For quite some time now Washington has had difficulties agreeing on anything. Unfortunately, Washington can’t even agree on how to save towns, counties and states across America from the financial turmoil that COVID-19 is causing local government.

In March, when senators first voiced their concerns about the budget for the CARES Act during their floor speeches, Democrats made it clear that state and local governments were going to suffer from the economic costs of COVID-19. They urged the Senate to provide funding to local governments.

However, Sen. Susan Collins ignored their remarks and blamed them for holding up funding.

Months later, Sen. Collins is attempting to take credit for funding to states, communities and counties. Where was this urgency two months ago when senators from the other side of the aisle told her this was going to happen? Sen. Collins should be ashamed that it took her this long to realize that communities, school districts and counties across the country are in just as much need and just as deserving of the federal government’s help as the airlines, manufacturers and retailers.

As a select board member, I am disappointed in Sen. Collins’ slow response to this crisis. We have been expressing our concerns about the impacts of coronavirus for far too long. If Sen. Collins is truly the bipartisan member of Congress that she claims to be, then she would have listened months ago on this issue.

Alan Tibbetts
Sidney