A Blueprint for Disaster: Flint's Crisis, State Government's Challenges and the Policy Solutions to Both
Type
Fact Sheet or Infographic
Year
2016
Level
City or Town
State(s)
Michigan
Policy Areas
Democracy & Governance, Health
The government should protect people from water crises. When governments are run as businesses, they fail to consider the needs of residents. Instead, they should work to improve infrastructure and reduce the race and wealth cap in access to city services. The disaster in Flint was a violation of the public’s trust and a failure of “public service.” The core role of government is to provide basic public services like roads, clean water, education and public safety—services needed to keep citizens safe, attract companies and commerce, and fuel the economy. The needs of low income people in Michigan, especially people of color, have largely been overlooked by state government, whether they live in places like Flint and Detroit or Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Government should serve the public good.