One excuse to grow government is crisis. In 2004, Western North Carolina was hit by the aftermath of Hurricanes Frances and Ivan. Flooding and high winds devastated the countryside. Now, it looks like government supposes it can win votes by showing it cares about preventing the next flood, which the stupid public surely assumes will be the next disaster. Giving politicos more credit, as I have never met one who didn’t tell me they were pure, honest, and sincere, I think some of them are actually just trying to learn from mistakes.

Surely I jest, as the Flood Damage Reduction Task Force is recommending many historical mistakes to prevent the next flood. First and foremost is centralized planning. We are told, “A plan exists for working with Black Mountain and Montreat on the first phase of this integrated process; it just awaits data.”

Government knows best. Property owners, even if they are professional hydrologists, do not know how to take care of the streams in their yards. Three times in the white paper, the task force encouraged government to buy up riverfront property whenever possible. Federal dollars should be spent if necessary, not only for buying the land that can’t be trusted to the masses but educating the masses about water and how it flows. RENCI (The Renaissance Computing Intitute at UNC-Asheville) has acquired an outreach van, and, “One special product already in production is a video called ‘Water in WNC’ that can be shown at meetings, in a three-dimensional immersive dome and online.”

And, of course, stiffer steep slope and stormwater runoff ordinances are needed. Saith the white paper, “Allow incentives for builders that employ BMPs. Reward developers who meet strict environmental standards with a higher density development. Require a bond be placed to ensure the standards are met.”