:roll:
Fine, have it your way.
This is not Houston's first hurricane or flood. They had a big one in the 30s, again in '94, again in '01, again in '06. Allison, in 2001, was classified as a "500 year flood," and we've got another one just 16 years later. Hmmmmm.
The locals, who you claim should know better than federal authorities, should know not to allow significant development in flood-prone areas without proper mitigation -- and yet, they did. The locals, who you claim should know better than federal authorities in how to build flood-resistant infrastructure, may not actually have the requisite expertise to design flood mitigation strategies. This is certainly the case for many of the small towns currently slammed by Harvey, in both Texas and Louisiana.
What you decry as disruptive federal meddling is actually a set of recommendations developed by experts. It's the same thing those locals should want anyway. That is, if they know what they're doing.
Of course, this is all rather stupendously irrelevant, because the executive order only affects federally funded infrastructure projects. It's a power duly delegated by Congress. It is undoubtedly within the scope of the President's authority. It has nothing whatsoever to do with local building codes. It isn't thwarting development. It's not hobbling or harming residents, as all it's really doing is making sure that bridges and highways built with federal dollars meet a more appropriate standard for flood resistance.
As to your claim that the standards relating to climate change are "vague," that seems a tad unlikely. After all, we have numerous summaries, analyses and reviews by federal agencies that specialize in such matters, including NOAA and the Army Corps of Engineers. After seeing two "500 year" hurricanes hit the same area less than 20 years apart, it's also kind of vital.
Summary: You don't have any viable basis for your lackadaisical and ideological claim that "locals know better," and it doesn't seem like you understand what the EO covers. Your position is about as impressive as a fallen souffle.
Happy now?
