(CNN) As Hurricane Irma moves ominously closer to Florida's shores and Texas continues digging out from the wreckage of Hurricane Harvey, Americans are reminded how much government matters. Devastating natural crises such as these, like others in our history, instantly remind us why President Ronald Reagan's famous maxim -- "government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem" -- was so wrong. FEMA coordinates the transmission of information about the storm and then turns to the search-and-rescue mission. Federal insurance offers affected citizens a lifeline to rebuild their homes and their lives once the storm is gone. The state and local government can impose strict zoning rules, particularly in coastal states, to minimize the kind of damage that these storms can cause.

Source: CNN September 09, 2017 02:03 UTC