I just finished reading the article about the tragic flood in Texas. What a horrific experience for those people to endure. Something else that is horrific in Texas is the legislators. Instead of dealing with legislation to prevent another such tragedy: (early flood warning systems, restrictions on inhabiting flood plains, etc.), they chose to prioritize and pass legislation gerrymandering voting districts to keep the party of their Fuehrer in power in Washington. Those in power in Texas are obviously not concerned about the people of Texas. They are only concerned with keeping power.

That same obsession has pervaded Washington, D.C. This dispatch of the National Guard by Republican governors is just a show of power. If those governors want to send their National Guard somewhere, they should send them to Texas where they could actually help with the recovery effort.

Those in power in Washington have demonstrated that they have no concern for the welfare of the average person. The cut of USAID has, at last count, resulted in an estimated 50,000 deaths of the world’s poorest innocent children. Now they are cutting food and medical assistance to America’s poorest children with their cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, only to give tax breaks to America’s richest adults. The “power party” in D.C. is not concerned with the well-being of average or poor Americans. The party’s only concern is staying in and grabbing more power, along with adding more riches to the rich.

Let us not forget that we are supposed to have a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Those currently in power want to replace “the people” with “the rich and powerful.” We the people must speak up and let those in Washington and Lansing know that their actions are unacceptable.

MARILYN KETTLER

Presque Isle