Governor Snyder is a great example of how the classic Republican argument on the proper role of states and the federal government under our system of federalism has been turned into an empty, hypocritical shell by many of today’s so-called conservatives. The argument goes that States have the primary role (and corresponding obligation) over the health, safety and welfare of their citizens, not the federal government. This isn’t really an argument actually, it’s pretty much settled law. States- the good ole laboratories of democracy. But, in any case, that means that there is nothing inherently anti-Republican about a state government (not the Feds) ensuring that it has adequate state money to provide for clean and safe water and, more importantly, public infrastructures to provide that water. I would argue that it is actually a very Republican view to have. The importation by the tea party and their ilk of the idea of limiting the Federal government to those areas where it should in their view be involved (so not education for example if you take the more extreme federalist argument) and thereby necessarily reducing the Federal government’s need for tax revenues and its budget to state governments has resulted in no form of government, state or federal, actually providing for the health, safety and welfare of Americans.

Snyder appealing to the Federal government in this context is pretty much the height of hypocrisy. States know best! Federal intrusion on the powers of states! The EPA is unconstitutional! But, when it comes to fixing what is a purely state issue and one of the main reasons people pay local and state taxes (!), who does he go running to for money? Of course the federal government.