Plenty of blame to go around in Flint water crisis: #tellusatoday

President Obama declared a federal state of emergency in Flint, Mich., on Jan. 16 over the city’s drinking water crisis. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

There’s a lot of blame to be shared by everyone, but it starts with the city and state water officials.

However, this went on too long, and the Environmental Protection Agency got involved. Now, the regional EPA administrator responsible for Michigan has resigned. Lots of people should be fired for this one.

— Mike Boothe

Mistakes were made all around. However, the root cause of Flint’s water problems was the Democratic-dominated city government that ran the city into bankruptcy. And then we have the secondary effect of needed cost-cutting measures made by incompetent government employees, and finally incompetence by the EPA and other organizations that supposedly monitor the water.

— David Alexander

This problem is not unique to Flint. It’s occurring all over the USA to poor families who live in “cheap” housing. I’ve learned that many laws are misapplied. And mostly poor and disenfranchised individuals are hurt. (Nearly 42% of Flint’s population falls under the poverty line.) When it’s convenient, laws don’t seem to apply to those in powerful positions or those with friends in high places. In America, justice isn’t blind; it’s for sale!

— Charla Power Gendron

POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media

This issue is not going away. Many children have been exposed to high levels of lead, and it didn’t need to happen.

— John Petz

Gov. Rick Snyder says he will fix the problems in Flint. How exactly will he do that? Will he establish a trust fund to care for the citizens who thought their drinking water was safe but might be left with lifelong developmental and physical effects?

— Larry Berk

Letter to the editor:

We in Michigan are hoping President Obama will assign an emergency manager to take over the job of Gov. Rick Snyder.

Snyder has proved his incompetence.

Laura Dudgeon; Dearborn, Mich.

We asked what our followers thought of local and federal government responses to the Flint crisis. Comments from Twitter are edited for clarity and grammar:

Federal and local governments (regardless of guilt) should take ownership of this crisis and care for their innocent citizens.

— @WondHerful

Local politicians must be criminally charged for allowing this tragedy to occur.

— @JeffOstach

It’s too late for children and those physically affected by lead in water.

— @SandyWeigelwhi1

They haven’t solved anything. Soon the town will be buried in water bottles. Give residents money to move and fire everyone involved.

— @JeffW188

When the governor is asked to release his emails, he shouldn’t pull a Nixon and release only some!

— @gypsy1020

For more discussions, follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday.