title:  Bernie Sanders Releases Scathing Statement On Rick Snyder Over The Flint Water Crisis
text: On Saturday, Bernie Sanders released a much-anticipated statement on Michigan s governor Rick Snyder and the Flint water crisis. In the statement, Sanders calls for Snyder to resign. There are no excuses. The governor long ago knew about the lead in Flint s water. He did nothing. As a result, hundreds of children were poisoned. Thousands may have been exposed to potential brain damage from lead. Gov. Snyder should resign,  Sanders said in a press release.In April 2014, Flint s emergency manager forced the city to switch from using Detroit s water system to using the Flint River for water. The decision to do so was touted as a means to cut costs for the city. It turned out to be a disaster. There is an unusual amount of salt in the Flint River. The river is also extremely contaminated. So when the salt began to corrode the pipes of Flint s water system, lead leaked into people s drinking water.One study found the pipe corrosion problem could have been solved for as little as $100 a day. Now it is estimated that it will cost up to $1.5 billion dollars to fix Flint s water system. There has been massive outcry over the water system transition since day one. When evidence was shown that Flint s water had become contaminated, Snyder and the emergency manager choose not to act. That s why Snyder is currently being investigated by the EPA.Just before the new year, Snyder released an official apology to the people of Flint and Michigan. Considering people are so angry at Snyder, that they are calling for his arrest, the apology has been almost universally lambasted. I want the Flint community to know how very sorry I am that this happened. And I want all Michigan citizens to know that we will learn from this experience, because Flint is not the only city that has an aging infrastructure,  Snyder said in the apology.Sanders, like so many others was critical of that apology. Because of the conduct by Gov. Snyder s administration and his refusal to take responsibility, families will suffer from lead poisoning for the rest of their lives. Children in Flint will be plagued with brain damage and other health problems. The people of Flint deserve more than an apology,  Sanders said.Sanders is absolutely right, Snyder should resign. It is the only move he could make that would leave him with a scrape of dignity. Every moment that Snyder continues to stay in office, is a slap in the face to residents of Flint and the rest of Michigan. Though, I am sure Snyder won t resign.Featured Image Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)