How Harvey could translate into Democratic wins
Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on the Texas shoreline and it will soon remake the political landscape as we approach the November 2018 midterm elections. Its impact will be felt for elections to come.
Our elected officials can no longer ignore common-sense questions. Could our leaders be so out of touch that they ignored the warning signs? Aren’t we getting 500-year storms more regularly? Why is critical infrastructure like chemical plants and public utilities so susceptible to flooding? Who is asleep at the wheel, and why do we keep returning them to office?
This ineptitude — or willful failure to prepare for risks that are readily-apparent — will cause the already-simmering groundswell of political tumult to overflow, having real political ramifications in races at every level. It is up to Democrats and concerned citizens to demand solutions rather than more bathroom politics.
People who seek a government that most fundamentally works to keep us safe now have an opportunity to answer the questions that today’s current politicians simply (and negligently) refuse to address. As we rebuild, there must be a campaign to secure the necessary funding to make Texans whole and prepare for the next big storm. That requires a new way of talking about Harvey, and the man-made environmental disaster that is unfolding before us.
Voters already have little confidence in Congress to get the job done, so why not go all in: Demand the funds and resources that Texas needs to recover while preparing for the next threat. For once, voters might actually reward a politician for going to the mat for their livelihoods. They might replace their current elected official in exchange for one who wants to use the storm as an opportunity to rebuild the infrastructure of Texas, get good paying jobs to areas that need them, make our chemical plants ready for flooding and secure our future against another storm.
It was only in August when we saw Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey call out U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz for his no vote on Hurricane Sandy funding. Cruz was not the only Republican who rejected federal monies; Mike Pence wanted budget offsets for the Sandy funding package. Even a few members from Texas — all Republicans — voted against the initial Harvey relief funds! These principled leaders wanted to inflict harm on people because it was an opportunity to rack up political points with a base that suffers alongside the rest of America’s recent storm victims.
Similarly, the Houston Chronicle, International Business Times and other publications have led the way on investigating flooded Superfund sites and the Arkema plant explosions in Crosby. The invisible dangers alone that we face from hazardous chemicals and plant safety should be enough to enrage any Texan, but the fact that Republicans work to regulate less, cut funding to the Environmental Protection Agency and actively court polluters should be a liability. Democrats can work to make that a reality by building on the momentum and consensus that something needs to be done.
Democrats will be hesitant to politicize a tragic natural disaster. They will fret that bringing politics into the Harvey funding debate will harm them at home and make them seem opportunistic. The reality is that there are people right now without homes, cars and jobs because of the storm. Some lost their lives or family members and just don’t see a way forward. Despair will metastasize into anger. But Democrats can break the cycle by showing Texans a path to recovery by providing plans, timelines and assurances that together, we can work to protect our communities against the next natural disaster.
While Texas are still coming to grips with the extent of Harvey’s impacts, it is time for Democrats to treat this event as a catalyst for a renewed push for a common-sense approach to fulfill the most basic job of government — protecting its citizens.
It is time to advocate for our communities and hold elected representatives accountable.