Democrat Politicians Are Hindering Rescue Efforts In North Carolina, And One Rescuer Has Had Enough

Posted • October 2, 2024: The devastation that Tropical Storm Helene inflicted on western North Carolina is still heartbreaking several days after the storm has passed. Countless North Carolinians are stranded in the mountains and valleys of that part of the state, many of them without medications or other things that they need to survive. Towns and cities like Asheville are dealing with widespread damage and power outages. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has several road and trail closures, even as U.S. 441, the main highway between Cherokee and Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville, remains open and passable. It's hard to describe how difficult people in North Carolina have it, but this Facebook post explains some if it: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10161640099794438

The terrain and the damage have made rescue efforts difficult, but that hasn’t stopped people from trying. However, bureaucrats are hindering these efforts, and they’re often passing the blame between local, state, and federal entities. One Florida entrepreneur who has been trying to rescue people for several days vented his frustrations in an Instagram video on Tuesday. Jonathan Howard has been working on rescue efforts since over the weekend, and he didn’t hold back in explaining what’s going on. “I try not to cuss but I am just so mad at the lack of Government support and I need people to hear how desperate this situation is,” Howard wrote in his caption. “I don’t have time to be nice or gentle right now. People are literally dying by the day here and it can all be fixed with Helicopters. It’s like our Government wants these people to die. They’re so incompetent, disorganized, and dishonest it’s disgusting.”

Howard is a member of the Florida State Guard Special Missions Unit, and he has been working with a non-profit called Aerial Recovery to help save lives. But he’s running into infuriating bureaucratic brick walls. […] Howard said that his congresswoman was able to get two contracted helicopters for search and rescue, but he also pointed out that local authorities are stopping even the media from seeing how bad the destruction is. He related a story that sheriff’s deputies in the Lake Lure area wouldn’t let CNN video the devastation. […] Howard said that he doesn’t “know what kind of conspiracy” is behind this bureaucratic nightmare. In my more cynical moments, I can’t help but wonder if Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) and the Biden-Harris administration are willing to let Republican voters in a reliably red part of the state fend for themselves — and die. I don’t want to believe that, but it’s hard to shake that gut feeling.

Howard’s angry passion was palpable as he concluded his rant. He rightly pointed out that “they are literally allowing these people to f***ing die in the mountains right now because we can't get helicopters. They got money for everything else in the f***ing world right now, but if they could just get us helicopters, we could fly out there and rescue these people. So I hope this video goes viral.” He said he won’t give up if it means saving lives. He also admitted that he doesn’t care who gets angry at him. “I hope these politicians get fired,” he concluded. “I hope people get pissed off. They'll probably kick me out of the state of North Carolina for doing this. But you know what? I don't care. Because if I can save one more life for it, it's f***ing worth it to me.” (…)

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https://pjmedia.com/chris-queen/2024/10/02/politicians-are-hindering-rescue-efforts-in-north-carolina-and-one-rescuer-has-had-enough-n4933010