South Siders Organize Monday Water Drive For Flint At Bridgeport Bar

By aaroncynic in News on Mar 18, 2016 5:30PM

Flint CFO Jody Lundquist addresses residents' concerns regarding water bills at a town hall meeting. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

South Side residents are organizing a water drive for residents of Flint, Michigan, which will take place at Bernice’s Tavern in Bridgeport on Monday.

Organizers were inspired by Chicagoans and people across the country who have traveled to Michigan to help Flint manage the public health crisis caused by its lead-poisoned water supply.

“Flint could easily be Chicago. Anywhere could be Flint,” said Natalie Walhberg, who’s helping to organize the drive. “All of these decisions happening out of our hands that effect residents and children.”

Wahlberg said that politicians haven’t done enough about the situation, and in the meantime, people have to step up. “Community is all we have—at the end of the day, even if political candidates hold a debate in Flint, they’re not going to save it. All we have is each other.”

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has been under fire for his role in the crisis, facing numerous calls for his resignation from residents, government officials, and presidential candidates. While he attempted to blame anyone but himself at a Congressional hearing Thursday, it did nothing to dampen criticism or calls for him to step down.

At the hearing, NPR reports Democratic Congressman Matt Cartwright said:

"Governor, plausible deniability only works when it's plausible and I'm not buying that you didn't know about any of this until October 2015. You were not in a medically induced coma for a year. And I've had about enough of your false contrition and phony apologies."

The water drive at Bernice's Tavern is one of many community efforts to step up and help Flint. Though the Facebook event for the drive says it begins at 7 p.m. on Monday and goes until 11 p.m., Bernice's will really be taking donations all day, from 3 p.m., when the bar opens, to its 2 a.m. close. Cash donations, 100 percent of which will go to organizations in Flint, will be accepted, but water is the main thing organizers are looking for.

“The goal is to run out of room in the bar for the water," said Wahlberg. "You might have to sit on a case of water instead of a barstool."