RE: request for comment on congressman's letter
- From
- Dennis Muchmore
- To
- Bill Mcbride
{do not believe we should respond to this over the top letter for both legal and philosophical reasons. Responding to
this bust feeds his narrative, Haw about we not issue a letter in response? Here’s my issues:
L.
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ut
First paragraph, top of second page. ”...additional steps that need to be taken to remediate the damage done
to the people of Flint due to the failures at the state government level, alongside the forgiveness of Flint’s
Revolving Funds loan debt if that becomes available.” All of these emotionally charged and essentially
unfounded accusations suggest the state’s culnability in levying damages to “the people of Hint”. There are
definitely people in Flint (mostly poor and without many resources but also many other people) struggling with
an old system, brown water, lead and unsavory health problems that have been put through several months of
alarm and struggle, but lets try to deal with human beings and not political bombast. Let’s identify and solve
problems. Literally hundreds of state ernployees have worked night and day to reselve these issues. Are we
going to blame state employees indiscriminately when our people were simply trying to do their jobs to the best
of their ability and were unable to anticipate (for whatever reason} all the consequences?
First bullet point. “Land other state resources such as the rainy day and general funds to repair damage
to", Sorry, but we're not going to commit the general fund to renair “...Flint’s water distribution
1, What does that mean? Arvtif we sign on to that then where coes it stop and what repairs?
Second peragraph. “..hundreds of millions of collars of damage....”. Where did this come frorn? itake it the
Congressman is now a self-anncintedd expert on water systems and their cost?
Second bullet. “the state create a fund for ongoing assistance...” We already have several funds to deal with
lead exposure anc we have multiple programs, WIC, Medicaid, health endowment, etc. to assist people in
need. Why would we create another fund?
Third paragranh. “. need for significant investments in the local health system in order to respand...”. We
already make significant investments in the local system. They were able to identify the clanger early and |
would assurne they will te significant players in the future. Additionally, DHHS has a myriad of prograrns already
in phace to assist the local health system, which tdan't need to remind averyane is a city owned hospital and for
whatever reason never consulted oy the city when the HWA conversion was being studied and proposed. That
systern also never objected nor tested the Flint River before, even though the river was always the city’s source
backun. Even the proposal pricr to the states involvement considered using two million gallons of Hint River
water and that was a public record. But, that’s another issue best left to another dime.
Third bullet. “rescind Fint’s obligation to provide 52 million for the cast of connecting....”. The state gave the
city $2.1 million to heip the water system during the summer, and part of the agreement te get the $6 million
fron the hegisiature for the emergency was contingent on Flint contributing 4 share.
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”
7. Fourth paragranh. “for the state’s failures is an abdication of clear responsibility...” First of all, it's nota
state’s failures, it is a perhaps avoidable mistake made with the corrosives that was unacceptable to us, the
Director and Governor are taking actions to fix the problerns, the health and wellness of the peaple of Flint is
our absolute concern, and it’s not an abdication of clear resnansibility. The “..state-appointed emergency
manager was in charge...” may well be accurate for the physical change, but the decision to leave the Detroit
system was made when the city, the Mayor, the council, the county, local leaders and the KWA was devised and
that was well before the physical change.
For these reasons and others, ld prefer Sara’s general assistance and aid comments and not responding to the letter.