Guest Editorial
Dear Michael Whatley,
We are writing this letter as Western North Carolinians who are simply tired of being let down by you.
We’re tired of you – our “recovery czar” – acting like your job is done when you haven’t lifted a finger to help us. We’re tired of asking for the federal relief we were promised, but instead, in the nearly two years since Hurricane Helene hit, we’ve still only seen a percentage of what we need to recover. And we’re tired of begging DC bureaucrats like yourself for help just to be met with silence and inaction.
After all of that, maybe you can imagine our disappointment to learn from the Asheville Citizen-Times that you have abused your position as “recovery czar” to enrich yourself while we get left behind.
As co-chair of the committee tasked with producing the FEMA Review Council’s final report, you were in charge of submitting recommendations to improve the federal disaster response and help disaster victims.
Instead, you produced a report that benefits your bottom line while raising costs for future disaster victims. Your report called for privatizing flood insurance, which would benefit the $190,000 worth of stock you hold in companies providing flood insurance while raising premiums for folks like us.
This is unacceptable.
This is the move of a self-serving DC politician.
And this completely disqualifies you for the U.S. Senate seat you’re running for because you’ve made it abundantly clear that you would use the seat to enrich yourself while hurting the people you’re supposed to serve.
For nearly a year now, we’ve been asking you to step up. Instead, we’ve been met with lies, delays, and empty claims of success.
So our ask for you today is – sell your stock in the companies that would make you richer from your FEMA recommendations: Berkshire Hathaway, Progressive Corp., and Fairfax Financial Holding.
Do the right thing, and remove the conflicts of interest that allow you to get rich at our expense.
Disaster recovery isn’t about politics, and it certainly isn’t about your bottom line. It’s about the victims who have lost possessions, small businesses, homes, loved ones.
If you understood Western North Carolina or spent any time here at all, you might understand that.
Sincerely,
Barbara, Avery County
Mike L., Buncombe County
Diane A., Buncombe County
John G., Buncombe County
Teri S., Buncombe County
Katherine T., Buncombe County
Scott C., Buncombe County
Leslie D., Buncombe County
Mary Ellen G., Buncombe County
Victoria J., Buncombe County
Diane A., Buncombe County
Anne S., Buncombe County
Ali S., Buncombe County
John G., Buncombe County
Mac T., Buncombe County
Joan T., Buncombe County
Judith P., Buncombe County
Judy G., Buncombe County
Mary G., Buncombe County
Robert K., Buncombe County
Holly H., Buncombe County
Chris B., Buncombe County
John L., Buncombe County
Sarah R., Buncombe County
Nancy S., Buncombe County
Jon S., Buncombe County
Karen C., Buncombe County
Valerie L., Buncombe County
Bob D., Buncombe County
Victoria W., Buncombe County
Lawrence W., Buncombe County
Natalie G., Buncombe County
Cindy T., Buncombe County
Monique P., Buncombe County
Kay S., Buncombe County
Geraldine N., Buncombe County
Bill B., Buncombe County
Kevin K., Buncombe County
Christina M., Buncombe County
Mary G., Buncombe County
Cheryl S., Catawba County
Ellen W., Henderson County
Laura B., Henderson County
Elaine C., Henderson County
Christopher B., Henderson County
Kim W., Henderson County
Steve W., Henderson County
Ann R., Henderson County
Preston E., Henderson County
Liz A., Henderson County
Christopher B., Henderson County
Betsy B., Macon County
Rachel S., Macon County
Vance S., Macon County
Anna C., McDowell County
Emily W., McDowell County
Teri S., McDowell County
Stacy W., McDowell County
Kathryn H., McDowell County
Liz M., McDowell County
Carol J., McDowell County
Stephanie T., McDowell County
Susan H., McDowell County
Eddie, Mitchell County
Susan H., Mitchell County
Joan T., Transylvania County
