Townhouse in Flint, Mich. where four children under the age of 5 died. (photo: Hollyn Johnson for The Flint Journal)
This is the house which burned to the ground, killing the children inside it.
This is the fire station which would have answered the call faster, if only it were still open.
This is the budget crisis which hasn’t been solved, which reduced the funding for community safety, shutting down fire stations.
This is the business crisis which has been brewing for a decade while resulting in revenue shortfalls, deepened by partisan lip service.
This is the political infighting at state level which prevents budget reform, caused by partisan obstructionism in the Republican-led state senate.
This is the same political infighting in yet another state which prevents resolution of budget crises, caused again by Republican state senators’ partisan obstructionism.
This is the partisan obstructionism at federal level which puts the brakes on money to help the state to solve its budget crisis to keep firefighters on duty to save homes like the one burnt to the ground with the children inside it.
This is the definition of enabling, which defines the efforts of some Democrats who encourage the obstructionists’ agenda.
This is the change we voted for, which has yet to change the pattern of obstructionism.
This is you, deciding to be the real change we’ve all needed, instead of waiting for a hero.
