WV's Government has failed Flood Victims

The state government of West Virginia has established a 'flood resiliency fund' which sounds great and proactive. However, for the past few years our government has failed to place a single dollar into the fund, this despite the fact that individual members have proposed measures to put funds into the account including a recent attempt to transfer $50-million from our 'rainy day fund' that currently sits at $1.35-Billion. These proposals have consistently been rejected by many of the same people who decided to create the empty fund.

As we have seen from our flash floods in the past decade (including in just the past few days/weeks), and recently in Texas' "flash flood alley" it is important that governments at the local, state, and federal levels do all that they can when it comes to extreme weather events. They must in order to prevent death, injury, and millions in property damages. Scientists, including meteorologists, predict increased and more severe flooding in regions like ours in coming years.

If members of the legislature and governor truly care about the impacts of these floods and about the lives impacted, the governor needs to call a special session on flood recovery and prevention, and as part of that process put money towards protecting communities along rivers, creeks, streams, and in the valleys from flash and other forms of flooding. Perhaps we can put a couple of dollars into the flood resiliency fund that taxpayers already paid them to go through the process of creating, that has since been left empty and useless.

The People of West Virginia deserve Better. Flood victims deserve real actions. Not only is it the compassionate and right thing to do; it is the fiscally responsible thing to do.

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If you would like to follow me on social media you can find me @Lopez4Change. #Peace #Love #Equality
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