Government Assistance During Disasters
Do we want “that guy” responsible for the government’s part in assisting during disasters?
Hurricane Helene’s and Hurricane Milton’s impact on the southeastern part of the United States is devastating, and the effect will be present for many years. Many of us have watched helplessly as reports have come in, and they seem to get worse with each report. We have been heartened by the helpers, the folks who show up, some neighbors and friends, and others seemingly out of nowhere to have THE THING needed most. Folks not previously known to be leaders have taken leadership in their communities, providing the goods and services they need to achieve normalcy.
Facebook and other social media have been helpful in spreading the word and organizing relief efforts in communities not directly impacted to send necessities. Some have reported that the government, particularly the federal government, is doing nothing or has not been seen in their communities. More reports were of a political nature:
“You should not vote for this party because they have done nothing,” was one post I read.
Since folks have made this a political issue, I want to address its political nature. What has the Biden administration done to assist in this disaster, and in what timeframe? Do we have a history of what “that guy” did during his administration that would give insight into how he might handle a future crisis?
Here is the procedure for FEMA to be involved and the source of that information:
· First, the governor of the state (or area, such as Puerto Rico) must make an assessment and present it to the local FEMA office. In massive cases, the request can be made before the assessment is sent, and the appraisal can come later.
· In this request, the governor must list the local resources that will/are available to address the disaster.
· Then, the request goes to the President of the U.S., who officially gets the Federal Government involved.
· The request must come from the area’s governor, or no aid is sent.
https://www.fema.gov/pdf/rrr/dec_proc.pdf
I must say here to the folks who have indicated that the President has not been present to see what is happening: You do not want political officials in the middle of a disaster area. Especially not initially. That is not their job. For them to show up takes focus away from rescue efforts. Media get in the way. Security folks get in the way. Politicians who are running off at the mouth provide nothing. We want our officials to be in the state House and White House signing the bills, requesting money from Congress, and putting structures in place that can make a difference. It is important that they pick the time and place to visit that is least disruptive.
Let’s look at the timeframe for when the Biden administration did that:
· The Republican governors of GA, NC, SC, and FL have all indicated that this current administration has been in touch with them from the beginning through telephone calls and actions to make FEMA and other assistance available.
· North Carolina Governor and Biden took a plane ride and approved more aid for Helene victims.
· GA governor praises Biden
· https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4908016-georgia-kemp-biden-hurricane-helene/
· The FL governor has also praised President Biden for his support during the disaster crisis.
What about “that guy?” When he was president, we also had a couple of disasters. He evidently assisted Texas and Florida with theirs. However, it was different when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017.
“That guy” was president when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017. The governor sent the request to the FEMA office, and Federal aid was approved on September 20, 2017. Federal aid did show up. $3.3 billion was spent on Puerto Rico. However, FEMA was obligated to pay $15 billion, but by April 2019, it had only spent $3.3 billion.
“FEMA had also not spent any of the $15 million obligated for hazard mitigation. “That guy” had withheld federal aid for political reasons. That guy” SAID that he had sent $91 billion to Puerto Rico, which was false. THEN, “that guy” waited two years until right before the election in 2020 to ask Congress for $13 billion to go to Puerto Rico to address their power infrastructure.”
The following quote shows that, in fact, it was “that guy” himself that held up the desperately needed money for reconstruction:
“The Trump administration then imposed a series of rather onerous requirements for Puerto Rico to access post-disaster assistance for rebuilding, including a demand that the island’s government not pay contractors a $15 minimum wage.”
https://rollcall.com/2022/10/03/biden-pledge-in-puerto-rico-contrasts-with-prior-trump-effort/
If “that guy” becomes president, we know from his past behavior that the amount of money and support given for disasters will not be determined by the structures we have put in place to assist communities hit by disaster; it will be determined by whether “that guy” likes your state or governors, or whatever he seems to make up daily.
Nope, I’m still not voting for “that guy.”