3/4/25 – In many ways, the purpose of government is to help us manage uncertainty by working together. For instance:

• A strong national-defense system provides the stability people need to go about their daily lives and build businesses.
• The justice system protects us from criminals who would steal our hard-earned money.
• Traffic systems enable us to get where we’re going safely – in the air and on the ground.
• Flood-control systems protect us from unpredictable major storms that might otherwise destroy our homes.

Triple Threat For Disaster Relief and Flood Mitigation

But in the last month, newspapers and magazines from coast to coast have blared headlines about the possible impacts of massive federal government staff cuts and a blanket funding freeze on government grants. The cuts and delays potentially affect wide swaths of the federal government including:

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, responsible for severe weather and hurricane forecasts
• Federal Emergency Management Agency which responds to major disasters and manages rebuilding projects.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It helps provide low-income, affordable housing. And its Community Development Block Grant Program also helps fund many flood-mitigation and disaster-relief projects.

Together, these three groups help protect us from natural disasters, recover from them, and mitigate the impact of future severe-weather events.

It’s unclear at this point how budget and staff cuts in these groups would impact disaster-prone areas, such as Texas. But rumors certainly have created a stir. And the uncertainty surrounding the cuts is contributing to potential delays that could jeopardize 60+ flood-mitigation projects totaling $1.1 billion that Harris County has been working on for four years.

Right now, no one can predict what all this uncertainty will bring. And that in itself is bad.

Separating Waste from Need

Predictably, most people have lined up along a partisan divide. But in this national debate, we need a better appreciation of details and nuances.

When I listen to stories of government fraud, waste and abuse, one side of my brain thinks, “We need to get a better handle on that.” Many examples exist in Harris County right under our noses.

But when I listen to stories about DOGE pillaging through one government department after another, I can’t help but wonder whether a series of targeted surgical strikes might work better than a blanket, slash-and-burn campaign.

It reminds me of a cautionary nursery tale dating back more than 500 years. Parents have taught it to countless generations of children around the world to dramatize the value of preparation and attention to detail.

For Want of a Nail, the Shoe Was Lost

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;
For want of the shoe, the horse was lost;
For want of the horse, the rider was lost;
For want of the rider, the battle was lost;
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost;
And all from the want of a horseshoe nail.

No government system works perfectly forever. They require constant calibration in response to changing environments. But wholesale, sudden change has the potential to disrupt communities and lives drastically. And I’m not just talking about people whose jobs are affected.

Impacts of Threatened Cuts Already Seen Locally in County Commissioners Court

In Harris County Commissioners Court last Thursday, leaders discussed ways to deal with the uncertainty produced by these possible cuts.

• Item 11 dealt with financial strategies to deal with uncertainty in case the federal government pulls back grants affecting Harris County employees and programs, including the 2018 Flood Bond.
• Item 164 dealt with the need to better understand the status of each project in the Flood Bond in the face of a potential billion-dollar budget shortfall.

The Peril of Pendulum Politics

The function of government should be to provide services that give citizens a safe environment to build better lives … in the most cost-effective way possible. It’s not one or the other.

Right now, Harris County has at least $1.1 billion of grants at risk because they are under the HUD umbrella. That makes them tainted in the current environment because of HUD’s statutory mission established under Democratic presidents in the 1960s.

Let’s make sure that in the current swing of the pendulum, we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

The DOGE “Musketeers” are reportedly evaluating cuts of 50 – 80 percent of HUD’s staff … plus billions in grant programs.  The County has worked four years to apply for the $1.1 billion in grants. HCFCD conducted engineering studies, prepared flood-remediation plans, and developed estimates.

We have already spent millions of dollars in anticipation of reimbursement. If DOGE nukes CDBG programs, either by directly cutting the grants themselves or the personnel required to process reimbursements, the County will be out the money already invested. That will delay or eliminate future flood control projects entirely.

Is It Wise to Cut $1.1 Billion That Could Save $150 Billion?

Look at those CDBG disaster recovery funds not as a frivolous expense, but as an investment in future safety and cost reduction.  

The flood-control grants will protect against future floods. When the next superstorm like Harvey hits, the $1.1 billion under review will look tiny compared to the damages it could help avoid.

Harvey damages cost $125 billion. Adjusted for inflation, a similar storm today could easily cost in the region $150 billion.

Perhaps DOGE should focus on cutting future expenses, not just today’s. To quote another old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/4/25

2744 Days since Hurricane Harvey

The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.