In a place that bills itself the Great Lakes State, you’d think people would understand and appreciate the universally critical importance of water.
But the frightening truth is, a growing number of cities around the state are finding themselves in one water-related crisis after another. And perhaps no Michigan city best exemplifies our worsening water woes more than Flint, the once-thriving auto manufacturing town whose emergency manager severed the city’s ties to the Detroit water and sewerage system and ordered that water from the Flint River be pumped into local ‘ homes and businesses.
Since then, water bills have continued to rise. Residents have complained that the water is not only smelly and brown, but has left some residents physically ill. Yet, despite their cries, city leaders insist that everything is alright. For Flint residents, though, those assurances have gone down about as easily as the water they’re being asked to drink.
As our mini-documentary points out, it’s all been “Hard To Swallow.”
To read more about Flint water, go to Democracy Watch.
Briefly, we wanted to update you on where Truthout stands this month.
To be brutally honest, Truthout is behind on our fundraising goals for the year. There are a lot of reasons why. We’re dealing with broad trends in our industry, trends that have led publications like Vice, BuzzFeed, and National Geographic to make painful cuts. Everyone is feeling the squeeze of inflation. And despite its lasting importance, news readership is declining.
To ensure we stay out of the red by the end of the year, we have a long way to go. Our future is threatened.
We’ve stayed online over two decades thanks to the support of our readers. Because you believe in the power of our work, share our transformative stories, and give to keep us going strong, we know we can make it through this tough moment.
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