[MBCook]

Counterpoint: isn't this the PERFECT time? This is one time when we can discuss possible policies and it's not completely abstract. We can point to what a policy would have or would not have changed about what is currently going on.

For example it's much easier to convince people that it's OK to cut certain parts of the budget when no one has seen some of those programs used much in a couple of years. Events like this make it clear that preparations for extreme storms, even if they're not common, are still necessary.

Now of course most of what Trump has "done" is PROPOSALS to the budget, so he hasn't necessarily changed anything yet. But it still seems like a reasonable time to discuss these kind of issues.

And the government involvement in flood insurance, basically subsidizing people to live in areas that are a lot more dangerous than necessary.

[cossatot]

Fortunately the Trump administration (in partial continuation of Obama policies) is attempting to reduce FEMA subsidy for people living in floodplains[1]. It's a messy process to end an unhealthy subsidy that many depend on but with this particular problem it may be worth buying people out--lives are at risk as well as just dollars.

[1]: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-23/trump-fem...

[MBCook]

That's good. That's one of those things (like the home interest tax deduction) that seems like a terrible idea we already have and is near political suicide to actually get rid of. At best people can just keep chipping away at it until it's affectively gone.