Times are tight, but that cannot keep us from making healthy long-term decisions. Yes, money is short

right now. Everyone is suffering. Does that mean we just give up? When times get tough, do we stop

eating? Do we stop disciplining our kids? When we lose a job, do we just sit on the couch and not look

for another one? By no means! When times are tough, we pull together and help each other.

South Arkansas is a microcosm of our nation right now. Thousands of small towns and counties with

lower populations are struggling. But bad times never last forever. Good will come again. Markets will

trend upward, gas prices will come down, more jobs will be created…that’s the way capitalism works.

Now is not the time to be bitter or let anger take over our speech. Now is the time to come together and

figure things out.

Our county is facing a hospital tax. Other counties are facing other issues. We’re all having to make

decisions that look to the future. The tax we are talking about is a ¾ cent sales tax. It’s not a property tax

and it will end in 10 years. It doesn’t matter what you say on Facebook or how you feel about it, these

are the facts. Yes, in the past our hospital was a band aid station. But that is not the case today. Have

you been there lately? People are everywhere! Competent doctors and nurses are working, helping,

serving and mending. This is the beauty of a local hospital. It’s never a big high-rise full of people who

will never see you again. Our hospital is filled with staff you and I are related to. It’s full of people we’ll

run into in the store and talk to at the gas station. These are neighbors helping neighbors. Our hospital is

a good story to tell today.

We’ve heard all the arguments on Facebook and in interviews. I’m not going to repeat them here. Many

believe we need a hospital and I am one of them. Some are convinced we do not. I would like to speak

to that “some” for a minute.

If we make the argument that local healthcare isn’t needed because we have Texarkana’s hospitals

nearby, where does that argument stop? There are many tax funded positions in Hempstead County. Do

we need firemen? Texarkana has plenty. Do we need police? Surely, Texarkana can furnish some. What

about our schools? Do we want to bus all of our kids to the next city over? No, this argument doesn’t

work. Certainly, Texarkana’s hospitals are nice and useful to have nearby, but they are not here. And in

the case of an emergency, proximity matters. To know that we have a hospital staff in our zip code that

is proficient and ready to serve in a moment’s notice is worth its weight in gold. I completely understand

the stories that came from our hospital in the Steward days. It was so sad to walk the halls and see the

shell of a staff trying to run things. Today, things are completely different. If you haven’t been to the

facility in the last two years, go take a walk through before you vote. Our county hospital is great today!

Honestly, this argument has roots that are far deeper than healthcare. If we are to thrive as a

community, we must begin to look beyond our problems. Hurts and pains are relevant only in the sense

that they make us stronger. Whether you like it or not, Hempstead County will be here long after you

and I are gone. We must not let bitterness determine the state we leave our home in for our kids…and

their kids. It’s time we stepped up with more than a plan that addresses our current needs. A hospital is

a plan for the future. We desperately need this.

I love what the Bible has to say about vision. It’s the gift God gives that allows us to see beyond the

immediate hurts and visualize a strong, healthy future. One of my favorite verses is found in Proverbs,

“Where there is no vision, people perish” (29.18). Vision is where we gain hope. Heaven isn’t here,

remember? We have to look forward to it. Vision is how we can be calm in the storm. We know

something better is coming. A big part of vision is acting on what we know to be wise and true, even

though it is hard in the moment. This vote is one of those opportunities. Please make a decision for our

future.