My mom still has two roadrunners that live in her yard. And some nesting Cooper’s hawks!
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I think the political move is to try to force Democrats to support a bunch of poison pills in the Water bill in order to get Flint some relief. They don’t want to lose that leverage/ campaign cudgel. But if the Democrats don’t eat that shit sandwich, the blah people in Flint don’t get help, I guess that’s step 3: Profit!
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I still say put Pastor Timmons front and center 1st row at the debate tonight…
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McConnell left Flint out on purpose so that when the Democrats block his bill, he’ll have a reason to blame his obstruction on us.
It’s a petty political move, 100% about visuals with zero concern about real needs in Flint.
Not only does helping Flint citizens go against the Repub gut but it also exposes Republican governance for what it is. If they help Flint, they admit the wrong. So they’d rather do it in some less publicized way if they do it at all.
This is an easy call for Democrats and it reinforces all the negatives about Republicans. There is absolutely no need to bend.
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The sad thing is that these kids actually can be helped. Lead can’t be removed from neural tissue but therapy and environmental factors can help the kids overcome a good portion of cognitive defects. The worst combination is lead poisoning followed by poor stimulation and opportunities. Anyone who has been around very young children knows how fast they develop from week to week and how critical fast intervention is for them.
The other issue is that lead exposure is cumulative. Any lead exposure from housing or outside dirt contributes, and once again, education and clean-up or cover-up costs money. I know; my kid was accidentally exposed when he was very young. He was one tic below us qualifying for lead-abatement aid - I think the levels are lower now. But we had to do a lot to our older house and it was expensive, both money and time, and that wasn’t even where the exposure was. Don’t even get me started on the ongoing cleaning or floors and furniture and the child.
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And yet…don’t you DARE ‘take a knee’ at a football game or protest in ANY WAY that the Republicans don’t find ‘patriotic’ or they are gonna hunt you down on social media and make you PAY. What a bunch of hypocritical jerks.
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Those things are all true. Those things all require greenish papers with pictures of Franklin, Grant and Jackson on them. Getting the greenish paper to Flint requires the R’s in Congress to actually do something.
Somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen.
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Stand your ground dems!
This is racism at the very highest level.
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That’s so odd, because I thought Louisiana didn’t need federal help, was full of god-fearing folks who are totally independent and know the Holy Spirit is on their side.
They have very little faith, apparently, if they’re asking the satanic feds for anything.
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Flint was clearly targeted by the Michigan Republicans when they were taken over by the state with it’s discriminatory Emergency Manager law. That action caused the poisoning of the town of Flint!
The GOP at its heart is hard core racist and does not want to change!
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This is not a rational decision by the Republicans. Someone prevented Flint-support from appearing in the national law in the first place, and the primary reason has to be anger at African Americans.
There are enough of those hardcore racists in the GOP political machine that the GOP in the House will not cross them.
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This is another McConnell blunder. One of Hillary’s problems this election has been supercharging turnout among the African American community. Nothing says get out and vote Democratic like a big “fuck you all” from the Senate Republican leadership.
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A funding bill is supposed to ‘fund’. Call me crazy-but that is the very nature of the bill so Democrats won’t pass something that doesn’t even accomplish its basic purpose.
As I understand it, the sponsor of this amendment was one Rafael “Ted” Cruz, of Texas…no further questions, your honor. McConnell is a craven, despicable example of the worst kind of political lizard, er, chelonian. Talk about two guys in line for a good solid punch to the jaw! Good on the Dems for standing up to this Republican obstructionism and bullying.
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What, we’re supposed to enable them when they’re flagrantly DWWB - Drinking Water While Black?
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Raising a kid with medical needs is tough. Hang in there.
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More GOP “reaching out” to minorities…with the back of their hand.
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Shut down the government, and wrap it like a noose around the necks of Republicans, racist unamericans all.
I thought Louisiana didn’t need federal help
Good point. Are these the folks who refuse even to support a fire department because they take care of these things themselves and don’t need no damn stinkin’ guberment interference?
Don’t get me wrong - in spite of the exposure (which was at the time just not enough to trigger assistance, and likely pretty normal for my generation, and in any case not repeated - he had very little exposure before and after), he’s in National Merit territory. It’s nothing like what way too many families go through and most of the house rules, like never snacking while playing with toys, were not a hardship. As far as the kid was concerned getting three blood tests was the hardest part. My guess is that it is worse if it happens over time and no one knows.
We do have attention and impulse issues which I’ve got to say I wonder about, since it’s sometimes tied to lead exposure. That is, not surprisingly, a big issue for kids who are already more likely to enter the justice system at a young age.