"FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD"

A grandstanding Texas governor tempts us to appropriate that bluntly succinct headline from the New York Daily News, circa 1975. Then, it was President Gerald Ford refusing to authorize federal loans to New York City as it teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. Now, it's Gov. Greg Abbott refusing to tap into the state's so-called Rainy Day Fund to help Houston pay for damage from Hurricane Harvey or to call a special session of the Legislature to authorize its use and to vote on other recovery measures that require state approval.

"In times like these, it's important to have fiscal responsibility as opposed to financial panic," the governor said following an afternoon briefing on Harvey recovery efforts with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials. He followed up that fatuous "Father Knows Best" remark with a jibe at Houston's Democratic mayor, accusing Sylvester Turner of "using (Harvey recovery) as hostage to raise taxes."

Here's what he's essentially saying to Houston: "DROP DEAD"

The governor, a Houstonian himself, might think different were he to drive down residential streets still lined with debris that's rapidly becoming a health hazard. If he were to talk to thousands of residents whose homes have been damaged or destroyed, who are still needing a place to live. If he heard from Houston business owners still unable to reopen.

In a letter Turner wrote to Abbott earlier this week, he noted that using part of the $10 billion-plus Rainy Day Fund, the largest emergency fund of any state in the U.S., "is appropriate for (the) response to a natural disaster such as Harvey that wreaked significant damage and caused local governments to incur unanticipated costs far beyond their budgets." The mayor also pointed out that without assistance from the state fund, the city will be forced to increase its property tax rate on a temporary, emergency basis. Houston has some $100 million in insurance money and dire needs that are twice that.

By the way, this isn't some partisan fight. Even Steve Radack, a conservative Republican Harris County commissioner, believes the governor must not wait until 2019 for legislative action. "I think it's a terrible mistake," Radack told the editorial board Wednesday. "There should be a special session." The commissioner added that no area provides more sales tax revenue to the state than Harris County - $5.5 billion - and it's time for Austin to send those funds back down Highway 290.

The governor rejected Turner's request. He and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, another Houstonian, have said the mayor can use funds held by Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones for Harvey cleanup and recovery efforts. They're mistaken. TIRZ bond funds are legally restricted to the use for which they were issued.

The governor has said the mayor's request is unprecedented. Again, he's mistaken. In 2013, the Legislature tapped into the Rainy Day Fund to help the Bastrop area recover from devastating wildfires. Bastrop County residents will tell you those fires were bad, but they didn't cause damage expected to top $150 billion. That's the toll Harvey wrought.

The governor has said the state has given Houston money. Again, he's mistaken. The money that's come our way is FEMA money destined for Houston and passed through the state, which keeps more than 3 percent for administrative costs. No state money has been allocated to the city for Harvey recovery.

We can see why a governor up for reelection next year would be wary of a special session. He's no doubt worried about giving Dan Patrick another opportunity to appease his rightwing following with wildly radical proposals. (Bathroom bills, anybody?) Still, we would like to see a little political courage on the governor's part at a time of unprecedented need.

The mayor of the state's largest city - and his southeast Texas counterparts - are doing their part. They're trying to cope with a monumental natural disaster. We're waiting for Greg Abbott to measure up to the enormity of the task.

Call a special session, governor. Open up the Rainy Day Fund. If 27 trillion gallons of water and 50 inches of rain at one time don't qualify as a rainy day, we're not sure what does.