As I sit down to write this piece, the death toll in Texas has reached 135, with many more than that missing and presumed dead. A national tragedy brought about by biblical-like flooding that took unprepared young and old alike. How could this happen? There is culpability here and it firmly lies with President Donald Trump and his incompetent and ignorant administration.
DOGE cuts to NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, exceed 20%. That’s one out of every five employees. They were indiscriminate and not thought out as to the consequences. As torrential rains and flash flooding struck, the NWS, National Weather Service, a branch of NOAA, came under criticism for what was described as inadequate forecasts. Staffing cuts are clearly responsible.
Adequate staffing of key personnel, who are responsible for keeping the public safe, is a role of government. Would adequate staffing have saved all of those who perished? Probably not, but if one life was saved the investment would have been worth it. This callous disregard for the safety of the public lies at Donald Trump’s feet. And all to cut government spending on essential services so that the wealthy could pay less in taxes. Disgraceful!
Michael August
Jefferson
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