‘That Is Unbelievable’: Bernie Shocked by California’s Water Woes, Compares Crisis to Flint (Video)
Sanders joins a growing outrage over a crisis that is forcing people to buy bottled water.
Vermont senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. (David Becker / AP)
By Alexandra Rosenmann / AlterNet
Vermont senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. (David Becker / AP)
This piece originally ran on AlterNet.
“I’ll tell you something I did not know before I came here,” Bernie Sanders told the crowd at a rally on Sunday in San Joaquin Valley, Calif.
“I was in Flint, Michigan a few months ago and as all of you know, the children in Flint, Michigan were poisoned by the lead in the water they drank. And in Flint, Michigan, people cannot turn on their taps and use the water in their homes. Now, I thought that was Flint, Michigan. I did not know that there were thousands of homes right around here [in the same situation]. That is unbelievable … that people have got to go out and buy bottled water… is that the case?” Sanders asked incredulously. San Joaquin Valley’s water system is contaminated with nitrates from agriculture, and has been linked in studies to spina bifida, cleft palate and missing limbs.
California’s five-year drought caused California governor Jerry Brown to issue a state of emergency in January 2014. In an effort to conserve water, Brown directed Californians,
- “to reduce water consumption by 20 percent and referring residents and water agencies to the Save Our Water campaign—www.saveourwater.com—for practical advice on how to do so;
- Directing local water suppliers to immediately implement local water shortage contingency plans;
- Ordering the Board to consider petitions for consolidation of places of use for the State Water Project and Central Valley Project, which could streamline water transfers and exchanges between water users.”
If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
In their eagerness to nominate anyone but Bernie Sanders, Democrats are falling into the same trap as Republicans did in 2016.
The impeachment defense team reserves bulk of its case for Monday, focusing just two hours on what they call "politically motivated" effort.
For the first time, the Iowa Democratic Party will report three sets of results from the party's presidential caucuses.
When he won, many American liberals said Democrats needed their own version of the French leader. They should be careful what they wish for.
It begins a marathon two-day session to consider the historic charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress against President Trump.
However, a letter to the House from the former security adviser’s attorney states he would appear only under court order.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.