“Last night, Gov. Rick Snyder gave a speech about his plan for our state. I’m concerned with the omissions from his speech. There was no mention of energy reform, expanding Elliott-Larsen protections, preventing discrimination, college affordability or even incoming refugees. Instead, nearly half of the governor’s speech was dedicated to the mistakes his administration made that led to the Flint water crisis, a situation that was preventable. The plan he put forth to address this tragedy is only a fraction of what is required. We can, and should, do better for the people of Flint.
“To me, the events that transpired in Flint are part of a disturbing trend. A trend of unequal representation in this state. A trend of a growing divide between the elite and everyone else. Election reforms have eroded away our democracy, our schools continue to deteriorate, our roads continue to crumble and will not be fixed for years, and tax dollars are still wasted on needless projects such as brand new offices for our state senators.
“Our solution for the Flint water crisis, and for our state’s future, is to move in a direction to benefit all residents of this state. We should continue to demand more of our elected officials, and we should work to make improvements to our beautiful state. We should demand a state where everyone is able to get a good education, everyone has a chance for success if they work hard, everyone can enjoy our natural resources, and everyone has the ability to drink clean water.”