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Despite cries from both Democratic presidential candidates and members of their party in Congress last week, Gov. Rick Snyder should not resign over the Flint water crisis.
Why?
Well, for one it would be the most cowardly thing to do. As long as he's in office, he needs to fix the problem he bears much responsibility for. No politicians with any pride would walk away from a mess of this magnitude without wanting to fix it.
That being said, many folks lack confidence in him.
Which brings me to this: I think the voters of Michigan should fire him through a recall. Yes, governor, the people of Michigan are not your "customers," they're your boss and you've failed them miserably.
Sure, a recall is more costly than a resignation, but it's the right way to go. Use some of the budget surplus in Lansing to clean up the political mess up there.
Snyder has failed in ways that would make any business person shudder.
Let's assume he's telling the truth when he says he didn't know things were out of control in Flint until late in the game. There's plenty evidence in emails that many key people around him knew about the crisis much earlier.
For example, last July Snyder's chief of staff, Dennis Muchmore, wrote to people in the administration:
“I’m frustrated by the water issue in Flint. I really don’t think people are getting the benefit of the doubt. Now they are concerned and rightfully so about the lead level studies they are receiving from the DEQ samples … These folks are scared and worried about the health impacts and they are basically getting blown off by us (as a state we’re just not sympathizing with their plight).”
When people are forced to drink water that looks like someone pissed in it, and then extinguished their cigarette in it, it's not unreasonable to take action, no matter the assurances given by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality or any other bureaucracy.
What kind of CEO surrounds himself with confidantes who are afraid to tell the emperor there's trouble in the kingdom, or worse yet, feel it's not important to communicate grave concerns?
What's more, Snyder failed to ask himself one of the most basic questions early in the game:
If it were my children or wife or grandchildren, would I have let them drink that discolored, smelly water while I let the bureaucracy work its way through the mess?
If he says that he asked himself that question way back when, and answered "Yes," then, Yes, he's a liar.
