10 years ago today the Flint Water Crisis happened... I helped to clean it up. Now, I’m running for Congress.

[Pamela Pugh for Congress]( {NAME} – this is Dr. Pamela Pugh. As I run for Congress in Michigan’s 8th District – which includes the city of Flint – I am writing today to ask for your support for my campaign on the 10th Anniversary of the Flint Water Crisis. While it may seem like a strange time to ask for [your help and support of my campaign]( please let me explain why: In 2016, I was hired to lead the public health response to the crisis in the City of Flint, and I gained even deeper insight into what the State of Michigan’s Civil Rights Commission called “a clear result of systemic racism.” Republicans in control of Michigan’s government made a series of negligent decisions in the name of “cost savings” that destroyed the everyday lives of the people of Flint – a majority Black city – and then initially refused to listen to their cries for help. For more than 18 months, Flint residents drank, washed, and bathed with poisonous water. Complaints about foul-smelling, cloudy, and bad-tasting water were initially ignored by the government, even as residents began to develop skin rashes and hair loss. Ultimately, the contaminated water led to 2-3x increases in lead levels in the blood of Flint’s children. In the aftermath of the Crisis, I joined on as the Chief Public Health Officer of Flint as the city and community continued to assess and respond to the impacts. During my three years in the role, one common theme emerged – Flint’s community could no longer trust their State and City governments who had let this crisis happen to them and initially ignored their cries for help. [Now, 10 years to the day after the Water Crisis began, I’m running for Congress to bring all of those voices of Flint residents who were impacted with me to Washington D.C. Will you pitch in a donation of $3 to my campaign for Congress if you can help us fight for everyone in Flint who continues to seek justice?]( If you've stored your info with ActBlue Express, we'll process your contribution instantly: [DONATE $10]( [DONATE $20.24]( [DONATE $50]( [ANOTHER AMOUNT]( solutions we implemented in our response simply had to go beyond the band-aid of bottled water. We had to renew public confidence by educating Flint residents on the risks, effects of exposure, and when the water would be completely safe to use again. We worked together with the school system to address the environmental health needs of 9,000 children who had been exposed to elevated levels of lead. Through communication, collaboration, and advocacy, we began to regain the trust of the public, although there is still much work to be done to continue to repair that trust. Today as I run for Congress, I see similar work that needs to be done in Washington, D.C. Public confidence in Congress is near an all-time low with a 15% approval rating. Our system is broken, and our Republican opponents are intent on taking advantage of raw power and cynicism to get their way at the expense of the majority of Americans, who suffer from their short-sighted decisions. [So, with what I’ve learned responding to the Flint Water Crisis, please donate to support and elect me to represent Flint’s residents in Congress]( and I’ll try to teach my fellow members of Congress three lessons I learned in my role responding to the Water Crisis in Flint: 1. We need to tell the truth and authentically communicate with our constituents to regain their trust. 2. We need to listen to people’s problems and course correct before a crisis spirals out of control. 3. When you prioritize the bottom line of a government budget or an industry’s profits over people’s lives and basic needs, we see you, we’re watching, and we’ll vote you out. [Again, please donate to send me to Congress, and I’ll try to help our country and our leaders in Congress in the same way I tried to help the people of Flint – with honesty, authentic communication, and identifying and fixing broken systems.]( Although my role with the City of Flint came to an end in 2019, I will never stop fighting or advocating for Flint residents. Especially with my platform right now as I run for Congress. Thanks for your support, Dr. Pamela Pugh --------------------------------------------------------------- I’m Dr. Pamela Pugh, and I’m a Saginaw native running for Congress in Michigan's 8th District. I've spent my career fighting to improve the lives of Michigan residents through public health initiatives, and as the Chief Public Health Advisor for Flint I played a pivotal role in standing alongside Flint residents during the water crisis. As a public servant, I currently serve as the President of the Michigan State Board of Education, a statewide elected position. I believe in standing up for the people and fighting for our democracy, our children, and our future. I've lived in Michigan's 8th District for my entire life and it will be the honor of a lifetime to represent my community in the House of Representatives. I'm relying on grassroots contributions to fuel my campaign to victory — [so please chip in what you can right now!]( Our email list is an important tool for us to reach Democrats and activists in Michigan and around the country. If you no longer wish to receive emails from us, please use [this link to unsubscribe.]( Pugh for Michigan 4580 State Street Saginaw, MI 48603 United States Unit 138 Paid for by Pugh for Michigan | Eric Welsby, Treasurer