Editorial: Helene's devastation in western NC reminds us why government is so important

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, western North Carolina is facing what officials are calling “biblical devastation.” Entire communities washed away. A whole region physically and digitally isolated from the rest of the state, with most roads completely impassable. No power or water, and no cell service to contact loved ones or call for help.

What we do know is devastating. What we don’t yet know is terrifying. It’s worse than most anyone could have imagined. And it’s times like these that we recognize the value of good government, as local, state and federal agencies work tirelessly to provide a lifeline to flood victims.

President Joe Biden quickly approved a federal “major disaster declaration” that expedites aid to affected areas. That includes providing grants for temporary housing and home repairs and reimbursing local governments, state agencies and nonprofits for repairing facilities, roads and other infrastructure. The National Guard, deployed by Gov. Roy Cooper, has completed more than 100 rescue operations in western North Carolina in recent days. In addition to search and rescue, troops have worked to deliver critical supplies and restore damaged infrastructure. North Carolina Emergency Management is helping people locate loved ones, and local governments and public universities have stepped up to provide shelter, power, food and water to those in need.

There are, of course, challenges. How do you reach people who need help when so many roads and highways are completely washed away? How do you know who’s in trouble when they can’t pick up the phone and dial for help? How do people know that help is available if they have no internet access?

But help is out there — and yet there are too many elected officials who want to dismantle the very things that are helping people right now.

One startling example: Project 2025 calls for dismantling the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which could have significant implications for important agencies like the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center that fall under NOAA’s umbrella. While Project 2025 does not call for the latter two to be dismantled — only “reviewed” — experts say that it could limit public access to the forecasts of the NWS and the National Hurricane Center by requiring them to “commercialize their services.”

At the same time, Republicans have repeatedly engaged in brinkmanship when it comes to funding the government, and too many seem too willing to force a shutdown in order to extract the spending cuts they desire. Congress still has yet to pass a long-term spending bill for the federal government, instead keeping the lights on through temporary funding measures that fail to address the needs of agencies like FEMA.

The most recent funding measure, which passed just days before Helene’s arrival, failed to include billions of dollars in supplemental funding for FEMA as congressional leaders were “forced to acquiesce to the demands of Congress’ most conservative fiscal hawks, whose votes were thought to be pivotal for passage,” Politico reported. FEMA continues to stare down a nearly $2 billion deficit that has forced the agency to abandon longer-term recovery projects in order to focus on “immediate needs” and life-saving measures.

The past several days have been so awful for so many people. Catastrophic, even. We should want our government to make things less awful. We shouldn’t want what Donald Trump and so many Republicans want, which is to do away with programs and services that help people. Of course, no one is calling for wasteful spending or an open wallet to fund anything and everything in government. But the reflexive “cut government” mentality that so many Republicans seem to have is misguided, and this weekend is a good reminder why.

Let’s be clear: Western North Carolina cannot rebuild from this disaster on its own. Many of the worst affected areas are rural, low-income communities that were struggling before this disaster hit and will struggle even more now. Our so-called “big government” is what is saving lives right now. It’s providing desperately needed assistance to people who are vulnerable and have lost everything. And every politician — Democrat or Republican — should do everything in their power to make that work easier, not harder.

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