tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post817788615186921172..comments2024-03-26T07:07:14.304-07:00Comments on Teacher Tom: Why The Poisoning Of Flint Is A Lesson For UsTeacher Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-43947388874648780182016-01-26T06:40:41.564-08:002016-01-26T06:40:41.564-08:00The story goes much deeper than your (excellent) p...The story goes much deeper than your (excellent) piece. I lived, for 20 years, just south of the city of Flint. My son still lives there.<br /><br />Flint did not actually save money by switching to Flint River water. The switch was made to support a new water project promoted by a range of corporate interests (and being built right now, using public monies). The new water project will support fracking, among other corporate interests.<br /><br />It is hard for folks in other states to understand why MI citizens allow something like the "emergency manager" system (which has been in place and in use since 1999). Well--they don't. In 2012, there was a citizen-led ballot initiative to rescind Public Act 4, the emergency manager law. It passed, convincingly. In December 2012, in lame duck session, the Republican legislature passed a new, tougher emergency manager law, with a clause declaring that it could not be overturned by a ballot initiative. <br /><br />The relevant piece of information here, for the nation and for progressive educators, is that emergency management schemes begin with public school systems. (Detroit, in the case of MI.) When beleaguered urban systems cost more (the proportion of kids in Special Ed is one reason), and show poor test results, the state steps in and hires an emergency manager for "fiscal stability." Once the people accept disenfranchising elected boards, it's a short hop to cities being similarly disenfranchised.<br /><br />A lot of the heat in this story will be lost, once the nation feels that Flint children and families have safe water, and the infrastructure is being gradually replaced. But there's something very sinister that caused this tragedy. If you think it can't happen to you--well, the Governor of IL just proposed an emergency manager for Chicago Schools.Nancy Flanaganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00047575960944913289noreply@blogger.com