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The wrongful termination lawsuit filed in federal court in Detroit said former City Administrator Natasha Henderson was fired in violation of whistle-blower and free-speech protections under Michigan law and the U.S. Constitution. An attorney retained by the city of Flint on the matter did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the mayor's office. A spokeswoman for the city said it was Flint's policy not to respond to allegations made in civil litigation. It is not clear whether any money was actually directed to the mayor's fund instead of the foundation, said Katherine Smith Kennedy, an attorney for Henderson.
The lawsuit was the latest in a series of cases and probes stemming from a scandal over lead contamination in the drinking water in Flint, an economically blighted city of about 100,000 residents. Flint was under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager in 2014 when it switched its water source to the Flint River from Detroit's municipal system to save money. The city switched back in October.
Flint, Michigan Mayor Karen Weaver awaits to testify before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee on the Flint lead water crisis in Washington
The river water was more corrosive than that of the Detroit system and caused more lead to leach from its aging pipes. Lead can be toxic, and children are especially vulnerable. Henderson's lawsuit alleged that Mayor Karen Weaver ordered her assistant and a volunteer to redirect donors from a local fund set up to help families affected by the water crisis to her political action committee instead.
The lawsuit charged that the city employee was "specifically directed" to instruct people "step-by-step" to donate to the mayor's "Karenabout Flint" fund through its website, rather than the Charity Safe Water/Safe Homes fund through the city's website. Neither the Flint City Council nor the charity approved a redirection of donors, the lawsuit said. Henderson, hired in 2015, was fired on Feb. 12, just hours after she asked Flint's chief legal counsel for a second time to investigate the concerns, according to the lawsuit, which seeks unpaid wages and other damages. She reported the allegations three days earlier, the lawsuit said.
Lawsuit accuses Flint mayor of trying to redirect water crisis donors to campaign fund
Foul-smelling water that came through the tap of David Mata Sr’s house in Flint, Michigan, last year turned his sinks and toilets a brownish-orange color and nearly killed all of his plants. The 68-year-old retiree quickly stopped using it, relying instead on bottled water. “I didn’t realize how valuable water was until I didn’t have it any more,” said Mata, who added that he is willing to do whatever is necessary to fix the “bad water” problem that has bedeviled the two-story dwelling — his family’s home for six decades. That includes going along with the state and city’s suggestion that he and other residents run cold water for 10 minutes a day to help Flint recover from its lead-tainted water crisis. The practice is designed to improve the quality of water coming from the tap by flushing out loose lead particles that might linger in pipes and to help coat the pipes to prevent lead from leaching into the water.
Flint, which has about 100,000 residents, is recovering from using the Flint River for 18 months without corrosion controls, causing lead to leach from pipes. The city switched to another source in October last year. Experts last month warned that people leery of using the water were not running enough of it to rid the system of toxic lead, slowing the efforts to clean out lead deposits and recoat the pipes and plumbing to make them safe again. “Flushing the pipes will help reduce the particulate lead, but the long-term success of this action, along with the establishment of a protective coating on the pipes, is also dependent upon how corroded the pipe surfaces were when the measures were initially applied,” said Marty Kaufman, who chairs the University of Michigan-Flint’s Earth and Resource Science department. Kaufman likens the situation to “painting a wall in your house which is not smooth.”
Mata, who worked for years at a now-defunct auto parts assembly plant in Flint, said he hopes the pipe-flushing plan works and is happy to give it a try. Plus, it will not cost him anything, he said. The state is paying all Flint water bills this month in a bid to encourage the practice. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder calls it “a free water month.” Snyder and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver have promoted the effort at appearances and through advertising. Like Mata, Flint resident Tammy Brewer said she is is giving it a shot, but she is less confident about its potential effectiveness. “No more will I believe any government, anything. Bottled water — that’s what I believe in,” said the 54-year-old Brewer, a lifelong Flint resident who runs the faucets daily in the bathroom and kitchen. Brewer said she is doing it “because you have to try everything.”
Flint residents run taps in effort to flush lead out - Taipei Times
Flint residents urged to run taps in effort to flush lead out...
Flint residents run taps in effort to flush lead out
Sat, May 28, 2016 - DESPERATE MEASURES: The practice is designed to improve the quality of water coming from the tap by flushing out loose lead that might linger in pipes
Foul-smelling water that came through the tap of David Mata Sr’s house in Flint, Michigan, last year turned his sinks and toilets a brownish-orange color and nearly killed all of his plants. The 68-year-old retiree quickly stopped using it, relying instead on bottled water. “I didn’t realize how valuable water was until I didn’t have it any more,” said Mata, who added that he is willing to do whatever is necessary to fix the “bad water” problem that has bedeviled the two-story dwelling — his family’s home for six decades. That includes going along with the state and city’s suggestion that he and other residents run cold water for 10 minutes a day to help Flint recover from its lead-tainted water crisis. The practice is designed to improve the quality of water coming from the tap by flushing out loose lead particles that might linger in pipes and to help coat the pipes to prevent lead from leaching into the water.
Flint, which has about 100,000 residents, is recovering from using the Flint River for 18 months without corrosion controls, causing lead to leach from pipes. The city switched to another source in October last year. Experts last month warned that people leery of using the water were not running enough of it to rid the system of toxic lead, slowing the efforts to clean out lead deposits and recoat the pipes and plumbing to make them safe again. “Flushing the pipes will help reduce the particulate lead, but the long-term success of this action, along with the establishment of a protective coating on the pipes, is also dependent upon how corroded the pipe surfaces were when the measures were initially applied,” said Marty Kaufman, who chairs the University of Michigan-Flint’s Earth and Resource Science department. Kaufman likens the situation to “painting a wall in your house which is not smooth.”
Mata, who worked for years at a now-defunct auto parts assembly plant in Flint, said he hopes the pipe-flushing plan works and is happy to give it a try. Plus, it will not cost him anything, he said. The state is paying all Flint water bills this month in a bid to encourage the practice. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder calls it “a free water month.” Snyder and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver have promoted the effort at appearances and through advertising. Like Mata, Flint resident Tammy Brewer said she is is giving it a shot, but she is less confident about its potential effectiveness. “No more will I believe any government, anything. Bottled water — that’s what I believe in,” said the 54-year-old Brewer, a lifelong Flint resident who runs the faucets daily in the bathroom and kitchen. Brewer said she is doing it “because you have to try everything.”
Flint residents run taps in effort to flush lead out - Taipei Times
The average cost for replacing a service water line in Flint through a pilot project that ended this month was $7,500, the newspaper said. The figure is almost twice the $4,000 estimated by the state Department of Environmental Quality at the beginning of Flint's water crisis last fall. The cost comes from a report by the engineering company Rowe Professional Services for the state. The Free Press obtained a copy.
QUALITY REPEAT: A sign is seen next to a water dispenser at North Western high school in Flint, a city struggling with the effects of lead-poisoned drinking water, in Michigan
The increased cost could complicate talks in Lansing, the state capital, over how much Michigan should put up to help Flint as it faces a $460 million revenue shortfall, the newspaper said. Governor Rick Snyder's budget originally called for nearly $200 million for Flint to deal with the crisis. Flint has received $2 million from the state to replace about 500 lines.
A spokeswoman for Mayor Karen Weaver could not be reached immediately for comment. Flint switched water supplies to the Flint River from Detroit's system in 2014 to save money. The river's corrosive water leached lead, a toxic element that can damage the nervous system, from the city's water pipes. Flint switched back to the Detroit system in October.
Flint, Michigan, pipe-replacement cost nearly doubles: newspaper
U.S. federal health officials have confirmed that young children in Flint, Michigan, had significantly higher levels of dangerous lead in their blood after the city switched its water supply from Detroit to the Flint River as a cost-cutting measure. The city switched its water supply in 2014 without ensuring that water from the Flint River had been treated with anti-corrosive agents, as required by law. It corroded the city's old water mains, turning drinking water brown because of iron contamination, and also leached lead from smaller pipes that carried water into homes.
In all, nearly 100,000 people were affected by the contaminated water. Lead in water supplies can cause profound and permanent health problems, particularly in children whose brains and nervous systems are still developing. "This crisis was entirely preventable and a startling reminder of the critical need to eliminate all sources of lead from our children's environment," Patrick Breysse, chief of environmental health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Friday.
Residents of Flint, Michigan, rely on volunteers to deliver bottled water for drinking, bathing and other uses. "Brushing your teeth, showering, cooking. I mean, we use water for a lot more than just drinking water," said volunteer Virginia Bialesco.
The CDC studied children younger than 6 — the age group most vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning. After a public outcry over the lead pollution, city managers switched their water source back to the city of Detroit's system. Subsequently, the study said, the percentage of children with high lead levels in their blood declined to what it had been before the diversion to Flint River supplies. The study's authors said they did not take other factors into account, such as the possibility that some of the children may have ingested flakes of lead paint, which was once commonly used in many parts of the United States. They emphasized, however, that lead exposure affecting children remains a serious health concern not just in Flint, but across the United States.
Because the symptoms of lead exposure are not obvious at first, the CDC said, the problem frequently goes unrecognized. However, "even low levels of lead in children's blood have been shown to affect intelligence, ability to pay attention and academic achievement." Several officials of the Michigan state government are facing criminal charges arising from the Flint water crisis. The Detroit water that now courses through Flint's system does not pose the same corrosion problem. But until old pipes are replaced, Flint residents have been urged to drink only bottled water, and to use filters for drinking and cooking water, and for personal hygiene.
Flint Water Caused 'Significantly Higher' Levels of Lead in Young Children
Flint residents urged to run taps in effort to flush lead out...
Flint residents run taps in effort to flush lead out
Sat, May 28, 2016 - DESPERATE MEASURES: The practice is designed to improve the quality of water coming from the tap by flushing out loose lead that might linger in pipes
Foul-smelling water that came through the tap of David Mata Sr’s house in Flint, Michigan, last year turned his sinks and toilets a brownish-orange color and nearly killed all of his plants. The 68-year-old retiree quickly stopped using it, relying instead on bottled water. “I didn’t realize how valuable water was until I didn’t have it any more,” said Mata, who added that he is willing to do whatever is necessary to fix the “bad water” problem that has bedeviled the two-story dwelling — his family’s home for six decades. That includes going along with the state and city’s suggestion that he and other residents run cold water for 10 minutes a day to help Flint recover from its lead-tainted water crisis. The practice is designed to improve the quality of water coming from the tap by flushing out loose lead particles that might linger in pipes and to help coat the pipes to prevent lead from leaching into the water.
Flint, which has about 100,000 residents, is recovering from using the Flint River for 18 months without corrosion controls, causing lead to leach from pipes. The city switched to another source in October last year. Experts last month warned that people leery of using the water were not running enough of it to rid the system of toxic lead, slowing the efforts to clean out lead deposits and recoat the pipes and plumbing to make them safe again. “Flushing the pipes will help reduce the particulate lead, but the long-term success of this action, along with the establishment of a protective coating on the pipes, is also dependent upon how corroded the pipe surfaces were when the measures were initially applied,” said Marty Kaufman, who chairs the University of Michigan-Flint’s Earth and Resource Science department. Kaufman likens the situation to “painting a wall in your house which is not smooth.”
Mata, who worked for years at a now-defunct auto parts assembly plant in Flint, said he hopes the pipe-flushing plan works and is happy to give it a try. Plus, it will not cost him anything, he said. The state is paying all Flint water bills this month in a bid to encourage the practice. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder calls it “a free water month.” Snyder and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver have promoted the effort at appearances and through advertising. Like Mata, Flint resident Tammy Brewer said she is is giving it a shot, but she is less confident about its potential effectiveness. “No more will I believe any government, anything. Bottled water — that’s what I believe in,” said the 54-year-old Brewer, a lifelong Flint resident who runs the faucets daily in the bathroom and kitchen. Brewer said she is doing it “because you have to try everything.”
Flint residents run taps in effort to flush lead out - Taipei Times
Putting lead into the sewer system seems to be a bad idea. Does anyone know if water treatment facilities have the ability to remove the lead, or are they going to move the problem from their system to the greater environment?
None of the city council????Flint Water Crisis: Up to Three to Face Criminal Charges
Flint Water Crisis: Up to Three to Face Criminal Charges — Sources
None of the city council????Flint Water Crisis: Up to Three to Face Criminal Charges
Flint Water Crisis: Up to Three to Face Criminal Charges — Sources
Journalist David Eggert wrote for The Associated Press 12 October 2016:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Flint resident is asking for a grand jury investigation of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's decision to use at least $2 million in state funds for his legal representation related to criminal probes of the city's water crisis. ...The complaint alleges that Snyder's unilateral use of taxpayer money for his "criminal defense" is misconduct in office, a felony. It also accuses him of a misdemeanor violation of a law prohibiting the use of public funds for personal use without approval from Schuette's office.
The request is necessary because neither the Legislature nor attorney general have stopped the spending, Brewer said.
"Since they failed to enforce the law, it's now up to concerned citizens like Keri to do this"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
article
Flint residents urged to run taps in effort to flush lead out...
Flint residents run taps in effort to flush lead out
Sat, May 28, 2016 - DESPERATE MEASURES: The practice is designed to improve the quality of water coming from the tap by flushing out loose lead that might linger in pipes
Foul-smelling water that came through the tap of David Mata Sr’s house in Flint, Michigan, last year turned his sinks and toilets a brownish-orange color and nearly killed all of his plants. The 68-year-old retiree quickly stopped using it, relying instead on bottled water. “I didn’t realize how valuable water was until I didn’t have it any more,” said Mata, who added that he is willing to do whatever is necessary to fix the “bad water” problem that has bedeviled the two-story dwelling — his family’s home for six decades. That includes going along with the state and city’s suggestion that he and other residents run cold water for 10 minutes a day to help Flint recover from its lead-tainted water crisis. The practice is designed to improve the quality of water coming from the tap by flushing out loose lead particles that might linger in pipes and to help coat the pipes to prevent lead from leaching into the water.
Flint, which has about 100,000 residents, is recovering from using the Flint River for 18 months without corrosion controls, causing lead to leach from pipes. The city switched to another source in October last year. Experts last month warned that people leery of using the water were not running enough of it to rid the system of toxic lead, slowing the efforts to clean out lead deposits and recoat the pipes and plumbing to make them safe again. “Flushing the pipes will help reduce the particulate lead, but the long-term success of this action, along with the establishment of a protective coating on the pipes, is also dependent upon how corroded the pipe surfaces were when the measures were initially applied,” said Marty Kaufman, who chairs the University of Michigan-Flint’s Earth and Resource Science department. Kaufman likens the situation to “painting a wall in your house which is not smooth.”
Mata, who worked for years at a now-defunct auto parts assembly plant in Flint, said he hopes the pipe-flushing plan works and is happy to give it a try. Plus, it will not cost him anything, he said. The state is paying all Flint water bills this month in a bid to encourage the practice. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder calls it “a free water month.” Snyder and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver have promoted the effort at appearances and through advertising. Like Mata, Flint resident Tammy Brewer said she is is giving it a shot, but she is less confident about its potential effectiveness. “No more will I believe any government, anything. Bottled water — that’s what I believe in,” said the 54-year-old Brewer, a lifelong Flint resident who runs the faucets daily in the bathroom and kitchen. Brewer said she is doing it “because you have to try everything.”
Flint residents run taps in effort to flush lead out - Taipei Times
Putting lead into the sewer system seems to be a bad idea. Does anyone know if water treatment facilities have the ability to remove the lead, or are they going to move the problem from their system to the greater environment?
It's not just the home pipes...
... many of the city lines go back decades to when lead pipes were standard fare...
... and are still contributing to the problem.
Flushing the lines is not gonna do a whole lot of good...
... until they are replaced.
Journalist David Eggert wrote for The Associated Press 12 October 2016:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Flint resident is asking for a grand jury investigation of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's decision to use at least $2 million in state funds for his legal representation related to criminal probes of the city's water crisis. ...The complaint alleges that Snyder's unilateral use of taxpayer money for his "criminal defense" is misconduct in office, a felony. It also accuses him of a misdemeanor violation of a law prohibiting the use of public funds for personal use without approval from Schuette's office.
The request is necessary because neither the Legislature nor attorney general have stopped the spending, Brewer said.
"Since they failed to enforce the law, it's now up to concerned citizens like Keri to do this"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
article
If true, Snyder should be impeached and if convicted: a) removed from office, b) imprisoned, and c) made to pay restitution as a condition of probation/parole.
Journalist David Eggert wrote for The Associated Press 12 October 2016:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Flint resident is asking for a grand jury investigation of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's decision to use at least $2 million in state funds for his legal representation related to criminal probes of the city's water crisis. ...The complaint alleges that Snyder's unilateral use of taxpayer money for his "criminal defense" is misconduct in office, a felony. It also accuses him of a misdemeanor violation of a law prohibiting the use of public funds for personal use without approval from Schuette's office.
The request is necessary because neither the Legislature nor attorney general have stopped the spending, Brewer said.
"Since they failed to enforce the law, it's now up to concerned citizens like Keri to do this"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
article
If true, Snyder should be impeached and if convicted: a) removed from office, b) imprisoned, and c) made to pay restitution as a condition of probation/parole.
What law would he be violating? He is being investigated due to his role a Governor in this case, then why should he have to pay for his own defense?
Journalist David Eggert wrote for The Associated Press 12 October 2016:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Flint resident is asking for a grand jury investigation of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's decision to use at least $2 million in state funds for his legal representation related to criminal probes of the city's water crisis. ...The complaint alleges that Snyder's unilateral use of taxpayer money for his "criminal defense" is misconduct in office, a felony. It also accuses him of a misdemeanor violation of a law prohibiting the use of public funds for personal use without approval from Schuette's office.
The request is necessary because neither the Legislature nor attorney general have stopped the spending, Brewer said.
"Since they failed to enforce the law, it's now up to concerned citizens like Keri to do this"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
article
If true, Snyder should be impeached and if convicted: a) removed from office, b) imprisoned, and c) made to pay restitution as a condition of probation/parole.
What law would he be violating? He is being investigated due to his role a Governor in this case, then why should he have to pay for his own defense?
a) Theft
b) Nonfeasance, and
c. Misfeasance
Journalist David Eggert wrote for The Associated Press 12 October 2016:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Flint resident is asking for a grand jury investigation of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's decision to use at least $2 million in state funds for his legal representation related to criminal probes of the city's water crisis. ...The complaint alleges that Snyder's unilateral use of taxpayer money for his "criminal defense" is misconduct in office, a felony. It also accuses him of a misdemeanor violation of a law prohibiting the use of public funds for personal use without approval from Schuette's office.
The request is necessary because neither the Legislature nor attorney general have stopped the spending, Brewer said.
"Since they failed to enforce the law, it's now up to concerned citizens like Keri to do this"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
article
If true, Snyder should be impeached and if convicted: a) removed from office, b) imprisoned, and c) made to pay restitution as a condition of probation/parole.
What law would he be violating? He is being investigated due to his role a Governor in this case, then why should he have to pay for his own defense?
a) Theft
b) Nonfeasance, and
c. Misfeasance
He's doing it out in the open. It's being proposed and executed as part of the State Budget.
Again, what law says the governor has to spend his own money defending actions he took under the auspices of his office?
