Calls for governor's arrest in Michigan water crisis

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Since the financially struggling city of Flint, Michigan broke away from the Detroit water system in 2014, residents have been unhappy with the smell, taste and appearance of water from the city’s river as they await the completion of a pipe to Lake Huron.

They also have raised health concerns, reporting rashes, hair loss and other problems.

Two years later, some residents are calling for the arrest of Gov. Rick Snyder.

The issue came to the forefront nationally after the water crisis was mentioned during the Democratic presidential debate on Sunday. 

"If the kids in a rich suburb of Detroit had been drinking contaminated water and being bathed in it, there would have been action," said Clinton. "Every single American should be outraged" that Flint's tap water is contaminated with lead, she added.

Snyder fired back accusing Clinton of making Flint's water crisis a political issue.

Political or not, the crisis is becoming a legal one with class action lawsuits expected to be field Tuesday.

Even actor Mark Ruffalo and rapper Chris Brown have jumped into the debate.

Ruffalo is pleading with President Barack Obama to help and Brown is telling residents they have to save themselves and their children.

He tweeted a link to a blog post by movie director Michael Moore, a Flint native.

"Please consider this personal appeal from me and the 102,000 citizens of the city of Flint who have been poisoned -- not by a mistake, not by a natural disaster, but by a governor and his administration who, to "cut costs," took over the city of Flint from its duly elected leaders, unhooked the city from its fresh water supply of Lake Huron, and then made the people drink the toxic water from the Flint River. This was nearly two years ago," said Moore.

With the Associated Press