Michigan Governor Rick Snyder exemplifies the distrust and plethora of frustrations America has with our political leaders.

This growing discontent ultimately derives from crony capitalism—corporate businesses bribing government officials for tax breaks, grants, and other biased incentives in order to succeed.

Governor Snyder is possibly facing manslaughter charges; leaked emails put the governor at fault for the water crises which harmed thousands of children in Flint, Michigan, shedding a concrete light on the despairing effects of crony capitalism.

The water crises in Flint began back in April of 2014 after the city switched its water supply source from Lake Huron water, treated by the Detroit Water & Sewage Department, to more corrosive and polluted water from the Flint River.

Immediately following the transition, a spike was reported in Legionnaires’ disease—a severe, often lethal form of pneumonia. Eighty seven people were diagnosed, 10 of which were fatal, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Flint residents complained of the dirty water and their troubled illnesses, yet the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality insisted the water was safe to drink.  

Snyder’s administration was aware of the contamination. They did not take action, but instead decided to wait and do more testing for another year while cries from the Detroit Public School system (DPS) urged them to take immediate action.

In January of this year, a Virginia Tech research team completed its work concluding that Flint water was “very corrosive” and “causing lead contamination in homes.” Lead is a destructive neurotoxin that causes permanent brain damage.

The state finally took action acknowledging the contamination. Flint’s mayor, Karen Weaver, declared a state of emergency, leading to a national scandal.

When looking at the underlying reason for switching to the polluted Flint River, corruption and cronyism is exposed.  

Leaked emails reveal that Ed Kurtz, the emergency manager in charge of authorizing the switch, met with environmental agencies beforehand. He rejected the switch, concluding it was not safe, but was overruled by Snyder’s administration in order to save between $1 million and $2 million per year.

Michigan is a poverty-stricken area; the economy continues to decline. It would seem that the decision to save $1-2 million a year was necessary because money was scarce due to tough economic times. Yet the blame ought to be put on Snyder’s tax policies; it is his fault for running out of money and having to switch water sources.

An analysis by the Detroit Free Press in 2014, the same year the crises started, showed that Flint residents were getting taxed over $900 million more than previously. Meanwhile, corporations were given a massive tax break, having to pay $1.7 billion less annually.

Snyder ultimately ran out of money, after giving such a huge tax cut to his businesses buddies who funded his campaign. He was then forced to switch the people’s water supply to a cheaper, contaminated source; he was also coerced into increasing taxes for the poor in order to maintain their barely sustainable schools, roads, infrastructure, and now water.

This is crony capitalism at its finest—corporate leaders getting filthy rich by bribing government officials while the poor get the lower end of the stick, left to deal with the harmful ramifications of the corrupted.

The truth is that the majority of Flint residents are lower class minorities. According to the U.S. Census, 40.1 percent of the city’s population is living in poverty. They have practically no say in politics. This is evident, given that it has taken two years to simply have the water issue come to light.  

The problem is that Snyder has been in bed with these corporate leaders since they day he started running for office, having no accountability towards the people of Flint.

Corporate businesses such as CMS Energy and General Motors, which funded Snyder’s campaign, have been able to hold him as a puppet for their greedy demands, disregarding the people of Flint.

One would think that giving businesses a $1.7 billion tax cut would help create more jobs in Michigan, yet employment is scarce and job creation has continued to decline as the economy continues to plummet. According to House Fiscal Agency, an economic and revenue report shows that between July and August of 2014, following Snyder’s huge tax break to corporations, the state of Michigan lost 9,500 jobs. This is the highest job loss in the country. This is common practice by now—corporate leaders get rich while their workers get nothing.

The public school system in Michigan is also a disaster; The New York Times reports infestation, crumbling roofs, and near-freezing temperatures which prohibit kids from going to school and properly learning.

As a result of Snyder’s actions, 14 lives were lost and thousands became sick from the lead in their water system, maybe never to return to their initial conditions again. The people of Flint are in deep despair. With water bottle donations scarce, many are forced to drink the contaminated Flint water in order to keep living.

Snyder should resign as governor immediately and be held accountable for his actions in court. The chances of this happening, however, are slim to none.

As a governor whose greedy actions resulted in the death of children, Snyder has now become the prominent face for the horrific effects of crony capitalism.