Flint Residents Told That Their Children Could Be Taken Away If...

They Don’t Pay For City’s Poison Water!

As the water crisis in Flint deepens, it is becoming apparent that the effects of the lead-infested water are not just a health hazard, but the situation has the potential of ruining many more lives outside of the poison issue. There is no denying that the water in Flint is undrinkable and that it is contaminated with lead and other substances, and it is clear that the government of Flint is responsible for the problem.

However, the city’s government continues to charge people for the poison water and then threatening to foreclose their home or take their children if they refuse to pay. Michigan law states that parents are neglectful if they do not have running water in their home, and if they chose not to pay for water they can’t drink anyway, then they could be guilty of child endangerment. Activists in Flint say that some residents have already received similar threats from the government if they refuse to pay their bills.

Recent estimates have indicated that it could take up to 15 years and over $60 million to fix the problem, and the residents will be essentially forced to live there until the problem is solved. Despite the fact that the issue is obviously the government’s responsibility, they have made it illegal for people to sell their homes because of the fact that they are known to carry contaminated water. Meanwhile, residents are still left to purchase bottled water on their own, in addition to paying their water bill.

Sou rce

It's beyond outrageous, it's abhorrent & evil on a level thats beyond comprehension to me, both as a human being & a parent.

If this is true, I honestly don't understand why some ppl are still breathing, its extortion!

I can't post anything right now that doesn't include some form of violence, I'll freely admit that so I'll come back later. (Mods if you feel this posts needs deleted, I understand)

a reply to: schadenfreude

Fascist USA...who'd have thought it only a few decades ago...what the hell has happened to your country?

Welcome to the 21st century folks.

If the people can't move out, and payments are being extorted for contaminated / toxic water supplies..the only thing they can do, is to invest in some type of filtration system for their water supplies...either reverse osmosis, distillation apparatus, or some other filter system to remove the poisons and toxic elements in the water, or at least reduce them to much safer levels.

Frankly, if i were there and now have concrete absolute proof positive that the local authorities neither give a toss about my family or what is acceptable to force on people and what isn't...i'd be outta dodge like a shot.

a reply to: schadenfreude

if their home "accidentally" burns to the ground, they can use the insurance money to move.

just a thought

a reply to: schadenfreude

This topic is absolutely outrageous and scandalous. Whilst i have been following this on ATS, i also watched an in depth news report on this topic by Channel 4 (UK). The news report really brought home what a scandal this is and how costly in terms of childrens health (especially given the number of children affected).

It also featured an interview with the ex Mayor who said the water was fine to drink. He was trying to come across as all contrite and apologetic but i have to say, to an outsider, he looked more like a banker apologising for crashing thousands of businesses....whilst walking away with a hefty pay off and no jail time - in short, he looked like he was making puppy eyes for the cameras.

The health affects are just staggering, especially given the percentages involved (ie, chance of developing detoriating brain conditions, etc). Quite simply, Flint is going to have an enormous problem moving forward with mental defficencies as well as physical health problems.

And then, to cap it all off, you now have this on top. Seriously, charges need to be brought in this case and people need calling to account. This should be front page stuff nationally pretty much every day until it is resolved.

a reply to: schadenfreude

This claim is false..

www.snopes.com...

It seems to have come from a Flint resident speaking to RT, they were speculating that children could be taken from their parents.

Check the link above

a reply to: schadenfreude

This is a disgrace. Flints governance should have issued two very important instructions immediately that this crisis hit. First of all, all water tariffs should have been suspended until the problem with the water quality was solved. Second, all automatically generated notices issued to citizens upon failure to pay tariffs should have been cancelled, and those are both day one jobs.

There can be no justification for charging people for poisoned water, just like there can be no justification for selling radioactive land for potential housing projects. This is intolerable, and the people responsible for this outrage should be publicly flogged, fired, and banned from managing anything, or attaining a position higher than that of "tea boy" in any public or private enterprise as long as the useless lackwits live.

Edit to add:

If it is false that any parent has actually been threatened with the removal of their child as a result of failure to provide water, since the crisis broke, and if it is the case that CPS are specifically under instructions not to remove a child under water access reasoning until such time as the water quality improves, then obviously, what I said above does not apply.

However, Flint residents should not be being charged for water they cannot use, and until they can use the water without even a half of one percent of a risk of damaging their health, they should not pay at all. Flints governance has a responsibility to get its house in order, if it wants to be permitted to charge its residents room and board again.

Also, if the OP article is lying about the child protection service issue, then who ever wrote that needs to be forced to take a swim in the river feeding the pipes for a bit. It will be educational for them.

a reply to: TrueBrit


Don't forget about the fracking lands...where the tap water can be set on fire!

People are being poisoned and are also expected to pay for the 'privilege'.

Perhaps Erin Brokovich needs to intervene, and offer a glass of local tap water to the officials.

jacy

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: schadenfreude

This claim is false..

www.snopes.com...

It seems to have come from a Flint resident speaking to RT, they were speculating that children could be taken from their parents.

Check the link above

I read the link above, and I wouldn't take it as gospel, mainly bc its only an e-mail. I don't know who the person is responding to that e-mail, I doubt they have a PGP key or whatever proving their identity.

I'm also not a fan of CPS, they're shady asshats, and I don't trust them as a whole.

And to be equally frank, not a fan of snopes either.

If this turns out to be false, I agree that the person who typed it out should be charged with slander/libel, but at the same time, I wouldn't put anything past anybody this late in the game where money is concerned.

How sad is that?

a reply to: jacygirl

Yes indeedy!

I think Brockovitch ought to be all over this like a spandex onesie! This is her domain. In fact, why doesn't Brockovitch run for office? She would have boots on necks so fast in cases like this, that people would get friction burns on their faces!

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: schadenfreude

This claim is false..

www.snopes.com...

It seems to have come from a Flint resident speaking to RT, they were speculating that children could be taken from their parents.

Check the link above

John Vibes is the author on the article, pulled this off his FB page regarding this issue:

"I have received a bunch of criticism for my article last week about how parents could face losing their children if they don't pay their water bills in Flint. People are having a hard time believing it.
This is Michigan's Children’s Protective Services resource handbook. On page 15 you will see that a house without running water is grounds for child neglect charges.
Also, Flint resident Melissa Mays has come forward and confirmed that families are being threatened with this, along with foreclosure if they refuse to pay up."

John Vibes

fwiw.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Oh yes! I would go for dual citizenship, just to vote her in, lol. (Trump makes me want to move further from the border, hehe)

We are slowly being poisoned from every direction now. Our generation has a 'shorter shelf life'.
(Tell me that's an...accident?)

jacy

Detroit seems to avoid any responsibility for this mess. After they found out flint was going to switch water suppliers in 2016, they terminated flints contact after a year leaving them with the river as a water supply.
Detroit missed out on two years of revenue.
Everything went fubar from there.


I was wondering about the water. Obviously you can't consume the water, but can they shower and do dishes without poisoning themselves?
Does lead stick to you and get absorbed?
The only lead poisoning I know of has been taken orally like eating old paint chips. I've never heard of plumbers or auto body workers that used lead in their jobs being poisoned.

With things such as Animal Enterprise Terrorist Act this doesn't surprise me in the least.

a reply to: schadenfreude

If my family was in that situation, I definitely wouldn't be paying my water bill. Who in their right mind should be forced to pay for a product or service that is dangerous? Nobody in flint should be paying for a water bill until the system is completely fixed. That should be the city's number one priority to replace those water pipes and clean-up the water. The cost of tearing up the streets to replace them shouldn't even be an issue. Peoples lives and their quality of life are in danger!!

a reply to: jacygirl

I would, but my name is TrueBrit, not BSAnglo-Saxon!

a reply to: schadenfreude

There is no denying that the water in Flint is undrinkable and that it is contaminated with lead and other substances, and it is clear that the government of Flint is responsible for the problem.

I just have to note that the "government" responsible is the governor of Michigan and the Emergency Manager imposed on the city by the state. They are the ones who made the decisions leading to this crisis -- NOT the elected members of the Flint City Council, who had virtually no power or authority once the Governor imposed the Emergency Manager.

This is disgusting. Can they really get away with making people pay for water they cannot use? And not let them sell their homes? It doesn't feel like the government are doing very much to help. Do they really have to pay for bottled water?? Surely they should get at least that for free...

I might stop off here on my way to oregon and teach some more criminal officials a lesson.

a reply to: schadenfreude

Massive leap in logic there.

Melissa Mays is the woman in the RT news clip, she does not say families are being threatened at all, so unless she's quoted elsewhere saying that, John Vibes is lying.

Here's the video..