With two Trump-Vance campaign signs in their front yard, James Ashe and his wife Sarah might not seem like a welcoming audience for liberal activists handing out leaflets.
But Mr. Ash says that when he heard that the state had tested the water supply of Three Rivers, Michigan, and found lead, he knew he had to take action.
It didn't matter if he was on the same political team as the person handing out the leaflets. In fact, he offered to bring campaign leaflets to the union hall at his workplace, a local auto parts manufacturer. He then spread the word about possible lead contamination to his fellow United Auto Worker members.
Why did we write this
Democrats and Republicans are at odds nationally, as evidenced by the ongoing government shutdown. But in Three Rivers, Michigan, local leaders are putting aside differences to pursue a common goal: real problem solving.
“Water is life force; without water we will all die,” says Mr Ash. As he speaks, sitting on the porch, Sarah Ash fills a mason jar from the tap. It is a clear liquid, but it does not bring any comfort. “They tell us there's nothing wrong with our pipes,” he says. “I know the state tests the water frequently. It's a start, but it doesn't help the water.”
Mr Ash says water is not a partisan issue. In fact, he has found common ground with Three Rivers residents whose views span the political spectrum. When it comes to water, he says, “We are connected together.”
Residents' cooperation has largely involved disseminating information and appearing together at City Council meetings, trying to speed up what they say is the city's slow response to a problem that the mayor says affects about 10% of the 3,500 homes here, where water is core to the community's very identity.
Three Rivers, located at the confluence of the St. Joseph, Rocky and Portage rivers, is throwing in money to try to solve the problem, in part because of pressure from this politically diverse group of local residents. Mandated by the state to solve the problem within 20 years, Three Rivers developed a plan to meet that requirement.
As the federal government shutdown enters its third week, the Three Rivers Clean Water Campaign offers a glimmer of hope. Unlike the nation's capital, where Democrats and Republicans refuse to talk to each other, people in Three Rivers are finding common ground on the issue of clean water.
What's happening here is a hallmark of Michigan politics, says David Takitaki, a political science professor at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. He describes the “kitchen table pragmatism” that thrives in a state where cities lean Democratic and rural areas are “permeated by blue-collar working-class unionism.”
“Local politics rarely gets as hyperbolic as they do at the state and federal level,” says Professor Takitaki. “The main interest is in governing your community. No one is linking the situation to the abortion issue. No one is trying to make you hate others. It's more collegial and communal.”
The downside to local politics is that they are often ignored, he says, even by voters. On the plus side, flying under the radar “prevents the sport from becoming a blood sport,” he adds, “if we can get back to [the idea of] government as a means of solving problems and having discussions rather than tearing each other apart.”
Urgent solution to the problem
A little more than two years ago, state officials discovered that the source of lead contamination was the side pipes supplying water to each home.
People of all political persuasions wanted the city to immediately replace these pipes. Estimated cost: $4.2 million.
Mayor Tom Lowry is experienced enough to be considered an elder statesman, having served 13 two-year terms as mayor. By now, he says, he already has a sense of what the public wants, what they can afford and what they are willing to pay for. He concludes: They won't want to pay higher taxes to replace lead pipes in Three Rivers, and many won't be able to afford it.
“We have a higher than average number of people who are two paychecks away from financial disaster,” says Mayor Lowry. “We've lost two companies in the last five years, each employing 100 people. As a result, we have a lot of people on the brink of poverty.”
To Mr. Lowery, it is clear that the most affordable solution to the lead problem is to repurpose an existing $2.7 million bond for street and sewer system repairs, a measure that voters supported in the recent election. However, Lowry continues to hear complaints that City Hall is taking too long to resolve the issue.
“I keep repeating the truth at public meetings,” the mayor says. “It can be ugly and nasty, but the repetition of the facts causes some to get angry, but most come to a working relationship.” Even when clean water activists picketed and attended City Council meetings, they were mostly cordial and mostly came to listen rather than shout, he said.
The plan is that once the streets are resurfaced, the city will test water lines and replace those that contain lead. In addition, the city began adding a chemical called Aquaden to the water supply, which coats the pipes and reduces the leaching of lead into the water. Mr Lowry says tests show lead levels are falling.
According to Casey Tobias, the main problem is not being solved quickly enough.
Miss Tobias is a fireball of a woman with a penchant for drawing people into her orbit. She attends Trinity Episcopal Church, sells dried herbs at the farmers market and runs a donation store that helps the poor and homeless in Three Rivers. She learned about lead contamination in the city through word of mouth. Someone donating clothes complained that they couldn't find water filters. Ms. Tobias asked, “Filters for what?”
By the end of the conversation, Ms. Tobias had become a determined activist. Soon she was walking the streets with others, knocking on doors and handing out information leaflets.
“I think the whole town is Republican,” said Ms. Tobias, who considers herself liberal but says she can work with anyone. “I don't care. We're all okay with the water.”
Soon, she and other activists were organizing brainstorming sessions to help concerned citizens understand the scope of the problem and possible solutions. At one event, organizers seated participants in a circle of chairs, allowing them to see each other and feel connected. A local bakery provided the cupcakes. The guitarist played the mood.
Ms. Tobias said organizers had to add another ring of chairs, and then another as the crowd filled up.
“They may have been Democrats or more likely Republicans, but they all felt like they were contributing to something,” Ms. Tobias said. “A lot of them said, 'It just doesn't work the way it's supposed to.' Look, we have to be in this together. If we can’t get together over the water, then God help us.” (In the 2024 presidential election, St. Joseph County, which includes Three Rivers, leaned heavily Republican, with 66% voting GOP and 32% voting Democratic.)
Ms Tobias said people had told her that coming together on the water issue was critical for the community. “We all felt like there was light at the end of the tunnel,” she says. “It was proof that we can come together across political boundaries.”
Let's get together
John Byler lived in Three Rivers for over 30 years. Just behind his house are three city wells, and beyond them is the St. Joseph River. In addition to working at a local farm store, volunteering at a Methodist church, small-scale ranching and clan chief duties in the United Remnant Band of the Shawnee Nation, Mr. Byler found time to join Tobias and others in the campaign for clean water.
Mr. Byler says people didn't talk about lead in water until it was discovered in Flint, Michigan, in 2015, and then the state warned the problem could become much more widespread. Nowadays, the hottest debates happen on Facebook, but in public meetings people just want to find solutions. “It’s just a matter of getting them to adjust the 20-year plan and speed up some of those homes that need it most.”
Among those who fell into Ms. Tobias's orbit was Angel Johnston, who became so inspired by the clean water campaign that she decided to run for mayor against Lowry on the water issue. Election Day is Nov. 4, and Ms. Johnston is knocking on doors and promising to speed up the removal of lead pipes.
“Everyone is worried about water,” said Ms. Johnston, who works for a smart home integration company. “They ask, 'Why are our water bills so high? Why can't we drink water? Everyone says, “What are you going to do about it?”
Mayor Lowry would note that under his leadership, the city has a plan. But Ms. Johnston also finds support, including from James Ash, an auto mechanic. He placed her “Angel for Mayor” sign in his front yard next to his Trump-Vance signs.
“I don't belong to any party,” Mr. Ash says. “I stick to what I think is right and stick to my views.”
He acknowledges that the city is taking steps to provide clean water. “The city is taking baby steps now. They're doing things, but not at the speed I'd like.”
Baby steps or not, he says, is the way to progress.
