FLINT, MI -- As he walked to a vehicle alongside Flint City Councilman Wantwaz Davis, filmmaker Michael Moore had some words to share about the city's future.
In a letter to Obama Saturday, Moore asked the president to send the Centers for Disease Control to the city "to truly assess all of the disease and damage that has been forced upon the people of Flint."
Dave Murray, press secretary for Snyder, said in a statement after the rally that "every effort is focused on solving this emergency, getting the aid needed to help the residents, and ensuring that clean drinkable water is restored to the city.
"There is a tremendous amount of collaboration, with help from the White House to the National Guard to volunteers offering their time to go door-to-door to make sure people in Flint have the water and filters they need, the statement says.
"Political statements, and finger-pointing from people not involved in finding solutions for Flint only distract from solving this crisis."
Moore called for Obama to visit Flint and asked that the Federal Emergency Management Agency supply every home in city with large containers that can be regularly filled by water trucks "until the new infrastructure is resolved."
The Flint native said the president should send in the Army Corps of Engineers to build a new water infrastructure.
President Obama signed a federal emergency declaration Saturday, which makes available resources totaling up to $5 million that can be used for federal emergencies, with a state match required of 25 percent. Additional funding would be possible, if approved by Congress.
A major disaster declaration called for by Snyder, typically used for natural events, fires, floods or explosions, was denied. The state is reviewing the appeal process following the denial.
Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said during a press conference Saturday evening in response to the federal declaration that "The fight is not over, but this is a huge hurdle that we have surpassed, so to all of the people not only in Flint, but the state of Michigan and all around the country, we have to say thank you, thank you very much."