Rick Perry Whines About Helping Tornado Victims

[Mike D.Brown]

I understand where Rick is coming from.

[Cry Havoc]

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".

What I said was fairly tongue-in-cheek. He's obviously trying to do his job.

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).

Are people in danger of dying from the fires? They've been burning for weeks/months now, if you don't know about them and don't get out in time, I'm not sure how much assistance federal funding is going to get you. People in the deep south are literally screwed without a huge influx of money. Bodies are still being pulled from the rubble. When the disaster was declared, I believe they did so with the intention of saving lives, because the nature of the disaster was such that it required immediate and drastic action.

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

Public officials should confine outbursts to a time and place where they are not nationally visible. In this case, I'm sure the residents of Alabama and the South/East don't really have time to deal with his comments because they are busy counting the dead and trying to get electricity back. It's appalling to the extreme that an official in such a high office could be so alarmingly inconscious of the extent of the devastation in those states.

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?

As has been pointed out, the government is already helping. Perhaps they want to try to put the fires out before they assign funding? It's very unlikely that funding can do anything right now beyond fighting the inferno. In any case, if he's outraged about the tsunami, those people waited over a month for their funds. It just seems that he's a little too vested in his own states' interest. I think it would be a classy move if he actually offered assistance to the tornado-ravaged cities, given the location and frequency that Texas has to deal with them. But no, they aren't a part of his state, so he's got to ask what's in it for him and his own. De able in the wake of so many deaths.

[CosmicCowboy]

It's not an "either/or" issue. No one is trying to take disaster funds from the tornado victims. You are making a big deal out of nothing.

[MannyIsGod]

...Manny's New Mexico got a disaster declaration for winter!

http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=13833

Me being in -18 degree weather is a ing national disaster if I've ever seen one.

[CosmicCowboy]

Just admit it CH. You and Obama don't want to help those ranchers because they are all rich white guys.

[Cry Havoc]

Just admit it CH. You and Obama don't want to help those ranchers because they are all rich white guys.

No, and poor strawman. You'd think since you use it so often that you'd get better with it.

[MannyIsGod]

I'm too lazy to read the thread today - someone spoonfeed me. Has there been a reason given? There'd better be a damn good one to make this OK.

Still, given its Rick Perry thats whining about this makes for some delicious irony.

[LnGrrrR]

I'm too lazy to read the thread today - someone spoonfeed me. Has there been a reason given? There'd better be a damn good one to make this OK.

Not really.

Still, given its Rick Perry thats whining about this makes for some delicious irony.

That's the main thrust of the thread.

[Cry Havoc]

I'm too lazy to read the thread today - someone spoonfeed me. Has there been a reason given? There'd better be a damn good one to make this OK.

Still, given its Rick Perry thats whining about this makes for some delicious irony.

People in Cali got aid from the tsunami. People in the south got immediate federal assistance after the tornadoes.

This is his, "hand out, please give money or I throw a tantrum" approach.

[Jacob1983]

They're not getting get much help now because everyone is too busy being Americans again.

[Winehole23]

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

A reasonable view, with nothing but rhetoric so far backing it.

No, states are not necessarily en led to federal aid for any and all natural 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.

It's one natural disaster among others. Wildfires are unusual in Texas, but not elsewhere.

Why must the declaration be made now, and not at some later date?
Would the declaration be somehow decisive against wildfires? Would it save more lives and property?

Why is the possibility that a disaster declaration will be made and the state of Texas fully reimbursed for all the firefighting later (instead of just 75% of it), so totally unacceptable?

If Texas were left to twist in the wind by the lack of federal help that would be one thing -- but that's hardly the case here, and no good case has yet been made that Texas has even been hard done by.

[coyotes_geek]

A reasonable view, with nothing but rhetoric so far backing it.

Well, rhetoric and a two week old request that hasn't been responded to.

It's one natural disaster among others. Wildfires are unusual in Texas, but not elsewhere.

Why must the declaration be made now, and not at some later date?
Would the declaration be somehow decisive against wildfires? Would it save more lives and property?

Why is the possibility that a disaster declaration will be made and the state of Texas fully reimbursed for all the firefighting later (instead of just 75% of it), so totally unacceptable?

If Texas were left to twist in the wind by the lack of federal help that would be one thing -- but that's hardly the case here, and no good case has yet been made that Texas has even been hard done by.

So because the nature of this disaster affords the luxury of playing politics before making the declaration we should all be okay with it?

I guess my idealistic side has taken over today and led me to think it more appropriate to simply give a timely response to a genuine request for help than to use the opportunity to give a disliked political figure his come-uppance simply because we can.

[Winehole23]

Except, the request hasn't even been denied and the federal government is giving Texas considerable help right now. Would a "more timely" response have any practical effect besides assuaging hurt feelings?

Also, if citizens of Texas are in need of extraordinary or immediate assistance (housing, hospitalization/counseling, financial assistance and so forth) b/c of wildfires, shouldn't the state of Texas buck up and help them and worry about the bill later?

Seems to me like the state of Texas is in a far better position to help individual Texans in need than the federal government, but is wary of the bill, or thinks the federal government is obliged to pick it up, and is waiting for that to happen.

If individual Texans are left to twist in the wind because Perry is waiting for Uncle Sam to foot the bill for them, that's on his head no less than Obama's.

[ChumpDumper]

Texas is already getting federal aid for the fires.

Why pretend it isn't?

[The Reckoning]

coming from the same people who believe that texas could be fine on its own.

again. hypocrites.

[TDMVPDPOY]

home and contents insurance, if you cant afford it dunno why you purchased a house in the first place....therefore perry = delusion

[Winehole23]

home and contents insurance, if you cant afford it dunno why you purchased a house in the first place....therefore perry = delusion

Prudent planning and self-reliance: too radical for Texas?

[EVAY]

Perry needs to be buried at sea.

WEll said, gentle sir.

[MannyIsGod]

Well, rhetoric and a two week old request that hasn't been responded to.



So because the nature of this disaster affords the luxury of playing politics before making the declaration we should all be okay with it?

I guess my idealistic side has taken over today and led me to think it more appropriate to simply give a timely response to a genuine request for help than to use the opportunity to give a disliked political figure his come-uppance simply because we can.

Here's the thing about playing politics though. IF that is what is being done here, its not probably not good, but at the same time it has to do with what Perry has been doing. Honestly, I'm not so sure I feel bad for the residents of Texas having to pay consequences for what their Governor says and does in the name of politics. It seems to me we're granting Perry carte blanche to say whatever the he wants even though it has negative ramifications on the way this country is governed.

To put it simply, I thin that things Perry says in the name of politics hurt people of this nation. I think when he makes statements from a position that is obviously purely political and those statements hurt legislation that could help people for no reason other than political game that Perry has done us wrong. So if the residents of Texas then in turn pay a political price for that, I'm not so sure I'm all that against it.

I won't argue its the most efficient way to run a country but it is what we've got and the more I think about it the more I don't think this situation is all that cut and dry.

[DarrinS]

To put it simply, I thin that things Perry says in the name of politics hurt people of this nation.

Like what?

[MannyIsGod]

Succession for starters.

[DarrinS]

Succession for starters.

Yeah, he was serious about that.

Anything else?

[Cry Havoc]

Yeah, he was serious about that.

Anything else?

"Why are you taking care of Alabama and other states?"

Would be a good place to start.

[JoeChalupa]

We need a new governor. Period.

[coyotes_geek]

Except, the request hasn't even been denied and the federal government is giving Texas considerable help right now. Would a "more timely" response have any practical effect besides assuaging hurt feelings?

Also, if citizens of Texas are in need of extraordinary or immediate assistance (housing, hospitalization/counseling, financial assistance and so forth) b/c of wildfires, shouldn't the state of Texas buck up and help them and worry about the bill later?

Seems to me like the state of Texas is in a far better position to help individual Texans in need than the federal government, but is wary of the bill, or thinks the federal government is obliged to pick it up, and is waiting for that to happen.

If individual Texans are left to twist in the wind because Perry is waiting for Uncle Sam to foot the bill for them, that's on his head no less than Obama's.

So as long "the ends" are devoid of any significant negative consequences, "the means" of political gamesmanship with regards to disaster declarations is tolerable?

I don't think so, but it's obvious I'm in the minority here. So be it.