Disaster Duty
Climate change has changed governors’ jobs. They now must be masters of disasters: floods, fires, hurricanes and winter storms.
As soon as he was sworn in, Governor Josh Stein signed executive orders for Hurricane Helene relief. He went to hard-hit communities to see the situation and talk to victims.
Just like with Roy Cooper eight years ago, an ice and snow storm scrambled Stein’s inaugural ceremonies. Along with his inaugural address, he’s giving storm briefings.
In my biography of former Governor Jim Hunt, he talked about Hurricane Floyd, which devastated Eastern North Carolina in 1999.
His advice to governors was “Two words: take charge.”
He said, “You’ve got to get out there and see first-hand …. It gives you a real knowledge of the extent of the disaster.”
You have to push state agencies and personnel: “You’ve got to require the maximum that everybody can give, and only the governor can do that…. The governor has to give it the sense of urgency … requiring everybody to give their fullest and make all the resources available that are needed.”
You can’t rely solely on official channels for information: “I had so many ties around the state – the organizations and the political contacts, the friends, everything. And those people would call up and they’d tell me things that nobody had told me before.”
You have to keep prodding state agencies for months and years to come, as disaster headlines recede and other issues intrude.
Finally, Hunt said, governors have to push Washington for help.
He – and North Carolina – were in luck. Hunt had known President Bill Clinton for 20 years, since they were governors together.
Hunt flew Clinton and the head of FEMA over areas hit by Floyd. Then the Governor went to the White House with an aid request.
Clinton’s chief of staff, John Podesta, took Hunt downstairs to a room below the Oval Office. When Clinton came in, he asked Hunt, “How much is this going to cost?”
Hunt replied, “Mr. President, I think it’s going to take four billion dollars.”
“Well,” Clinton laughed, “what’s four billion dollars between friends?”
North Carolina got the money.
Governor Stein – and North Carolina – may not get that kind of response the next four years.
President Trump is more likely to attack governors than help them.
While wildfires ravage California, AP reported, Trump is “claiming he could do a better job managing the crisis, spewing falsehoods and casting blame on the state’s Democratic governor.”
With typical toilet humor, he called Governor Gavin Newsom “Newscum.”
It will take superhuman patience and persistence for Governor Stein and the state’s congressional delegation, especially Senator Thom Tillis, to get help from a Trump White House when disasters hit, as they inevitably will.
Maybe Trump will toss us a few rolls of paper towels.
USA Today photo.
Disaster Duty
Climate change has changed governors’ jobs. They now must be masters of disasters: floods, fires, hurricanes and winter storms.
As soon as he was sworn in, Governor Josh Stein signed executive orders for Hurricane Helene relief. He went to hard-hit communities to see the situation and talk to victims.
Just like with Roy Cooper eight years ago, an ice and snow storm scrambled Stein’s inaugural ceremonies. Along with his inaugural address, he’s giving storm briefings.
In my biography of former Governor Jim Hunt, he talked about Hurricane Floyd, which devastated Eastern North Carolina in 1999.
His advice to governors was “Two words: take charge.”
He said, “You’ve got to get out there and see first-hand …. It gives you a real knowledge of the extent of the disaster.”
You have to push state agencies and personnel: “You’ve got to require the maximum that everybody can give, and only the governor can do that…. The governor has to give it the sense of urgency … requiring everybody to give their fullest and make all the resources available that are needed.”
You can’t rely solely on official channels for information: “I had so many ties around the state – the organizations and the political contacts, the friends, everything. And those people would call up and they’d tell me things that nobody had told me before.”
You have to keep prodding state agencies for months and years to come, as disaster headlines recede and other issues intrude.
Finally, Hunt said, governors have to push Washington for help.
He – and North Carolina – were in luck. Hunt had known President Bill Clinton for 20 years, since they were governors together.
Hunt flew Clinton and the head of FEMA over areas hit by Floyd. Then the Governor went to the White House with an aid request.
Clinton’s chief of staff, John Podesta, took Hunt downstairs to a room below the Oval Office. When Clinton came in, he asked Hunt, “How much is this going to cost?”
Hunt replied, “Mr. President, I think it’s going to take four billion dollars.”
“Well,” Clinton laughed, “what’s four billion dollars between friends?”
North Carolina got the money.
Governor Stein – and North Carolina – may not get that kind of response the next four years.
President Trump is more likely to attack governors than help them.
While wildfires ravage California, AP reported, Trump is “claiming he could do a better job managing the crisis, spewing falsehoods and casting blame on the state’s Democratic governor.”
With typical toilet humor, he called Governor Gavin Newsom “Newscum.”
It will take superhuman patience and persistence for Governor Stein and the state’s congressional delegation, especially Senator Thom Tillis, to get help from a Trump White House when disasters hit, as they inevitably will.
Maybe Trump will toss us a few rolls of paper towels.
USA Today photo.