The city of Flint, Michigan is facing a dire public health crisis thanks to the budget cuts implemented by Republican Governor Rick Snyder. We brought this to your attention last week with the third installment of our “Republican Cuts...” campaign, Republican Cuts Poison. Unfortunately, things have severely escalated since then.
A Legionnaires' disease outbreak has spiked in Genesee County, the same county that has been served lead contaminated water for the past two years. Experts say the correlation between the contaminated water and the spike of disease is “very likely." So far, 87 cases have been found and ten have led to death.
Now we have to ask, did Republican cuts kill yet again?
The Agenda Project Action Fund has released a new online ad to pose this question, entitled Republican Cuts Kill in Flint. Our last ad placed the blame squarely on Governor Rick Snyder for poisoning the people of his state, but now the blood of ten innocent people is on his hands. It is safe to assume this body count will only increase as more cases are exposed.
WATCH OUR AD: REPUBLICAN CUTS KILL IN FLINT
We are outraged and we hope you are too. The reckless budget cuts of Republican lawmakers like Governor Snyder have cost the lives of far too many innocent people. They have let diseases spread, they have permitted trains to crash, they have told parents to just sit and watch their children suffer from lead poisoning, and now they are responsible for infecting dozens with a rare and potentially fatal form of pneumonia. The ongoing water crisis in Flint is just another example of Republican priorities and the devastation that occurs when those priorities are implemented.
In an ironic turn of events, Governor Snyder, who has constantly shamed and scolded leaders in Washington, DC for their “reckless” spending, is calling upon President Obama and the federal government for help. Just this week, he asked President Obama to issue a state of emergency and a major disaster declaration over the water crisis, this is in addition to his request for federal aid.
Please watch our new ad, Republican Cuts Kill in Flint, and share it widely.
We will NOT stand for any further dangerous budget cuts from this, quite literally, toxic political party.
We will NOT let Governor Rick Snyder avoid accountability for the ten deaths and incalculable amount of suffering he has caused.
Will you?
Erik Altieri is the President of the Agenda Project and Agenda Project Action Fund.
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