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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