In the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd's unprecedented devastation, the rallying cry, "let's get everything back to normal," seemed to make good sense. Three months later, "back to normal" is beginning to look more like the problem than the solution. Eastern North Carolinians deserve admiration for their remarkable ability to make lemonade from the extra-large lemons they've been handed. There is much that is praiseworthy about the relief efforts immediately following the worst natural disaster in our state's recorded history. Government agencies, businesses, church congregations, civic organizations and individuals all rallied around in truly helpful ways.
And yet, most of the camaraderie and solidarity receded along with the floodwaters. Sadly, some things got back to normal in a big hurry. For example, the shameful exclusion of Hispanic migrant workers from a variety of sources of badly-needed aid (even just to leave the state) underscores how normal it is for these hard-working families to be exploited.
The reason why getting "back to normal" is wrong-headed is that the pre-Floyd reality of eastern North Carolina is not a norm to which we should aspire. The thirty counties hardest hit by Floyd already had extraordinarily high rates of substandard housing, poverty, lack of access to good services and low rankings on most indicators of child well-being. The standard for the entire post-Floyd redevelopment effort should not be getting back to normal, but doing everything necessary to make Eastern North Carolina a better place to be a child and to raise a child.
Many North Carolinians believe that Congress' response to this crisis has been disgracefully inadequate. The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution proclaims that our government exists to "establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity and promote the general Welfare for ourselves and our Posterity." But, there is no Justice in relief efforts that favor wealthier homeowners over poorer renters, no domestic Tranquillity in leaving families in situations so stressful they may provoke domestic violence, no general Welfare promoted by placing business and "infrastructure" needs way ahead of human needs from child care to mental health.
Governor Hunt and the General Assembly are in a special legislative session. However, while the session may be special, the political calculations already appear to be frighteningly normal in three crucial ways.
First, the fear of any new taxes -- even one as wise and necessary as a temporary surcharge on corporate and personal income taxes -- may once again triumph over long-term fiscal responsibility. The proposed relief package is based on the dangerous fiction that no new state revenue needs to be raised.
Second, the pressing human needs of our Down East neighbors, especially children and youth who have been harmed (or are in harm's way) because of the lasting effects of Floyd, may remain largely ignored and dramatically underfunded.
Everything that has already been included in the proposed relief package is necessary. The problem is what's missing, namely adequate funding for human services to deal with the psychological, healthcare and emotional needs of people who sustained damage to more than their homes.
The terrible irony is that the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is being asked to cut tens of millions of dollars to fund the rest of the recovery package. What is needed Down East is a comprehensive package, not one that pits housing and agricultural needs against equally important human services.
And third, partisan wrangling may take precedence over the best interests of the people who now are clinging to the wreckage of their lives and communities. The timidity of the package put forward suggests that both political parties think the key to winning the 2000 election is the one that keeps the state treasury locked up tight.
When faced with a public policy event such as the upcoming special legislative session, "getting back to normal" for most North Carolinians means feeling powerless, cynical, or naively trusting. All of these result in passivity. Why react normally in the face of an abnormal natural disaster? We should react differently.
The current proposal for state assistance is too miserly and too incomplete. We must show our elected officials that we care about relieving human suffering as much as we care about the rest of the aid package. Make it plain that you are willing to pay your fair share of new taxes (and/or support a bond) to help the recovery succeed.
This is an opportunity to have high expectations of our political leadership. Let's not settle for bringing Eastern North Carolina communities back to "normal" when normal was unacceptable.
Sher is President of the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute. 
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