In a blunt report putting the blame for Flint’s water crisis squarely on state government, a task force finds that Michigan gives too much power to emergency managers and not enough voice to local residents in distressed communities
Michigan Government
Citizens cannot do their job of running their government if they don’t know what their public servants are doing.
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Flint’s switch to river water left residents holding the tab
Beset by financial woes, Flint’s state-appointed leaders kept charging high rates to the city’s impoverished residents even though the switch to the Flint River sharply reduced city expenses
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Breaking: Report finds ‘environmental injustice’ in Flint water crisis; poor, majority-black population given inferior protection
The task force, appointed by Gov. Snyder, finds state agencies, including Snyder’s office, were "indifferent" to residents’ concerns. The report is also scathing on impact of emergency management law. Read the full report here.
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The price of neglect: Michigan must spend billions on water, sewer fixes
Beyond Flint, experts say the state’s failure to upgrade its vast water and sewer systems means at least $17.5 billion in needed repairs. The cost of doing nothing may be even worse.
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Grand Rapids comes out of the sewer
Grand Rapids used to tremble when heavy rains fell since downpours often meant nasty sewer overflows. Today, the city rests easier after investing in a long-term upgrade that reduces the odds that raw sewage will flood river waters.
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In replacing lead lines, what Michigan can learn from Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin, the nation’s first city to replace all lead service lines, discovered that to keep residents safe it had to replace all lines, not just part of them.
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Flint’s legacy may include dramatic expansion of public records law
Questions about the state’s bungled response to Flint’s water crisis have led to a bipartisan push to make the governor’s office and legislature subject to the state’s public records law. Michigan now ranks at the bottom for government transparency.
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Michigan primary delivers one big surprise
Bridge breaks it down by party and county, in two interactive maps
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Sticking with your own kind: tribalism in politics
We all tend to vote for one party over another. But we also are more likely to live, love and troll among fellow travelers.
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Michigan’s aging voting machines a 'catastrophe waiting to happen’
Scrounging for used parts on the Internet, Michigan clerks say it’s time for new election equipment, if the state will pay for it.