Monday letters: Big government, less government or more government?

Many politicians continue to proclaim that we are caught in the web of too much government. In a recent Time magazine article, Ted Cruz was photographed in front of a giant campaign poster stating “Big Government Sucks.”

In response to South Carolina’s recent flood disaster, we must acknowledge the essential and continuing assistance provided by FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Guard, Navy and Coast Guard rescue units. A long and vital array of government agencies must be used to continue the state’s recovery effort.

It is clear that thousands of South Carolinians and citizens of states impacted by floods, forest fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts and other natural disasters will require more rather than less government. The recovery process for individuals, families and communities usually occurs over months and even years, depending on a state’s revenue, resources and quality of existing infrastructure.

Not all people with Ivy League credentials believe that the role of government should be reduced and that volunteers, religious and private helping agencies and organizations are capable of managing the aftermath of natural disasters.