Will Raleigh finally deliver for western N.C.?

Right now, both General Assembly leaders and Gov. Josh Stein are playing nice and pledging to focus on western N.C. But let's see if the congeniality lasts

Everybody is saying the right things, for now.

New House Speaker Destin Hall, Gov. Josh Stein and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger all used introductory addresses over the last few days to pledge to work together to rebuild western North Carolina. None of them want a repeat of the abysmal response to hurricanes in eastern North Carolina.

“I hope we can partner with Gov. Stein and his administration to ensure that response doesn’t become the norm,” Berger said in his opening remarks. “I implore everyone in this room to come together to find ways to improve our response and recovery efforts.”

And for his part, Stein said he’d reciprocate.

“Let's work together. We have real problems to solve,” he said Saturday in his inaugural address. “When we work together, we are stronger and there's no limit to what we can accomplish for the good of the people of this state.”

Is this all just empty talk?

Maybe. Beyond the rhetoric, both Stein and Hall have taken some concrete steps that makes it seem l…