America : On The Edge of an Infrastructure Crisis
Meeting with the much maligned Michigan Governor has continued to be a challenge for Weaver . She makes demands and he often ignores or rejects them outright , deepening her anger and frustration .“ We fought , initially . I ’ ve walked out and slammed the door ,” she says . Negotiations are often deadlocked . Still , she continues to push . “ I had to figure out a way to get the resources my community needed ,” she explains . “ My personal feelings are not as important as the people of Flint . I am mad as hell , yes . But he has the resources we need , so I go to the table .”
So far Weaver has negotiated to get health care for children in Flint expanded to age 21 , and to all pregnant women . She has made it possible for church pods to remain open and made sure that there are now nine new school nurses on site in schools throughout the city .
“ Have we gotten enough ?” she said , “ No . Of course not .”
America is on the edge of an infrastructure crisis . Many cities across the country are facing similar issues with contaminated water piping and other critical infrastructure weaknesses . There is a boil water advisory somewhere nearly every day in the U . S , and many of the pipes are 80 to 100 years old . Southeastern Michigan now has 300,000 without water . The American Water Works Association ( AWWA ) has warned that the cost of repairing and expanding U . S . drinking water infrastructure will top $ 1 trillion in the next 25 years , through higher water bills . This is a hurdle for communities like Flint , San Juan , and Detroit which have high rates of poverty . According to Hydrate Detroit co-founder Beulah Walker , there are thousands of Americans living without running water because of shut-offs .
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