Gov. Snyder speaks at Detroit Athletic Club, met by protest

A handful of protesters greeted Gov. Snyder Monday morning as he arrived in downtown Detroit to speak there for the first time since testifying before Congress last month.

Tamika Gaines was one of those protesters outside the Detroit Athletic Club. She held a sign in honor of her 70-year-old mother.

"My mother takes dialysis, and she continuously has infections from the ports. So, the port site is constantly being changed. She's running out of places to put the port," says Tamika Gaines. She blames much of her mother's current medical condition on drinking lead-contaminated water from the taps in Flint.

Gov. Snyder was the main speaker at the Michigan Chronicle's 42nd Pancakes and Politics at the DAC, which is why the protesters gathered there Monday. The event totes dialogue and discussion with area decision makers, giving local business and education leaders an opportunity to ask the tough questions regarding the issues that affect them.

"You kick yourself and say, 'God, how could we have figured this out faster?' The reality is, you have to face the facts you have now and to learn from that," he said at the event Monday morning.

During the nearly one-hour forum, the governor talked about his 75 point plan to repair the damage done in Flint, and about the Detroit Public Schools and a bi-partisan package that's already passed the Senate. It's aimed at helping the cash-strapped district and the students, who many say are paying the ultimate price by learning in rat-infested schools and overcrowded classrooms.

Protesters say enough is enough.

"This man is sinning and committing crimes against the people, and it's gone on too long," says Rev. Malik Shabazz. "And DPS since 1999 - Engler, Granholm and now this guy, who's the worst of them all. He must go."

The governor says that, by everyone working together, they will get through this together. This is the sixth time total that Gov. Snyder has spoken at the Pancakes and Politics event.

If you'd like more information on the petition to recall Gov. Snyder, visit www.stopsnyder.com. The petition cannot be signed online, but you can request a mailed form or visit any of the listed addresses to sign in person.