The Flint water crisis: MI Sen. Stabenow says race factor in Flint response
Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan tells Yahoo News that she believes race was a factor in the state’s slow response to the Flint water crisis.
“The sad, outrageous reality is that people were not paying attention to what the residents were saying because they weren’t a priority,” Stabenow told Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga. “[The state] would react differently when their friends that lived in those areas called … that’s just a fact that [Flint was] treated differently than others would be treated.”
Stabenow’s comments come in sharp contrast to Gov. Rick Snyder’s remarks Friday morning, when he said that his state’s response to the crisis was “absolutely not” a case of environmental racism.
When asked whether the Snyder should resign, Stabenow said she, “certainly would be very happy if he took full responsibility and did that.”
She still does not believe there is a “sense of urgency” within the state to fix this problem.
“When the state says they are doing everything possible, I don’t believe it for a minute,” said Stabenow. “They have dragged their feet every step of the way.”
She also said that criminal charges could be warranted on account of what has happened to Flint’s families, specifically children.
“I think that those on the criminal side need to look very closely at this, because I think it is an absolute outrage,” said Stabenow. “We have to have people held accountable.”
Stabenow has called for the creation of a Future Fund to deal with the long-term problems of the lead poisoning.
