Mother Nature sent us a wake-up call last week and the role of the government was front and center (even though not many government meetings took place). Take Ted Cruz (please!). While it’s been entertaining watching him squirm, his dereliction of duty (Cornyn’s too. Has anyone heard from him lately?) laid bare the ignorance of a vast swath of Texans who don’t know what the job descriptions of government officials actually entail.
Many on social media appeared to believe there was little Cruz could’ve done during the crisis. Even Cruz himself seemed flummoxed as to how he could help, so he staged a pathetic photo op of himself carrying water to one woman’s car. However, given the vast network of powerful people every senator has access to, he could’ve been marshaling resources, highlighting problems to federal officials, raising money for relief (like AOC), connecting different levels of government to each other, or even checking on constituents (like Beto).
Part of the problem is that Texans have gotten so used to our elected officials not doing their jobs that we’re no longer sure what they’re supposed to be doing. This is especially true in Collin County where we rarely have Democrats in power. Thus, we expect and accept less from our “leaders” than we should. For example, in the early hours of the crisis, Democratic County Judges Lina Hidalgo (Harris) and Clay Jenkins (Dallas) were on the frontlines providing information and guidance. Collin’s County Judge Chris Hill sent out one email on Tuesday. After two paragraphs of tooting his own horn, he finally got around to giving vital information then ended with a plea for individuals to help their communities. While everyone should help where they can, it’s the role of government to be the shelter in the middle of the storm.
This disaster made clear that we cannot wait until something bad happens before we prepare. How could those without power or internet service receive such an email so they’d know where to go? And given the dangerous state of our roads, how could they even have gotten there safely? We should not have to rely on the kindness of individuals (like McKinney Mayor George Fuller who delivered hot water and made house calls to those in need). Instead, we should have a team of trained people ready to provide assistance. The community should know ahead of time the places we can go to receive basic services. We can no longer “wing it” and hope for the best. Our elected officials need to engage in long-term thinking (a skill few of the current ones possess given their performances during the pandemic and this disaster) and plan for our future.
Our elected officials also need to be the face of rebuilding, repair, and recovery. It’s their job to communicate with constituents by providing essential information, commiserating about tough times (like Allen Mayor Ken Fulk did in an official statement), and promising future assistance. Yet our Republican state house and senate leaders were nowhere to be seen (except Jeff Leach was busy arguing with a Collin County College professor on Twitter.) Contrast their absence with Democratic Representative Michelle Beckley (HD65) who immediately sent an email to constituents giving weather updates, the location of warming stations, and winter weather tips. It’s part of our representatives’ job to be visible and work in the trenches with us. We must expect and demand they fulfill their duties.
We’ve received a harsh warning about the future of our state if we don’t make changes. For some who lost their lives, it’s already too late. The rest of us must learn our lesson. Let’s elect representatives who plan for the future, provide funding for essential services, and who work alongside us in both the good times and bad. We deserve nothing less.
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