Snyder Roasted On Social Media For Promoting 'Lead Poisoning Prevention Week'
LANSING (CBS Detroit) Gov. Rick Snyder faced hordes of angry Michiganders when word trickled out that the state had turned a deaf ear to Flint residents when they needed protection from dangerous lead in their drinking water.
Tests were falsified to reassure residents their tainted water was clear, critics say, doctors were shamed for refusing to buy the lie, and residents who brought obviously cloudy, dirty water to council meetings were told that despite all evidence to the contrary, there was nothing to worry about.
Snyder himself has never been officially accused of wrongdoing, but he has been heckled and harassed, both publicly and privately. High-level heads rolled and felony charges were filed after falsified documents were uncovered and emails proved a clear lack of caring in Lansing about what was going wrong with Flint's water.
But Snyder, relentlessly positive, keeps moving forward.
In fact, he took a stab this week at promoting lead poisoning prevention week on his Twitter feed. And the Twittersphere wasn't having it.
It's Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and Lt. Gov. @BrianCalley is sharing prevention tips to keep our kids safe https://t.co/cjFK91ms0e
— Rick Snyder (@onetoughnerd) October 25, 2016
Dozens of comments rolled in with suggestion on tips to prevent lead poisoning, including such gems as "If Tip #1 isn't "Get a New Governor," somebody's not doing their job."
It even spawned the hashtag: #otherbadideas
It was used like this: "It's Obesity Prevention Week and Taco Bell is sharing nutrition advice for staying slim. #otherbadideas."
Several thought his account was hacked, others wrote responses like, "Tip 1 - Don't be poor while living in Michigan #FlintWaterCrisis."
The governor stayed silent on Twitter, but his office did send an email to CBS Detroit, saying, "Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is important because it draws attention to all the ways lead poisoning can occur – it's a public health message that needs to be shared. Ignoring the causes of lead poisoning and the ability to prevent it should never be ignored. Lt. Gov. Brian Calley has been doing a great deal of work on this issue, and we aren't going to stay away from sharing that publicly."