Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves was too busy attacking LGBTQ people to fix Jackson's water problem

[Behind the Aegis]

Republicans have all but given up on the job of governing. If governors spent as much time ensuring their states’ infrastructures were in good shape as they do demonizing LGBTQ people, the South would be the envy of the nation. Instead, we get disasters, like the one unfolding in Mississippi.

There, the state’s capital is without water for the foreseeable future because of decades of failure to address the crumbling water system. Heavy rains flooded the city’s sewage treatment plant, overwhelming it. As a result, the city’s 150,000 residents don’t have water to drink, bathe or flush their toilets.

It’s not as if there wasn’t plenty of warning. Last year, the system failed for a month following a winter storm. Residents have complained for years about brackish water and low water pressure. Meanwhile, due to white flight, the city has seen its tax base shrink by 20% since the 1980s, leaving it without the money it needs to fix the system.

The state knows about the problem. After all, it’s literally in the capital’s backyard. But the Republicans who run the state have bigger issues to deal with. Like attacking LGBTQ people.

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[dchill]

1. Don't subject a Republican governor to Democratic standards!

We can't all have Gavin Newsom. Some people don't really care whether "other" people have water.



Edit to add:

[brush]

2. And Jackson population is majority Black so they...

Last edited Mon Sep 12, 2022, 02:13 AM - Edit history (1)

really don't care. The suburbs water systems where most of the legislators live get good care and maintenance.

After all, it's Mississippi so it boils down to good old fashioned anti-Black racism. And the gov. and legislators are too busy with their anti-LGBTQ+ racism to worry now.

[JI7]

5. In fact they purposely refuse to do anything because they are mostly black

[mwb970]

3. In Ohio, our right-wing legislature is also very busy.

Their top priorities are taking freedom away from women and flooding the state with guns. That doesn't leave much time to consider other, less important issues.

[IngridsLittleAngel]

4. Of course they were

This is what I said to my Republiqan "friends" for years, before I gave up doing so. They'd tell me how they could "Never, ever vote for a Democrat" and I'd ask "What do Republiqans do for you?" Nothing, of course. While Democrats try to find solutions and take care of business, the modern-day QOP is busy attacking and hating "the others" to do anything.

School shootings? Nah.. We need to rile up the Nazis.

Jackson's water fiasco? Are you serious?! We're busy crushing LGBTQ's!

In my lifetime, they have devolved from a hateful party that did... some things (obviously, not all good)... to a party that doesn't give a damn to "accomplish" anything but tax breaks and hate. Hell, they don't even bother making an effort on national security anymore.

So, yes. Of course, attacking LGBTQ's is a far bigger issue than keeping the water in Jackson from looking like oil. Same with how destroying trans people is more important than national security.