'If white people were still here, this wouldn’t happen': the majority-Black town flooded with sewage (Illinois)

The Guardian ^ | 2-11-21 | Eric Lutz

[Ellendra]

The smaller portion that do understand these things, do not live in places like this.

And if they do, the place tends not to stay like this for long.

[ThunderSleeps]

...they say that for years elected officials and local utility companies inadequately addressed their cries for help.

Just a thought - maybe you should elect different leaders then? Not just different people, but people with different ideas and priorities, like maybe taking care of the town?

Residents and environmental justice advocates...

Oh, never mind. Now I see the problem. Anytime you have "justice" advocates you can bet you're going to have feel-good but ineffective solutions.

...these issues persist because the town is one of the poorest in America...

As my buddy from Brooklyn would say "Ya tink!" If the local tax base cannot support maintenance and upkeep then elected officials need to get creative. Maybe re-prioritize what funds they have? Maybe enact policies to attract businesses and residents to increase the tax base?

They contend that authorities at the local and state level might have addressed wastewater problems long ago if the area was wealthier and more influential.

If the area was wealthier then they wouldn't be having these problems in the first place. They'd take care of themselves rather than relying on someone else. Then again, maybe not. If they elect ineffective leaders - which apparently they are - then it really doesn't matter how much money or other resources they have, they'll squander them ineffectively regardless.

I feel like I should have more sympathy for them but... When it's gone on for years and nothing is changing, the problem starts to look self inflicted.

[kiryandil]

St. Clair County Illinois presidential voting (home of Centreville)

        LBJ Party               Repukelickins
2004    62,410	55.14%		50,203	44.35%
2008    76,160	60.57%		47,958	38.14%
2012    67,285	56.15%		50,125	41.83%
2016    60,756	50.03%		53,857	44.35%	
2020    68,325	53.34%		57,150	44.62%

Dominion is voting for ya now, Centreville residents.

Good luck getting stuff...  

[Responsibility2nd]

Welcome to Wakanda.

Sounds like paradise. No white people around.

[Bogey78O]

To maintain an infrastructure requires skilled people. No skilled people in town? Think about that for a minute.

[mewzilla]

https://www.co.st-clair.il.us/elected-officials

City officials mostly one skin color.

County officials mostly the other.

Looks to me like it’s SSDD.

[Dr. Sivana]

I spent years in different parts of downstate Illinois. There are LOTS of problem areas that are in areas with few black people. One small town could only note on its postcard "A recent study revealed high levels of lead, arsenic & other heavy metals in dust from fly ash, which is dumped at the coal mine by a Decatur, Illinois company." Besides Elkhart, there is also Depue, where a zinc works closed down leaving nothing behind except sullphur, which contaminated the water supply. The state provides bottled water gratis for residents, but you still don't really want to shower with it. Depue had been working class white. Now the houses are worth almost nothing, though some Hispanics have moved in to work at a nearby mushroom farm/operation.

[TexasM1A]

How can this be in the liberal/progressive utopia of Illinios?

You mean Democrat Mayor after Mayor, and Democratic State reps, and Democratic Senators AND Governors have done nothing to help these poor folks?

I’m shocked I tell you, just shocked that the party of “compassion” is quite literally sh!tting all over these people.

[Toespi]

My sentiment as well. Stop electing Democrats to run your cities.

[Da Coyote]

Uh, unless I misread - the town is essentially all black.
So, what is the “leadership” doing?

[mewzilla]

Under the skin, a pol is still a pol.

[dynachrome]

Picture of 2017 Centreville Fish Derby at the site. I don’t think I would eat any of the fish from there.

[wardaddy]

True

[MercyFlush]

Agreed. I had a black neighbor, nice guy, who thought I was a magician when I tuned his old Toyota truck and rebuilt the carb. Then I steam cleaned the engine compartment. It never occured to him to clean under the hood.

[mewzilla]

Check out my links above.

[redpoll]

The town is located on the site of one of North America’s largest pre-contact cities, who had to deal with the same flooding problems currently experienced by Centreville. Those people centuries ago solved the flooding problems with nothing more than basic tools, hard work, organization, and the desire to improve their lives. And they weren’t “white” people at all.

The technology to deal with flooding and disposal of sewage is pre-industrial. There is literally nothing that prevents the people of this community from at least starting to solve their own problems. The fact that they are outspokenly racist points to the cause of their despair, though.

[Carriage Hill]

Just casting the TRUTH. Google is your friend. Do some research.

[mewzilla]

Looks me like all their pols, regardless of skin color, are screwing that city’s citizenry.

[wardaddy]

That’s the essence of one white towns and neighborhoods go black

[Enten]

An admission they can’t drive their own bus.

Maybe they are not smart enough to get a voter ID card as well.

I’m tired of the race card ploy.