TCTI: Too Crazy Too Ignore
 Dave Ross
sandy-cleanup.jpg
With the federal government expected to provide billions in aid to help cleanup from Hurricane Sandy, will the calls for state control of emergency management diminish? (AP image)

When the going gets tough, the tough call FEMA

BY Dave Ross  on October 30, 2012 @ 8:12 am (Updated: 8:45 am - 10/30/12 )

The weather forecasters were dead-on. They were so dead-on that for once the real pictures posted to the Internet were more spectacular than the phony ones.

A number of other realities emerged too - the warm waters of the Atlantic spawned both a monster hurricane and a blizzard. The map of the storm surge inundating lower Manhattan looked eerily similar to Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth.

And even though the federal government remains deeply in debt, no one's questioning FEMA's generosity.

A year ago there was a movement among Tea Party Republicans to insist on offsetting budget cuts to pay for federal disaster relief, and Mitt Romney himself tackled the question last December.

"Absolutely. Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that's the right direction," Romney said.

He wasn't saying abolish FEMA, only that state governments ought to take charge, which they have.

But Romney was clearly saying that they should also pay for it. And yet even a tough fiscal conservative like Chris Christie - who does he call for money?

"I was on the phone at midnight again last night with the president. He has expedited the designation of New Jersey as a major disaster area," Christie said.

That means New Jersey gets loans and outright grants to rebuild homes, rent for displaced families, unemployment benefits if your workplace was destroyed, even cash-flow loans for small businesses - all paid for by the federal government.

Of course the states are certainly free to repay all that. We'll see.

Dave Ross, KIRO Radio Talk Show Host
Dave Ross is co-host of The Ross & Burbank Show on KIRO Radio (weekdays 9-Noon) and never too far from the spotlight.
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Comments (9)


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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    And there, in a nutshell, is the challenge with relying solely on spending cuts to achieve a balanced budget...
    October 30, 2012 7:57 am
    Whatever *you* need from the government, whenever *you* need it, is always unquestionably appropriate use of public funds. Gotta love that giant FEDGOV when a problem arises that more than overwhelms a smaller, and now more commonly nearly bankrupt state gov.

    It's the *other* guy's demand for federal dollars that is wasteful, and should be immediately eliminated.

    No matter where we cut, somebody is going to bleed. Those targeted for exsanguination can be expected to protest loudly and derail the process.

    Let's hope that during the next presidential term, regardless who is in office, the Obstruclicans get real about a balanced approach, using both revenue increases and spending cuts, to balance the budget.

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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Just some advice to FEMA, this time
    October 30, 2012 8:02 am
    AIR OUT THE BLOODY TRAILERS FIRST !

    That said, Dave. Isn't Federal money free? Fresh printed, off the press. It's not like this comes from actual government income.

    But seriously, this IS one of those times when the money must flow from Washington to the states to try to make things right again as possible. .. And Gov. Christie would be a fool not to ask for and accept disaster relief. If some goes beyond disaster and helps NJ small business, that's OK, too. Even if somebody gives Obama thanks.

    Does make you winder, though. Considering the economy for the past 4 years, it's too bad such relief has to be for NATURAL disasters.

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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Er, Ron....didn't you condemn relief for ECONOMIC disaster?
    October 30, 2012 8:38 am
    Most of your fellow travelers did, anyway.
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    There are ways to throw money and ways to use money.
    October 30, 2012 9:01 am
    Solyndra was throwing money. ... Make work jobs are throwing money. ... IbamaCare is steeling money (oops, different topic). ..... the Keystone pipeline would have been USING money. ... The difference is that effective use of government monies CAN generate a net plus return - while too much of what IS done is waste.

    But, Chuck. I always thought 'fellow travelers' referred to your side of the aisle.

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  • ron prevost wrote...
    TYPO
    October 30, 2012 9:03 am
    O bama.

    Rhere's too much 'I' in Obama as it is.

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  • cdbtx wrote...
    Simply Read
    October 30, 2012 9:05 am
    What Thomas Jefferson wrote about the role of the Federal Gov't and taxes.

    The Federal Gov't very much has a role in Natural Disaters and to help the States.... and no, even though she's been a disaster, we cannot classify Govenor Gregoire as Natural.

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  • AtheisticallyYours wrote...
    NJ should be LAST in the handouts!
    October 30, 2012 11:07 am
    Since NJ is headed by a bombastic asshole of a "fiscal conservative", it should WILLINGLY BE LAST in the handout area FROM the federal government! Let the state of NJ take care of its own, and make sure that the voters there know that THEIR OWN GOVERNOR thinks that each state affected by a natural disaster should "be responsible" for its own disaster relief!
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  • mnpat wrote...
    Why is it Dave finds the need to make a political discussion out of a natural disaster?
    October 30, 2012 1:51 pm
    Time to grow up and put big boy pants on Dave and Luke, time to put aside your ideological liberal mindset. But since you want to whine, the money isn't free, the fact that the feds have numerous programs does not make it free. I for one believe programs should be generated from the State level unless amended by the constution to be done at the federal level....so now go outside, pick up your ball and cry at home for a change instead of on the radio.
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  • Moondoggie wrote...
    Q. But where would the states get the money?
    October 30, 2012 2:46 pm
    A. They would take the money that they(the taxpayers of the state) don't have to send to Fema and use it themselves. There local control at no extra expense.
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