Letter: Invest in climate, care, jobs and justice for NC

Graphic by Lori Deaton

In August, our communities were devastated by flooding from Tropical Storm Fred. The only homes many people had ever known were washed away, and many more are still recovering from severe damage. Rural communities in Cruso and Canton were hit hardest, and we still don’t have federal relief.

We live in Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s district. Right now, there’s a historic opportunity to invest $3.5 trillion in our communities by passing the Build Back Better deal. This plan would provide funding for initiatives like the Civilian Climate Corps, a jobs program to transition our economy to renewable energy and green infrastructure. But Cawthorn refuses to back it.

The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report is code red for humanity. Rising global temperatures will accelerate the frequency and severity of climate disasters like Tropical Storm Fred. Rep. Cawthorn sits on the House Education & Labor Committee, which has the power to pass legislation that invests in programs like the CCC. Instead, he’s preoccupying himself with divisive political rhetoric, inciting violence and refusing to invest in climate and green jobs.

In Fred’s wake, our community is providing climate disaster aid — a job that the federal government ought to be doing. But instead, a handful of wealthy individuals, with the help of people like Rep. Cawthorn, have pitted us against each other along lines of race and class to stop us from getting what we need to thrive. Rep. Cawthorn: It’s time to either Build Back Better or get ready to be voted out.

— Chelsea White-Hoglen
Clyde

Editor’s note: President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster Sept. 8 for WNC counties affected by Tropical Storm Fred, allowing residents, business owners, governments and nonprofits to apply for federal aid.

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6 thoughts on “Letter: Invest in climate, care, jobs and justice for NC

  1. NFB

    “In Fred’s wake, our community is providing climate disaster aid — a job that the federal government ought to be doing.”

    Haywood County voted for Madison Cawthorn by 25 points. Clearly they are firm believers in “personal responsibility,” and stand adamantly against “socialism” and thus surly will reject any disaster aid from the evil federal government.

    Even if this passes the US House, Haywood County also voted for Thom Tillis who when join with his puppet master Mitch McConnell in saving Haywood County from the “socialism” they stand so strongly against.

    Give the people what they want!

  2. Enlightened Enigma

    So what happened to the Bideng government relief? Where’s Joe? does he know ?

  3. kw

    Remember that it’s far less expensive to safeguard the forests and rivers we have rather than trying to retrofit in future years. Nice to plant trees, but it takes decades to create healthy patches of woods.

    Urge politicians to safeguard intact forests adjoining existing parks such as Richmond Hill, Silverline, and the French Broad River before we pass the point of no return.

  4. WNC

    Not to long ago each US tax payer owed $170,000.00 in debt. Now it’s about $225,000.00, not including the proposed (primarily slush fund) spending. Wonder what the carbon footprint would be to pay off that.
    One way we “help the environment” is by saying we don’t want produce or provide a product because it’s not environmentally friendly enough. So we let a country who produces 2 x 3 times the carbon foot as US companies in making the same (well really inferior) product, produce and profit from the extra environmental weight.Then ship it back by fossil fuel to purchase the same product or fossil fuel product. So we create jobs for those who are much less environmentally friendly and who are often enemies of the US interest. Often by countries who exploit women and children.
    So in addition we really pay other countries to provide materials and product shortages, while we show how much we care about the planet.

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