Ideological impairment

Regarding “Flood control: Who pays?” (Page B1, Friday), elected officials in Austin refuse to use more than 5 percent of the Rainy Day Fund to provide disaster relief from the greatest rain event in the history of North America. This prompts the leadership in Washington to minimize federal funding for Harvey since they share the view of certain Austin politicos that government is not the solution, government is the problem (Reagan, 1981).

Meanwhile, Houston and Harris County need $100 billion in flood control expenses to protect people from future disasters that are becoming more common and more intense.

Texans must learn the lessons from other parts of the world subject to predictable and repetitive threats from huge rainstorms. New Orleans learned the hard way that neglect of public infrastructure can threaten an entire city. The Netherlands have a long history of using public funds to preserve their nation. Bangladesh is too poor to mimic the Dutch.

Only in a wealthy nation such as the United States could a flood of ideological impairment pose a greater threat to human life than Mother Nature at her worst. Michael Douglas Gilbert, Houston