Everything about the Flint water crisis has been horrible. From the sad tale of a broken city being mismanaged by a state appointed city manager that focused not on the citizens of Flint, but on the bottom line. To the questioning of how much Michigan Governor Rick Snyder knew about the problem, when he knew it, and why didn’t he act more quickly.

Now comes this story that the State of Michigan supplied workers in the State Government office in Flint with water coolers way back in January of 2015. According to e-mails, the water coolers were provided because of concerns about the quality of Flint’s water supply. And yet nothing was being done about the water and no attempt was made to let the citizens of Flint know there was a problem.

This is just more evidence of failed management of the city and a failed policy that was only concerned with minimizing taxpayer expenses. Sometimes the best course of action involves spending money. Sometimes the best course of action even involves spending money that the government doesn’t have.

When it comes to the health and well being of citizens a “balanced” budget isn’t necessarily a good policy. When it comes to things like protecting citizens, a “balanced” budget isn’t necessarily a good policy.

This is failure of Republican ideals at the most basic level. It is despicable. It is harsh. It is immoral. It is unforgivable.

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/flint-water-crisis/2016/01/28/amid-denials-state-workers-flint-got-clean-water/79470650/