What Did Whatley-the-Feckless NOT Do?

 

Hurricane Recovery Czar Michael Whatley

Trump designated former NC GOP Chair Michael Whatley as Hurricane Helene "recovery czar" back on January 24th, when Trump was in Western North Carolina trying to act like he cared about the devastation from the flooding while also suggesting that we just get rid of FEMA. Whatley is now running for Thom Tillis's Senate seat. He has been noticeably absent -- not to mention totally feckless -- in any management or coordination of hurricane relief. To date only $5 billion in Federal aid has arrived to recover some of the $60 billion in damage to roads and bridges, businesses, and private residences.

Cory Vaillancourt reports that Whatley essentially sneaked into Western North Carolina on Sept. 22 at a closed-door FEMA Review Council meeting in Fletcher, where a leaked agenda listed him as a subcommittee co-chair and former National GOP chair — "not as the recovery czar Trump tapped to head up widely-panned recovery efforts."

Vaillancourt reports that the FEMA review council meeting in Fletcher was not open to the press or the public, and The Smoky Mountain News received no notice of Whatley’s visit. Whatley "seems to be backing away from responsibility as he ramps up his Senate campaign against former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper."

The frustration with Whatley is evident in a petition circulated by WNC residents demanding Whatley’s removal from the FEMA Review Council.

The petition says, “We need a fresh set of eyes to galvanize the recovery and the flow of funding. Whatley’s absence and lack of accountability have become an obstacle rather than a solution.” ...

Whatley’s visit to Fletcher seemed carefully calibrated to minimize political exposure. No public town halls were scheduled, and requests for comment by Smoky Mountain News have gone unanswered for weeks.

The leaked agenda that identified Whatley only as a former party chair reflects his shifting political priorities. As recovery czar, he has not been the face of the recovery, nor has he taken ownership of the slow pace of reimbursements. As a Senate candidate, however, he has every incentive to avoid being tied to unmet promises.