Governors Sanders spent some time in the Delta today. According to her communications director, she made economic development announcements, held a LEARNS town hall, visited a family-owned distillery, and met with the leaders of Helena-West Helena.
This visit comes after the town of Helena-West Helena had a water system failure. This infrastructure fiasco created a crisis and a lack of safe drinking water for residents. The earliest reporting about the system failure was on June 26.
Governor Sanders waited six full weeks before visiting an Arkansas town experiencing a water crisis.
Some would say “better late than never,” but let’s keep the facts straight.
Arkansans all over the state have shown up and stayed loud about the town of Helena-West Helena’s need for clean water. We demanded dignity for residents, and resources from the state. Let’s not forgot the $1,000,000,000 surplus Sanders boasted, and the immediate call for tax cuts while Helena-West Helena residents were without water.
So while we’re glad Sanders made her trip to check on a town in need (with a LEARNS Act propaganda Town Hall thrown in there) it’s time to put her money where her mouth is.
We have three suggestions for how Sanders can respond to the Helena-West Helena water crisis going forward:
- Waive the $100,000 loan granted to Helena-West Helena at the beginning on July. Sanders directed the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to expedite the town’s $100,000 loan. Given the totality of the circumstances, Sanders can certainly budget for the loan to be waived.
- Create a plan for future similar crises. No Arkansans should ever be without basic necessities, and the state can and should prepare for the unthinkable to happen. We have the money, we just need elected officials to prioritize properly.
- Invest in infrastructure in the upcoming fiscal session. We need state government to prevent similar crises in other Arkansas towns. We have crumbling infrastructure all over the state—not just in Delta water supplies. It is high time we show up for communities and improve bridges, roads, utilities, and broadband access statewide.
It’s great that Sarah Sanders went to Helena-West Helena today, but to be frank, this is what it looks like to govern. Governors should prioritize their people, and look local officials in the eyes when addressing their needs.
Here at For AR People, we always want to give credit where it’s due. We acknowledge that our Governor showed up for a town in need today. It is also true that Helena-West Helena required swifter, more comprehensive action than was provided by Sarah Sanders. State government should prioritize the basic needs of Arkansans and act fast when the time calls for it, and that’s not what happened.
