The Flint Water Crisis

Part 1

Flint!

Background on Michigan

People could own homes and cars, and pay for higher education for their children.

Michigan’s 20th century financial success was dependent on automobile manufacturing.

Many jobs were accessible to people without college education and provided good pay, benefits, and pensions.

Background on Michigan

  • Access to less expensive labor overseas

By the mid-20th century, the industry faced many challenges:

  • Weakening of labor unions
  • Increased efficiency due to technological advances meant fewer laborers were needed
  • New jobs often required technical knowledge acquired through advanced education
  • 1970s oil crisis shifted demand toward smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, but American companies were slow to respond to this shift

Background on Flint, MI

As GM sold fewer and fewer vehicles, they began closing manufacturing plants

Major manufacturing hub for General Motors

Made many parts used in GM’s vehicles

Led to reduction in the tax base which impacted funding for municipal government and public schools

Many residents with the means to do so moved away

Decreased tax base further

Emergency Management

2. If they found “probable financial stress” there would be an official financial review conducted by an eight-member panel appointed by the Governor. 

When Flint was placed under Emergency Management in 2011, the process was... 

1. The Michigan Department of Treasury would conduct a preliminary examination of troubled local governments or public school districts.

3. The panel would determine if there was “mild financial stress, severe financial stress or a financial emergency”

Emergency Management

  • Panel could recommend an emergency manager take control of local government or school district
    • The emergency manager would be paid by the locals

If the panel determined it was a financial emergency, there were a few options:

  • If local officials had a viable plan, the panel could recommend consent and the plan could be put in place

The Governor had 10 days to choose which option

The local government had 7 days to request a hearing by the governor (or the gorenor's designee) to appeal the decision.

 

This Emergency Management system was repealed by voters in 2012,
but was then recreated as a new law and enacted by the legislature
just six weeks later.

Under the new system,
Flint still ended up
under emergency management.

In 2014, the Emergency Manager decided to switch
to a new source of water
to save money... The Flint River.

 

 

Student task!

In groups of four (2 NS + 2 SS),
develop three essential questions
about the Flint Water Crisis.

Write each question on one sheet of paper,
filling only the top half of the sheet.

Be prepared to share these questions shortly...