Sunday, December 29, 2024

The Economics of Water

image:peakwater.org
image:peakwater.org

By James Clingman
NNPA News Wire Columnist

“Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink.”
— Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

I can hear the backroom discussion now: “We can save money if we stop taking our drinking water from Lake Huron and start using water from the Flint River instead.” Those may not be the exact words, but the leaders of Flint, Michigan, including the two recent Emergency Managers, City Council, the EPA, and the Governor, have caused a catastrophe.

Money is the common theme among the perpetrators in Flint; it is always lurking in the shadows of the many problems facing Black and poor people. Now, in a city that is approximately 60 percent Black and has a 40 percent-plus poverty rate, money trumps life again. Money trumps the long-term effects on more than 8,000 children, many of whom will grow up suffering from the physical, cognitive, and emotional illnesses caused by lead poisoning. As one person said, “Everybody in the city has been poisoned, everybody.”

Sophia A. McClennen (Salon.com) wrote, “The story of Flint is the story of what happens when profits are more important than people. What Michael Moore captured in [Roger and Me] was a clear prelude to what is happening [in Flint] today. First, Flint residents lost their jobs. Twenty-five years later they have lost their water and their health. There are ten dead…from Legionnaire’s disease in Flint and countless others with serious illnesses from contaminated water.”

Politicians are playing games with this emergency, and trying to garner votes from it. Remember Rahm Emmanuel’s quote? “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that is it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” Where is the “opportunity” in this crisis? Was the slow response to this crisis really just an opportunity to get more money?

This is far from being about what party is in charge. Some folks are blaming the Republican Governor and some are blaming the city council, on which the Democrats hold a 7-1 majority. But so what? The damage is done; the right question is “Now what?”

Many people have marshalled their forces to assist the people of Flint, first, by bringing water. The Feds have granted a measly $5 million to help but the POTUS, who went to nearby Detroit but did not go to Flint, denied the request by the governor to declare the situation a “major disaster,” which under law applies to natural disasters and “certain other situations.” Isn’t this a “certain other situation”? Isn’t it just as important as getting water to Katrina victims and providing healthcare for Flint’s citizens?

It would be great to see our doctors, psychologists, attorneys, scientists, engineers, and technical personnel lend their talents to help, like we do in other countries. In light of this terrible situation, Flint is in need of all the services, assistance, contributions, and prayers that we can muster. By the way, so are the folks in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, where the citizens are suffering from all sorts of diseases and untimely deaths, because of the still lingering effects of the BP oil spill. Earnest McBride of the Jackson Advocate has covered this story.

The lawsuits will come and the money from the taxpayers’ coffers will flow, money that could have been used to prevent the problem in the first place. The long-term health ramifications of lead poisoning are irreversible but manageable if the funds to do so are available. The State of Michigan, as it deals with myriad financial issues, will now have to pay billions for its neglect and lack of concern for poor people.

Beginning with Idlewild in 1912, Michigan has had issues with Black/White relationships, social/environmental justice, and economic progress, which provides a context from which to view Michigan’s current predicament, Detroit and its recent economic woes notwithstanding.

In Benton Harbor, with a 90 percent Black population, Edward Pinkney was imprisoned for fighting for social and economic justice, another example of money trumping what is right. The NAACP abandoned brother Pinkney and opted, by its silence and lack of advocacy on his behalf, chose the path of least resistance, and who knows what they received from the Whirlpool Corporation in return for their silence? Once again, as it has throughout the nation, the NAACP manipulated the local election to get rid of Pinkney as President. He went to prison and Whirlpool got an NAACP award.

Three of the five great lakes, Michigan, Huron, and Erie, virtually surround Michigan. For folks in Flint to have to drink water from the Flint River in order to save money is reprehensible. “Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink.” To all of you “Civil Rights” advocates: What could be a greater “civil right” than having clean water to drink?

James Clingman is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. His latest book, Black Dollars Matter! Teach your dollars how to make more sense, is available on his website, Blackonomics.com.

4 COMMENTS

  1. I will not argue with much of anything that is put forth in the article. However, if I was to choose the title, I would choose “The Politics of Water” as opposed to “The Economics of Water”. Politics is the institution that determines and forms the economy or lack thereof. When politics fails, a more destructive institution called war emerges. The Flint political institution was allowed to fail the people. This is what I call a textbook example of what happens when “the people” don’t act to make sure the political institutions of a community work as they should. It’s as simple as saying that if you don’t stay on top of your local politiicians, they might poison your water.

  2. The last sentences of Anonymous’ comment are ones that need to be repeated today in Dallas, “…”the people” don’t act to make sure the political institutions of a community work as they should. It’s as simple as saying that if you don’t stay on top of your local politicians, they might poison your water.”

    In Flint, the agencies and the elected officials that were “supposed” to be watch dogs, just shifted the responsibility and said everything is OK. It took citizen involvement to bring light and change!

    Thank God, Flint had some activists that would not stop exposing the true.
    Flint was also blessed to have some local whistle-blowers come forward.

    The negatively affected Flint people’s lives will never be the same again. Most Lead, Mercury, Arsenic and Fluoride damage is not reversible. This is why THESE harmful nuerotoxins need to be AVOIDED!!.

    It is totally INSANE to add these contaminants to the Public water supply…for “supposed” tooth decay prevention!!

    It is unethical, unsafe, ineffective, and there are better ways to help prevent tooth decay!

    I am praying some employees of the Dallas Water Utilities or some of the our representatives on the Dallas City Council truly stop and investigate this dangerous program. I am praying their heart and a conscience will give them the strength to come forward and help end the Fluoridation Program in Dallas.

    Mr. James Clingman, if you read this comment…PLEASE Help us…Write an article about the Unsafe Ineffective Fluoride Program in Dallas that disproportionately affects Blacks and Hispanics. It is Environmental Racism!

    This is an environmental problem that can be turned of with the twist of the lever!

    Go to http://www.DallasforSaferWater.com for more information
    One more time… I mean this sincerely…THANK YOU North Dallas Gazette your fair and unbiased reporting and for publishing journalists like Mr Clingman and Joe Farkus

  3. “Love Canal taught us the lesson that health, environment, and justice are inextricably linked. We oppose water fluoridation as it harms our health, it harms the environment, and is a textbook case of environmental justice harm affecting low income and families of color. Most families do not know about the issue and/or do not have the funds to avoid fluoridated water if they desire to not consume it. For all of these reasons, we oppose water fluoridation and we join in calls for Fluoridegate hearings.” – Lois Gibbs, founder Center for Health, Environment & Justice, Nobel Peace Prize nominee (2015)

    Ambassador Andrew Young, the King family and LULAC have all made statements opposing fluoridation as both a human rights violation based on bioethics and an environmental injustice based on disproportionate harm to communities of color. Fact of the matter is, fluoridation is profitable to a number of stakeholders. Consequently, there is a disinformation campaign that suppresses science, silences medical opinions, and stifles testimonies of those harmed by fluoridation, regardless of color.

    2017 IAOMT: https://iaomt.org/resources/fluoride-facts/
    2016 Erin Brockovich: http://fluoridealert.org/wp-content/uploads/brockovich-2016.pdf 
    2016 Ambassador Young: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016AndrewJYoung/10/prweb13768202.htm
    2015 Lois Gibbs: http://fluoridealert.org/wp-content/uploads/gibbs-2015.pdf
    2011 LULAC: https://lulac.org/advocacy/resolutions/2011/resolution_Civil_Rights_Violation_Regarding_Forced_Medication/

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