Tainted Tap Podcast

Flint resident Dr. Benjamin J. Pauli is an Assistant Professor of Social Science at Kettering University and author of the book, Flint Fights Back: Environmental Justice and Democracy in the Flint Water Crisis. During our conversation, Ben shares his path to political science and interest in community studies. He addresses the purpose and the impact of emergency manager laws in Michigan as well as how the implementation of this law...

Flint native and city planner, Brian Larkin, has played various roles within Flint’s city government in recent years. During our conversation, he talks about how years of deferred maintenance, poor management systems, and the state’s habit of balancing its books on the backs of its cities created a tipping point in Flint that led to the city’s water crisis. Brian discusses the impacts of racist systems and perspectives on the built...

Paul Herring, Sr., a Flint resident and owner of “Spectacle Productions,” talks about the state of Flint before and after the water crisis. During our discussion, Paul addresses how investments in Flint’s children and the infrastructure could help the city. Paul acknowledges the limits of the state’s settlement offer as well as the difficulties that most adults will face attempting to prove their claim against the state. He calls f...

Monica Galloway, who has served as a Flint City Council member since 2013, describes how she became the first African American and woman representing Ward 7 to serve on city council. During our discussion, she talks about the origins of modern inequalities in poor black spaces and provides excellent insight into the conditions facing Flint just before the water crisis came to light.  Councilwoman Galloway also discusses the mislead...

Flint native Dayne Walling describes his journey as Flint mayor while the city was under emergency management and began contending with problems caused by the water source switch from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to the Flint River. During our discussion, Dayne touched on how Michigan's decision to stop sharing sales tax revenues with its cities and towns despite their public obligations impacted the essential ser...

Native Detroiter Darrell Dawsey is a writer and journalist who shares how the State of Michigan gamed the system and lied to Flint residents about their water. Darrell, formerly with the ACLU of Michigan who broke the story concerning Flint's struggle for clean and affordable water, describes how the state moved Flint from the Detroit system and the multiple ways the federal government failed Flint when it was aware of clear a...

Melissa Mays, Flint resident and public health advocate, speaks in depth about the efforts Flint residents made to bring attention to the water crisis and compel the State of Michigan to fix the problems it created in the city.  In our conversation, Melissa addresses the insult of paying for high-priced public water that has been tainted with heavy metals and other (undisclosed) contaminants. She also touches on the impact of the c...