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From Donald Tuttle

By Staff | Jan 22, 2014

Floods. We all thank Sen.. Joe Manchin for recognizing the plight of the residents living in the flood plain of the Ohio River and the burden the Federal Flood program has placed on them.

I applaud the efforts of the Senator but I am afraid it is a temporary reprieve and not a permanent solution. Under the present system, people are losing their homes and property values have been greatly diminished.

This is the end result of big government telling the citizens that they will take care of their problem and they have a better solution.

Here is a novel idea. How about a solution that works? For nearly two hundred years, people of the valley built their homes and businesses in the flood plain, knowing the risks involved, but choose, for whatever reason, to live there without Federal involvement. Homes all along the river have experienced dozens of floods and are still housing people.

When a flood warning was given, people prepared. And when the waters receded, neighbors and owners cleaned their property and went on with their lives.

Now, FEMA decides after a flood what homes will be destroyed and not rebuilt. Under these mandates, what will the landscape look like in 50 years?

We all realize some government regulations are necessary in society. But, when they infringe upon our freedom to choose where we live, and impose such a burden on people when they have fended for themselves in the past, there is something wrong with the system.

How many government programs, long term, have been good for our country, where private initiative and free enterprise would have served more effectively and efficiently?

With this government mindset, what will the Affordable Health Care Act look like in a few years?

Donald Tuttle

New Martinsville