Jackson, MS has no water to drink/use

[Velar Fricative]

Fucking fuck.

www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62727586.amp

[Velar Fricative]

A bit more detail here (it’s a gift link, sorry for the length): www.nytimes.com/2022/08/30/us/mississippi-jackson-water.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuonUktbfqYhkQFUYAybIRp8irwadhOPUwaQkhzr8JSOWUjFEivscH4WavUfRYK4pL_0C4wOmfv4Terk-WK41ieZFI01mTwTv_pbckZlUL3RwpY7vUyZrgJvAGLllqTWvM2ewdrovyezksU_denCqDPKEqQApLQplo5ZlcVy4izdfluqeTLkDipQp1uwhB5t6WT4KeCOI2vLqAB15M9mCBQrOvkh0A6oKHGGOwqPPru4IYw5QClnZTXNg4Wxa69pUON8fOKiXPAfOjYSF9JffHbvYfdO6IVNn&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

[pixy0stix]

I've been watching this develop over the weekend. It's so bad.

[seeyalater52]

Fucking horrifying. We recently did a project in Jackson at work and I’d never been to the state before. It was an experience. I’ve never seen a capital city like that one, the whole downtown area was almost totally abandoned, the poverty apparent and stark. It really brought a lot about Mississippi into stark relief seeing it like that.

From what I saw of the governor’s press conference it also seemed like Jackson’s mayor was boxed out of the larger response, which is hugely problematic.

[Pom]

Those poor residents. Didn't 60 Minutes just do a segment on rural communities in MS that didn't have funding for septic and sewer treatment? Awful.

ETA: Sorry, it was a segment about Alabama.

www.cbsnews.com/news/alabama-sewage-disposal-60-minutes-2021-12-19/

[notreal]

It is tragic this is happening to the people of Mississippi but any place with a public water supply could be on the precipice and you don't know.
This country's water infrastructure is outdated and aging and for years was neglected as well as the fact that the average age for a water operator in this country is 56 and nearing retirement means we will be soon be suffering a shortage of people with the knowledge to treat water in the next decade affects everyone. We are all on the edge of a crisis. Mississippi is merely the first to experience it and I hope the people of Jackson get the help they need.

[Patsy Baloney]

Oh wow, this is really, really terrible. We had a similar knockout of our water treatment plant many years ago that left our (small) city without potable water for a month. At the beginning, we were being told to not shower/wash clothes in it. Life is so difficult without potable water, but I really can’t imagine not being able to flush toilets. At least we could do that when flooding knocked our station out.

[Bad Dingo]

More evidence of negligence in Mississippi government:

www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/nations-poorest-state-used-welfare-money-pay-brett-favre-speeches-neve-rcna45871?dc_data=17789430_samsung-browser-us&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=taboola_news&jd=V1_-307623959009164002

[isabel]

Has Biden addressed this? Everything I’m seeing from a news perspective right now from him is about student loans or his recent speech.

[Bad Dingo]

Sept 2, 2022 7:21:26 GMT -5 isabel said:

Has Biden addressed this? Everything I’m seeing from a news perspective right now from him is about student loans or his recent speech.

mississippitoday.org/2022/08/30/jackson-water-joe-biden-emergency/

www.wlbt.com/2022/08/31/president-biden-calls-jackson-mayor-hear-firsthand-about-water-crisis/

www.reuters.com/world/us/mississippis-capital-enters-second-day-without-running-water-2022-08-31/
"White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said millions of federal dollars were already available for water projects in the city and state, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Environmental Protection Agency had been sent to Jackson.



The American Rescue Plan, approved at the start of Biden's presidency last year, provides $450 million for water upgrades across Mississippi, with the city of Jackson allotted $20 million for water infrastructure, Jean-Pierre said. In addition, EPA loans were available and a Pearl River flood control study was under way, she said.



The federal funds could address what many locals say has been a lack of investment in Jackson, which is more than 80% Black. Mississippi, a former slave state that is 38% African-American, ranks toward the bottom among the 50 states in many social indices.



"We are seeing the intentional divestment in communities that are led by Black-elected officials," said Danyelle Holmes, a Jackson resident and social justice organizer. "Extreme racist politics are being put before the people. It's time that we put that to the side."



The crisis has also revealed tension between the state government of Republican Governor Tate Reeves, who has accused the city of mismanaging the water plant, and the city government of the Democratic Mayor Lumumba, who is African-American."

[Bad Dingo]

Sept 2, 2022 7:21:26 GMT -5 isabel said:

Has Biden addressed this? Everything I’m seeing from a news perspective right now from him is about student loans or his recent speech.

I don't want to sound asshole-ish, and I don't mean to, but I feel like whenever people are wondering if Biden/the White House have addressed something, a quick google will give the answer. 

Just because someone hasn't seen a headline about it in their news feed doesn't mean that there aren't a ton of articles out there about it. 

Maybe curated news feeds are the problem.

[isabel]

Sept 2, 2022 8:08:53 GMT -5 Bad Dingo said:

Sept 2, 2022 7:21:26 GMT -5 isabel said:

Has Biden addressed this? Everything I’m seeing from a news perspective right now from him is about student loans or his recent speech.

I don't want to sound asshole-ish, and I don't mean to, but I feel like whenever people are wondering if Biden/the White House have addressed something, a quick google will give the answer. 

Just because someone hasn't seen a headline about it in their news feed doesn't mean that there aren't a ton of articles out there about it. 

Maybe curated news feeds are the problem.

I don't disagree with you and I didn't go look, so that's on me.

[Bad Dingo]

Sept 2, 2022 14:44:10 GMT -5 isabel said:

Sept 2, 2022 8:08:53 GMT -5 Bad Dingo said:

I don't want to sound asshole-ish, and I don't mean to, but I feel like whenever people are wondering if Biden/the White House have addressed something, a quick google will give the answer. 

Just because someone hasn't seen a headline about it in their news feed doesn't mean that there aren't a ton of articles out there about it. 

Maybe curated news feeds are the problem.

I don't disagree with you and I didn't go look, so that's on me.

I definitely didn't mean it personally. I really do think people's individual news feeds create a bubble based on what you've read before. *shakes fist at technology*

[joy]

Sept 2, 2022 8:08:53 GMT -5 Bad Dingo said:

Sept 2, 2022 7:21:26 GMT -5 isabel said:

Has Biden addressed this? Everything I’m seeing from a news perspective right now from him is about student loans or his recent speech.

I don't want to sound asshole-ish, and I don't mean to, but I feel like whenever people are wondering if Biden/the White House have addressed something, a quick google will give the answer. 

Just because someone hasn't seen a headline about it in their news feed doesn't mean that there aren't a ton of articles out there about it. 

Maybe curated news feeds are the problem.

They are a huge problem.

[dancelnow]

Our headquarters are there and it’s gotten to a point where it’s forcing the companies hand on hiring and not requiring certain positions to be on site. They really wanted all of their fleet level positions to be based out of our Jackson office, but no one wants to move there.

New Orleans is only a half step better. Our infrastructure is hanging on by a thread. It’s like the US being a first world country is a façade. At least as a whole.

[rubytue]

Sept 3, 2022 22:08:32 GMT -5 dancelnow said:

New Orleans is only a half step better. Our infrastructure is hanging on by a thread. It’s like the US being a first world country is a façade. At least as a whole.

On that theme, Baltimore is now dealing with ecoli in the water supply. And of course this is *not* affecting Federal Hill. 

www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/e-coli-contaminants-found-in-water-of-west-baltimore-firehouse-police-facilities/

edit: added the super important not I missed. Ugh.

[tacokick]

Sept 5, 2022 10:46:14 GMT -5 rubytue said:

Sept 3, 2022 22:08:32 GMT -5 dancelnow said:

New Orleans is only a half step better. Our infrastructure is hanging on by a thread. It’s like the US being a first world country is a façade. At least as a whole.

On that theme, Baltimore is now dealing with ecoli in the water supply. And of course this is affecting Federal Hill. 

www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/e-coli-contaminants-found-in-water-of-west-baltimore-firehouse-police-facilities/

How am I just learning about this here??

[tacokick]

Sept 3, 2022 22:08:32 GMT -5 dancelnow said:

Our headquarters are there and it’s gotten to a point where it’s forcing the companies hand on hiring and not requiring certain positions to be on site. They really wanted all of their fleet level positions to be based out of our Jackson office, but no one wants to move there.

New Orleans is only a half step better. Our infrastructure is hanging on by a thread. It’s like the US being a first world country is a façade. At least as a whole.

We learned about how infrastructure was old and outdated and needed a overhaul when I was in elementary school*! That was a long time ago. It’s like the government lives in the land of magical thinking.

*this came up because a lot of our railroad tunnels are in still operation and largely not updated since they were made in the 1800s and we were learning about the B&O.

[mala]

Sept 5, 2022 11:38:27 GMT -5 tacokick said:

Sept 5, 2022 10:46:14 GMT -5 rubytue said:

On that theme, Baltimore is now dealing with ecoli in the water supply. And of course this is affecting Federal Hill. 

www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/e-coli-contaminants-found-in-water-of-west-baltimore-firehouse-police-facilities/

How am I just learning about this here??

That was my reaction. Told H and his eyes went wide and now he's looking into it. I'm sure he knows someone at that fire department.

[rubytue]

tacokick, mala, please note I missed a very important not in the parts you quoted. Fuck. Try to be eye rolly about how it’s hitting the parts of Baltimore where poor people live, and I miss a word that totally misses the point.

[tacokick]

Sept 5, 2022 11:55:08 GMT -5 rubytue said:

tacokick, mala, please note I missed a very important not in the parts you quoted. Fuck. Try to be eye rolly about how it’s hitting the parts of Baltimore where poor people live, and I miss a word that totally misses the point.

I figured!

[mala]

There's a boil water order for a large chunk of Baltimore City and the southern County now.

EDIT: H is working tonight (not in Baltimore City or county) and says there's lots of calls for GI distresses coming from the affected area.

[rubytue]

Sept 5, 2022 18:49:58 GMT -5 mala said:

There's a boil water order for a large chunk of Baltimore City and the southern County now.

EDIT: H is working tonight (not in Baltimore City or county) and says there's lots of calls for GI distresses coming from the affected area.

The news tonight was showing them handing out water. 1 gallon per household. WTF?!

@@@@

They showed a mom who walked there with her 2 kids and walking away with one jug of water. 

[seeyalater52]

Of course the POS MS Governor uses Jackson to try to move toward water privatization: www.mississippifreepress.org/26961/privatization-is-on-the-table-gov-reeves-gives-jackson-water-crisis-update

These people have no shame.

[notreal]

Sept 6, 2022 15:56:03 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Of course the POS MS Governor uses Jackson to try to move toward water privatization: www.mississippifreepress.org/26961/privatization-is-on-the-table-gov-reeves-gives-jackson-water-crisis-update

These people have no shame.

Reeves is one of the most anti EPA governors out there, so it makes sense he'd push for something else to weaken it.

[seeyalater52]

Sept 6, 2022 18:07:39 GMT -5 notreal said:

Sept 6, 2022 15:56:03 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Of course the POS MS Governor uses Jackson to try to move toward water privatization: www.mississippifreepress.org/26961/privatization-is-on-the-table-gov-reeves-gives-jackson-water-crisis-update

These people have no shame.

Reeves is one of the most anti EPA governors out there, so it makes sense he'd push for something else to weaken it.

Exactly. The opportunism is really disgusting.

[basilosaurus]

It was entirely preventable. I really have no words for the scum that created this. Racist, greedy, fascist fucks.

I have a lot of personal experience with water issues (not in 'murca), and none comes close to understanding how people can be expected to live this way. I'm just at a loss for words. And I'm a wordy motherfucker.

I don't have potable tap water and haven't for years, but that's ok because I have alternatives from water delivery to going to the corner to fill up with filtered. Just don't ask when they changed that filter. Ignorance is bliss (still alive).

I used to lose running water hours every day because power loss. But I could dip a pail in a cistern and flush, drink, bathe. I used to calculate gallon usage per week as a kid because we had limited supply. Great math in action! It wasn't uncommon to see hoses snaking across the road to help a neighbor out in dry season.

And, yet, my brain just doesn't get this. So, I'll just repeat, racist greedy fascist fucks.