Internal emails, obtained by NBC News, were written by Governor Rick Snyder's former chief of staff, Dennis Muchmore, to the state health department saying he was frustrated by the water issue in Flint.
"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)," Muchmore wrote in the email, according to NBC News.
"I really don't think people are getting the benefit of the doubt," Muchmore continued. "Now they are concerned and rightfully so about the lead level studies they are receiving."
About 200 Flint residents rallied outside City Hall on Friday, many of them calling for Governor Snyder to resign or face criminal charges over the poisoned water scandal.
Dozens of people protesting at #Flint City Hall. Calling for @onetoughnerd 's arrest over the city's water crisis pic.twitter.com/3fEyh7pGYW
โ Kelli (@iamkellitaylor) January 8, 2016
"We haven't seen the worst yet, with these children coming up," Sharon Owensby said, referring to brain damage and other health effects that children can suffer as a result of lead poisoning.
#FlintWaterProtest #FlintWaterCrisis #FlintMichigan #flintstrong #FlintWater pic.twitter.com/0B6n1w8SnI
โ Cars 108 (@WCRZFM) January 8, 2016
#FlintWaterProtest just got real! Protesters are stretched across both sides of Saginaw Street #FlintWaterCrisis pic.twitter.com/1oQIRaSnZb
โ Kelli (@iamkellitaylor) January 8, 2016
Attorney General needs to arrest Gov. Rick Snyder for poisoning Flint. https://t.co/thcWQWmJlw #ArrestGovSnyder pic.twitter.com/DFnbxrwn6l
โ Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 7, 2016
On Tuesday, Snyder declared a state of emergency over Flint's contaminated water. The announcement came less than a month after Flint's mayor declare the same, saying the city's water was causing elevated levels of lead in children.
The city switched the water supply back to Detroit in October and began treating the pipes, but significant damage has already been done. Flint Mayor Karen Weaver called the water contamination "a manmade disaster" and said the costs for treating and repairing the water distribution system will likely be $1.5 billion. State officials have warned Flint resident not to drink their tap water without using a filter to strain out lead.
The Department of Justice also announced this week that they are launching an investigation into the issue.
This mess in Flint is nothing but the tainted fruit of the "Too Big To Fail" public bailout of the privateers whose brilliant financial maneuvers tanked the economy in 2008. While the banksters continue their entitlement programs of getting blindingly huge bonuses, no matter how badly they screwed up, the general public is expected to live in "austerity" to pay for those bailouts. A politician serving the 1%'ers and kissing the feet of their "austerity god" is the reason the people of Flint are in this horrific situation. I hope the people of Michigan kick the "public servants" that have served them so poorly out of office and prosecute all those responsible.