February 18, 2008

Tennessee Democrats Discover Water

After six years of ignoring the growing water infrastructure crisis in Tennessee, the state's Democrats are finally starting to pay attention.

That's right, six years after the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) put the total water infrastructure needs statewide at $2.83 billion, and three years after the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation counted more than 112,000 households across Tennessee that lack access to a public water system - and put the cost of fixing that problem at $1.7 billion - Gov. Phil Bredesen and House and Senate Democrats have suddenly discovered the water problem.

It's about time, as TACIR estimated late last year that the total water infrastructure needs statewide have risen 13 percent, to $3.19 billion, an increase of $364 million.

Until now, the Bredesen administration's response to the state's deficient water infrastructure has been, quite literally, a drop in the bucket. The Bredesen administration put less than $2 million into the state's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund - which local governments can borrow from to finance improvements - in fiscal year 2006.

All of these facts were included in a press release issued by the Tennessee Republican Party on Nov. 7, 2007. Within two weeks, Gov. Bredesen - who had previously said local water infrastructure was not the state's responsibility - was suddenly running all over Tennessee handing out federally-funded Community Block Development Grants for water projects. And now a number of top Democrats in the legislature are suddenly talking about water.

Turns out, you can lead donkeys to water - and make 'em drink!