Gov. Rick Snyder apologized this week for his administration's handling of the Flint water crisis, and the director and main spokesman of the Department of Environmental Quality each resigned.
That should be the beginning of the repairs necessary for this sad chapter, not the end.
The seeds of the water crisis began when the state installed an emergency financial manager to oversee Flint in 2011. While Flint local leaders bear the responsibility for their inability to manage the city's finances, they were not in position of control when a decision was made to save money by switching the city's drinking source. And as we know now, that resulted in elevated blood lead levels for untold numbers of Flint's citizenry.
The apology, and the resignations, confirm that state leaders know they did not do enough when concerns were raised about water quality. In fact, attempts were made by the state and its appointed managers to place the blame for the switch on local Flint leaders. As the controversy unfolded, the Snyder administration tried to discredit health concerns raised by Flint citizens and doctors, then very late in the process acknowledged the mistakes that were made.
We urge Snyder to take a series of corrective actions to ensure transparency, heal a wounded city and re-establish confidence in the political process:
- Drop executive privilege and release all of his communications on Flint water.
- Request an investigation from the U.S. Attorney's office so that subpoenas can be issued.
- Replace every lead water service line in the city of Flint.
- Start a process for compensating families whose children have elevated levels of lead in their blood.
- Return Flint to local control.
Skepticism in Flint's ability to govern itself is understandable given the city's two terms under emergency managers. But with a new mayor in place who is eager to lead, it is time for the state to let her fully do the job that voters elected her to do.
We would urge the city to learn from its mistakes, but also remind the state that Flint's long-term success is directly tied to cleaning up this mess fully, and openly. This is a state issue, not just a Flint issue, and the governor must lead the way to a permanent solution.
This is the opinion of the editorial board of MLive Media Group, the parent company of MLive.com. The board is made up of the company's executive leadership, content directors and editors who oversee the 10 local markets that make up MLive Media Group. See the full list of editorial board members.