Rick Perry Whines About Helping Tornado Victims

[Winehole23]

While certainly understandable that the Obama administration would want to thumb it's nose at Perry, delaying/witholding disaster response aid is completely inappropriate.

Why so? FEMA decides who gets help -- it's an administrative determination, and all those deserving of help might not get help. Life ain't fair.

Does it need to compare? Is there some quota on the number of disaster declarations FEMA is allowed to make?

Dunno. I would assume FEMA's budget is isn't unlimited.

Are states en led to federal aid for any and all natural disasters?

[coyotes_geek]

Perhaps, but the way the governor is going about it is totally wrong. There are entire communities in the South that don't even exist anymore. There is almost no infrastructure right now. Damage totals are probably going to rival or at least approach the 1993 Storm of the Century. 350+ people are dead. To say it's tactless to ask for money when so many families are getting ready to bury loved ones is a massive understatement, and as a Governor, he should have a much more finely tuned grasp of the situation than to say something this insensitive.

Our governor is a tool. I get it. That doesn't make it okay for Obama and co. to sit on a disaster declaration.

[boutons_deux]

Anybody heard any complaints about Barry's FEMA handling the tornados disaster?

Anybody heard any complaints about Clinton's FEMA handling the 1990s disasters?

Anybody heard any complaints about dubya's FEMA handling the 2000s disasters?

[Cry Havoc]

Perry's a complete for handling it this way. But he did request the aid long before the tornadorama cut it's huge swath through the south. Making a point about asking for money while other people are suffering is sorta moot. He asked before.

And evidently it was either turned down or delayed. Perhaps he should put on his big boy pants and get to work, rather than resorting to this.

[TeyshaBlue]

The grownups are talking, boutons. gfy

[johnsmith]

And evidently it was either turned down or delayed. Perhaps he should put on his big boy pants and get to work, rather than resorting to this.

What work would you like him to get to?

[Cry Havoc]

Our governor is a tool. I get it. That doesn't make it okay for Obama and co. to sit on a disaster declaration.

Actually, it IS at their discretion to do so. They do not have to approve federal funds. As was seen earlier in this thread, money for the tsunami was not made available until the middle of last month.

[Winehole23]

April 18th

http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=54343

Thx. So much for my surmise, but your opinion that the help for CA was unwarranted and purely political is pure fiat, until you're willing to delve into the details a little deeper.

That said, the surmise that the difference between the federal response to the CA tsunami and the Texas wildfire is primarily political, seems plausible.

[johnsmith]

Actually, it IS at their discretion to do so. They do not have to approve federal funds. As was seen earlier in this thread, money for the tsunami was not made available until the middle of last month.

Absolutely, but I don't really understand why it would take a month to decide on if they are gonna give out the cash.

[johnsmith]

Thx. So much for my surmise, but your opinion that the help for CA was unwarranted and purely political is pure fiat, until you're willing to delve into the details a little deeper.

That said, the surmise that the difference between the federal response to the CA tsunami and the Texas wildfire is primarily political, seems plausible.

Furthermore, and let's be brutally honest here, if I had to pick something to save and my options were the California coastline and the wasteland that is West Texas......I'm going with Cali........

[Cry Havoc]

What work would you like him to get to?

Governing?

Absolutely, but I don't really understand why it would take a month to decide on if they are gonna give out the cash.

Would a stolid, "No, sorry." be better than, "Give us some time to review the situation and we'll let you know."?

[johnsmith]

Governing?



Would a stolid, "No, sorry." be better than, "Give us some time to review the situation and we'll let you know."?

Ok, so whenever Obama conducts an interview should I complain that he's not Governing enough? I know you guys are all up in arms when people about Obama filling out brackets for March Madness, so don't be hypocritical about a dude complaining that his state is burning.

And honestly, if you were in charge of the state and it was on fire, how satisfied would you be if the answer was "give us some time to review the situation and we'll let you know"?

, I get pissed when I'm on hold with Time Warner for more than 15 minutes, I can't imagine the rage I'd feel if I were him.

[Cry Havoc]

Ok, so whenever Obama conducts an interview should I complain that he's not Governing enough? I know you guys are all up in arms when people about Obama filling out brackets for March Madness, so don't be hypocritical about a dude complaining that his state is burning.

You are more than within your rights to say Obama should be doing a better job. He could be and should be, by a number of accounts. However, getting approved for disaster relief funding is not in the same vein at all as a President taking a few moments to comment on one of our nation's largest sporting events.

And honestly, if you were in charge of the state and it was on fire, how satisfied would you be if the answer was "give us some time to review the situation and we'll let you know"?

Well damn, I knew there was a reason I haven't and don't plan to run for political office. It's a rough job. I'd probably take a step back from the situation and realize that I'm not actually owed any money, but I'm taking a piss on the people who are considering giving some to me. Since tangential analogies seem to be okay, do you think it's acceptable for a homeless man to start bemoaning the fact that it's taking his steak too long to cook?

, I get pissed when I'm on hold with Time Warner for more than 15 minutes, I can't imagine the rage I'd feel if I were him.

He's a publicly elected official. Rage should be well beneath him. He, out of all Texans, should know to stay level headed and attempt to resolve problems with a modi of diplomacy and tact since he represents his entire state. Sorry, that's just his job. He gets paid a lot of money to do it, so I don't hold much sympathy for him. And disrespecting people who are considering helping you is always, always a stupid move. If the people reviewing the disaster conduct themselves like he does, then he might have torpedoed any chance Texas has of funding. Fortunately for him, they've probably evolved a sense of decency and maturity past the 8th grade. People are dead and he's whining about money. Even if he DOES have a point (a very shaky one), it's just an idiotic way to be heard.

[coyotes_geek]

Why so? FEMA decides who gets help -- it's an administrative determination, and all those deserving of help might not get help. Life ain't fair.

Looks more like a political determination than an administrative one to me.

Dunno. I would assume FEMA's budget is isn't unlimited.

Are states en led to federal aid for any and all natural disasters?

No, states are not necessarily en led to federal aid for any and all nataural disasters. But we're talking about fires that have scorched more land than the combined size of Delaware and Rhode Island. This is hardly an "any and all" natural disaster.

[ChumpDumper]

So are we laboring under the assumption that nothing at all has been done about the fires on the federal level?

I don't believe that is true, at least from a basic money standpoint.

[TeyshaBlue]

So are we laboring under the assumption that nothing at all has been done about the fires on the federal level?

I don't believe that is true, at least from a basic money standpoint.

I think the argument is staged within the context of a disaster declaration.

I've seen references to help from Federal agencies ala the Forestry Service and such.
But Texas is also on the hook for paying for those.
"Since Sept. 1, the beginning of the state's fiscal year, the Texas Forest Service owes $36.3 million for firefighting costs, according to Robby DeWitt, the agency's associate director for finance and administration. Of that, $23.8 million is due the federal government for air support, he said.

Read more on myFOXdfw.com: http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/042111-weather-helps-fight-possum-kingdom-fires#ixzz1LDbNEgjk"

[johnsmith]

You are more than within your rights to say Obama should be doing a better job. He could be and should be, by a number of accounts. However, getting approved for disaster relief funding is not in the same vein at all as a President taking a few moments to comment on one of our nation's largest sporting events.

Not what I was saying. You were complaining that Perry should have better things to do, like "governing". It's very similar to when people complain about Obama. So I don't know how doing an interview is much different than filling out a bracket in terms of time spent "not governing".

Well damn, I knew there was a reason I haven't and don't plan to run for political office. It's a rough job. I'd probably take a step back from the situation and realize that I'm not actually owed any money, but I'm taking a piss on the people who are considering giving some to me. Since tangential analogies seem to be okay, do you think it's acceptable for a homeless man to start bemoaning the fact that it's taking his steak too long to cook?

I don't really think he's "pissing" on anyone but rather pointing out that the United States Government has the ability to quickly provide disaster relief and Alabama and the rest of the unfortunate southern states prove that. (Yes, he could have figured out a way to word this better).

He's a publicly elected official. Rage should be well beneath him.

Right, public officials should have zero human emotions.......I forgot.

He, out of all Texans, should know to stay level headed and attempt to resolve problems with a modi of diplomacy and tact since he represents his entire state. Sorry, that's just his job.

Agreed.

He gets paid a lot of money to do it, so I don't hold much sympathy for him. And disrespecting people who are considering helping you is always, always a stupid move.

No one asked you to hold sympathy for him.

If the people reviewing the disaster conduct themselves like he does, then he might have torpedoed any chance Texas has of funding. Fortunately for him, they've probably evolved a sense of decency and maturity past the 8th grade. People are dead and he's whining about money. Even if he DOES have a point (a very shaky one), it's just an idiotic way to be heard.

Like I said earlier, he shouldn't have said it the way he did. However, his point seems valid. We (Texas) need some help. The government has the ability to do so.....what are they waiting for?

[ChumpDumper]

I don't believe Texas is on the hook for all the costs even at this point.

When natural disasters, such as wildfires strike, the first responders are local emergency and public works personnel, volunteers, humanitarian organizations, and numerous private interest groups who provide emergency assistance required to protect the public's health and safety and to meet the immediate needs of survivors. Firefighting teams from more than 30 states have provided state-to-state support for firefighting efforts in Texas.

• Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President's Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.

• The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state's eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.


• During this fire season, the federal government has been supporting the State of Texas with 22 Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) declarations, including 16 FMAGs since the beginning of April; and through FEMA, stands ready to assist as needed.

Cooper Mountain Ranch Fire (Texas)
An FMAG was declared on April 15, 2011 (designated FEMA-2889-FM-TX) for the Cooper Mountain Ranch Fire burning in Kent, Stonewall, and Fisher Counties.

Wichita Fire Complex (Texas)
An FMAG was declared on April 15, 2011 (designated FEMA-2891-FM-TX) for the Wichita Fire Complex burning in Wichita County.

Wildcat Fire (Texas)
An FMAG was declared on April 15, 2011 (designated FEMA-2892-FM-TX) for the Wildcat Fire burning in Coke and Tom Green Counties.

Hohertz Fire (Texas)
An FMAG was declared on April 16, 2011 (designated FEMA-2893-FM-TX) for the Hohertz Fire burning in Palo Pinto County.

East Sidwynicks Fire (Texas)
An FMAG was declared on April 16, 2011 (designated FEMA-2894-FM-TX) for the East Sidwynicks Fire burning in Eastland County.

PK East Fire (Texas)
An FMAG was declared on April 16, 2011 (designated FEMA-2895-FM-TX) for the PK East Fire burning in Palo Pinto County.

Bryson Fire Complex (Texas)
An FMAG was declared on April 17, 2011 (designated FEMA-2896-FM-TX) for the Bryson Fire Complex burning in Jack County.

Pinnacle Fire (Texas)
An FMAG was declared on April 17, 2011 (designated FEMA-2898-FM-TX) for the Pinnacle Fire burning in Travis County.

http://austin.ynn.com/content/top_st...-wildfire-help

[johnsmith]

I don't believe Texas is on the hook for all the costs even at this point.

http://austin.ynn.com/content/top_st...-wildfire-help

So I wonder what the deal is then. Does declaring it a disaster cover more costs?

[TeyshaBlue]

That's all well and good I suppose. Still not a disaster declaration which can aid the actual home owners and individuals who have lost properties and such. I think that's what Perry's hung up about.

[johnsmith]

That's all well and good I suppose. Still not a disaster declaration which can aid the actual home owners and individuals who have lost properties and such. I think that's what Perry's hung up about.

That makes more sense then.

[boutons_deux]

If Perry doesn't get the Other Peoples' Money from the Feds, he should just secede and find his own funds for helping Texans.

[johnsmith]

If Perry doesn't get the Other Peoples' Money from the Feds, he should just secede and find his own funds for helping Texans.

Jesus Christ, boutons even hates himself.

[LnGrrrR]

From everything I've seen about the fires, I'm surprised it hasn't been labeled a disaster yet, regardless of Perry's pomposity.

[ChumpDumper]

So I wonder what the deal is then. Does declaring it a disaster cover more costs?

Yes.

That's all well and good I suppose. Still not a disaster declaration which can aid the actual home owners and individuals who have lost properties and such. I think that's what Perry's hung up about.

And yes -- but I can't say what people are wanting for currently that they aren't getting.