ACLU_Michigan

There is some middle ground between malicious and simply negligent, and that is "gross negligence." Public officials are protected if they are simply negligent, but gross negligence is not a protected offense.

It was a purely economically driven decision. the state claimed $5 million would be saved. Part of the tragic irony here is that the final costs could extend into the billions to try and repair the damage to infrastructure and help the kids who have been permanently damaged by this horrible decision to make the people of Flint drink Flint River water.

Not being a member of the law enforcement community, I do not have the authority to conduct a criminal investigation. it is up to others to determine if laws have been broken -- though I think some were. But that is not my call to make. I'm just continuing to investigate, trying to get answer to a number of questions that remain unanswered. the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Michigan Attorney General's office are investigating. But, as I said, those are under way, and nothing is yet known regarding their findings.

Actually, I expected them to do that. But it hasn't happened so far. And, who knows, maybe they can try and discredit me. Although I've heard the governor's spokesman is tellnig some journalists that I'm not a "journalist," in an attempt to take a swipe at my credibility.But they cannot discredit the facts, which are largely built on government documents that the ACLU of Michigan has obtained.

the question is not can they overcome it, but rather should they be forced to overcome it? And the answer to that, in my opinion is a definite NO. The state did this to Flint, and it needs to be the state's responsibility to address and pay for whatever fixes need to be made and can be made. Tragically, for the kids who were lead poisoned, the damage is permanent and irreversible, so that is not something that can be "fixed," only mitigated through stepped up education services, nutrition and other measures -- which the state should also fund.