Posted on 08/20/2020 7:15:18 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
More than six years after the Flint water crisis began, residents have reported the city is still broken.
“When I hear my son get up at night and cry because his bones hurt, there’s nothing I can give him, nothing I can do for him to take away his pain,” explained one resident. “I feel completely helpless.”
Now, officials are now hoping to take one big step forward. A long-awaited preliminary settlement has finally been reached between the state of Michigan and victims of the incident.
The agreement, which was announced Thursday, called for $600 million in damages to be distributed among Flint residents, especially children, businesses and special education services.
80% of the funds will be dedicated to settling the claims of children and those who were under the age of 18 in 2014, when the city switched its water source from Lake Huron to the lead-tainted pipes of the Flint River.
About 15% will be set aside to help adults cover property damages or possible business losses. $9 million will go towards funding special education services, while $35 million will be placed in a trust fund for the “forgotten children” who may file claims in the years to come.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel called it “likely the largest settlement in the history of the state” and said the deal “puts the needs of Flint’s children” first.
“This preliminary agreement is a step forward in the healing process,” she added.
According to the governor, it was the very best officials could do without causing any further delays. She has vowed to continue working on the issue.
“We recognize the settlement might not provide all that Flint needs. We hear and respect those voices, and understand that healing Flint will take a long time. The uncertainties and troubles that the people of Flint have endured is unconscionable. It is time for the state to do what it can now.” – Gretchen Whitmer,
The agreement must still go through the courts for final approval. The process is expected to take around 45 days.
In the meantime, the effects of the catastrophe, including the elevated blood lead levels of residents and a steady rise in the number of special needs children, continue to be monitored closely.
Any time I’m feeling blue, I look to Michigan, or to the Socialist Cancer that is Minnesota or Illinois and I feel MUCH better about Wisconsin. ;)
No disrespect to Conservative Freepers in MI, MN or IL; you didn’t make your beds - you just have to lie in them for the time being. :(
Move to Wisconsin! The water’s fine! And we haven’t TOTALLY been over-run by Socialist Democrats. Yet. ;)
I will easily grant you https://www.festfoods.com/.
It’s about $6,500 for every person in flint. This whole thing was totally blown out of proportion to flip the Governor to the rats. The rat mayor was mostly responsible but the Rino Governor got the blame.
Our problem is chicago demtards asist the madistan and milwaukee libtards stealing elections, giving aid and comfort to demtard fleeing senators, et al
How was the state responsible for the city’s choices?
What I still don’t get is how and why in post Roman times the city installed lead water pipes???
President Obama made fun of the Flint water crisis, and mocked the people who suffered and died...
So me and my wife will have to fork over $150 because some dumb people in Flint put a dumb Dem in charge who poisoned them.
So lets be clear here. A dem caused this problem and a dem settled for 600 million of the peoples money. Seems fair to me since I live 250 miles away that I pay to clean up their mess.
Diana, Milwaukee has the “near north/south” sides that I wouldn’t consider chamber of commerce show pieces, but I prefer Milwaukee to Detroit. Flint and Detroit grew up with the auto industry. Detroit was the 5th largest city in the US back in motown and muscle car days. Then the labor unions began to take advantage of a good thing. Next they moved into local government and brought along all their friends so they could spread the wealth (pensions, etc) around. Virtuous public servants like Mayor Kwame, and yet they continue to elect crooks to represent them. Ditto Flint, until they bankrupt the cities they “lead”. Then bankrupt cities that the auto industry left many years ago for right to work states have lost their tax base, lost employers, lost any confidence in leadership, and eventually those that remained in 2008 had largely also lost hope. Corrupt leaders of bankrupt cities become desperate and saving money became more important than protecting the public health and welfare that should have been their first priority.
I left MI 40 yrs ago, and WI 23 yrs ago for work in the South. Down here we have Birmingham, and the story is the same, just change the names. All suffering due to years of corrupt, selfish (and liberal Democrat) leadership leaving desperate citizens with payouts as their last hope. Sad to see how far we’ve fallen and how the trust of so many has been betrayed. The example is sorry, and the pattern hard to see a break for the better in.
Later
Thanks for sharing. My family left Milwaukee in 1970 and moved to the Madison area as my Dad got a great job.
One of the first things he did was take me to see the bombing of Sterling Hall in Madison, where a researcher was killed and the building blown to bits by local leftist radicals.
https://onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/features/the-blast-that-changed-everything/
It was a great object lesson, and I’ve been following events in both Milwaukee and Madison ever since. (I no longer live in Dane county - moved out 5 years ago.)
Madison was really, REALLY hoping for their Kent State Moment with all of the George Floyd-related bogus rioting that pretty much destroyed State Street. They didn’t get it, but the Old Hippies that have ruled Madison for so long have taught their children well. :(
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