Flint residents boo, heckle Rick Snyder at President Obama event

FLINT — Gov. Rick Snyder was loudly booed and heckled when he spoke to about 1,000 students, teachers and Flint residents at Northwestern High School Wednesday.

"I understand why you're frustrated and angry," Snyder said as he fought to be heard over the catcalls, speaking in advance of an address by President Barack Obama.

"I want to come here today to apologize -- to say I'm sorry and I will fix it."

Though Snyder made a similar apology during his State of the State address at the Capitol in January, Wednesday was the first time he's addressed a large crowd in Flint since the crisis began.

Despite the apology, the heckling continued throughout Snyder's brief remarks.

"You didn't create this problem -- government failed you," Snyder said.

But by the time he'd finished the words "you didn't create this problem," students were shouting back: "You did!"

Snyder spokeswoman Anna Heaton later said the crowd's reaction was not unexpected.

Snyder "understands people are angry," Heaton said. "Now it is time to move past that and work together for the good of all of Flint, as the President said."

U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee said the residents of Flint have no confidence in Snyder or the Michigan Legislature.

"He had the guts to stand up in front of a bunch of people who are obviously unhappy with him," Kildee said, referencing when Snyder was booed by the audience. "...The state government is part of this disaster. They created this crisis."

For longtime Flint resident Arthur McGee, it was no surprise that Snyder was booed--in fact, he believes it was deserved.

"I think that he should be booed," McGee said. "I think he should be impeached and thrown out of office. He's responsible for everything that's happening here. I was surprised he came here to speak."

Flint resident Claudia Perkins-Milton said she questions the sincerity of Snyder's remarks.

"Personally, I have no love for that man or anybody that would poison us like that and not take ownership of it because you're throwing everyone else under the bus," Perkins-Milton said. "Frankly, I think he's a liar. He's not going to tell me he didn't know about the water."

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.