content to use the crisis for political fodder. First, it was Hillary Clinton using a Flint church as a backdrop for a campaign commercial, then going months without mentioning Flint again
The Flint Water Crisis did get a brief mention during last week’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Attorney General Bill Schuette told the RNC about the investigation that his office is conducting into the crisis.
So far, two state and one city employee have been charged criminally.
