As Gov. Rick Snyder struggles mightily to get a handle on the Flint water crisis and the PR debacle it represents for his administration, he has hired an outside communications firm that specializes in crisis management.
Snyder has brought on board Mercury LLC, an out-of-state PR firm with an international reach which bills itself as a “high stakes public strategy firm.” In a somewhat risky political move for Snyder, Mercury’s leadership team includes a senior vice president, Bettina Inclan-Agen, who is the wife of Snyder’s new chief of staff, Jarrod Agen.
In addition, surely the selection of Mercury – a name that represents the mercury metal, which is even more toxic to public health than lead – was not a PR-minded choice.
According to NBC News, Mercury said in an email: “Due to the intense media demand and severity of this issue, we are assisting the governor’s team so that they are able to dedicate their focus and resources to helping the people of Flint.”
Apparently the crisis-management firm is being paid through Snyder campaign funds, not taxpayer dollars.
The Detroit Free Press reported moments ago that the governor has also hired another communications expert, Bill Nowling, who was the PR messenger during Snyder’s 2010 campaign and has since assisted with crisis management duties for other government entities across Michigan.
The added layers of spin-doctor duties comes as Snyder has abandoned his long-held view that forward-looking policies require a “no blame” approach toward government bureaucracy.
NBC reported that a Mercury vice president sent an email earlier today with links to news stories that highlighted failures by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with regard to the Flint water crisis.
What’s more, Snyder appeared this morning on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and blamed “career civil service people” in the state Department of Environmental Quality for “terrible decisions” that led to thousands of children being exposed to lead for months after Flint’s water supply was switched to save money.
“We have to live with the consequences,” he said. “They work for me so I accept that responsibility, and we’re going to fix this problem.”
