David Marshall

(2/2023) It was not very long ago in August 2022 when the city of Jackson, Mississippi experienced a major public health crisis after the flooding of the Pearl River due to severe storms. The historic flooding caused damage to a major pump at Jackson’s main water treatment facility, leaving approximately 150,000 residents without drinkable water. It was a crisis which sparked national outrage and attention, while producing a countrywide outpouring of support.

Overall, the crisis was a reminder of fact that water is a basic essential for life which can easily be taken for granted until we lose it. A lack of access to clean water is an issue of humanity which can happen anywhere and for various reasons. The water crisis in Flint, Mich. which was caused by drinking water being contaminated with lead has yet to end. Today, residents in rural counties of California are experiencing their own groundwater crisis.

The crisis is most extreme in San Joaquin Valley, the country’s most productive agricultural region where farmers rely more heavily on groundwater due to the state’s depleted water reservoirs. A report by the California State Auditor said that nearly one million people are served by a water system having a failing audit rating. A majority of those residents live in the San Joaquin Valley, a region of California, which has experienced the longest drought (8 of the last 11 years) than any other part of the nation.

Water faucets and community residential wells are running dry after years of mega drought conditions combined with the over-extraction of groundwater used for crop irrigation. The water supply itself has been contaminated with chemicals from agricultural runoff and treatment with chlorine. This leaves residents forced to use bottled water for drinking and to bathe. It impacts the daily quality of life where many school children are having to bathe at the local gas station.

The water crisis in California, like any crisis of humanity, requires a coordinated effort between local, state and federal elected officials. Residents of San Joaquin Valley are represented in U.S. House of Representatives by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Despite McCarthy’s leadership position in Congress, people at home are not happy.

There is a growing unrest in McCarthy’s 20th congressional district with constituents believing the nine term Congressman is consistently ignoring their needs while being more focused on his personal rise to power. People feel that their pleas for help concerning the on-going water crisis are falling on deaf ears and they are having to appeal to lawmakers in neighboring districts for help.

Multiple local and state elected officials along with leaders of nonprofits in San Joaquin Valley say McCarty is not engaged enough on what they consider to be one of his district’s most dire crises. As more wells continue to go dry, Self-Help Enterprises is a local nonprofit that focuses on getting water to entire communities that have gone dry. Non-profits like Self-Help deliver five-gallon water jugs to the residents for drinking and 16,000 gallons of hauled water into tanks for washing clothes, doing dishes and taking showers. Tami McVay who serves as director of emergency services for Self-Help said outreach from McCarty’s office in regards to the dry residential wells is "slim to none, and I am not saying that to discredit them at all."

Though not glamorous, constituent work represents the foundation of an elected official’s duties and usually it will occupy a significant portion of their time. The routine nature of constituent work underscores the great importance in building a relationship between an elected official and the ordinary everyday citizens they represent. In the time of extreme need will the elected official be there for the people? Will the elected official "go to bat" for them when it truly matters?

There is no doubt that it is an honor to serve in a party leadership role, but not at the expense of people suffering back home. Jessi Snyder also works with Self-Help while serving as director of community development. She said Rep. David Valadao, a Republican representing neighboring Kings County and his staff "will show up in a community at a time of crisis" and are actively engaged on how they can support efforts to get people water. Other members of Congress, including Democratic Rep. Jim Costa and Republican Connie Conway, who left office earlier this year, have also been more accessible.

It takes a deep commitment to hold for elected office. Not every person who seeks and obtains elected office do so with the intentions of being a true public servant. Being a "Champion for the People" takes a personal sacrifice especially in times of a major crisis. Rep. David Valadao is not a household name. Outside of the congressional district he serves and the surrounding areas, he is likely unknown.

Kevin McCarthy has the most powerful position in Congress, but between the two House members, Rep. Valadao is the true public servant. "I have had more conversations, more engagement and just more wanting to know how they can assist from Congressman Valadao and his office than probably any other on the federal side," said Jessi Snyder.

Constituent service doesn’t mean much when officials are elected for being a "Champion of the Party" rather than a "Champion for the People".

Many of us still believe all elected officials should put country over party. We also believe the same officials need to put constituents over power and ambition.

David W. Marshall is author of the book "God Bless Our Divided America" and member of Country First. Country First is focused on recognizing that Republicans, Democrats or Independents don’t have to be enemies just because they have different experiences and perspectives. To learn more about Country First visit www.country1st.com