FEMA cuts, hidden on page 16 of our paper, will hurt Florida badly.

[madfloridian]

I read this and thought...oh, page 16 at the bottom of the page. I found this on google, and it is the only hit when you search on the author and fema. Must not be covered too well.
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040818/NEWS/408180359/1004

Florida Could Suffer From Cuts in Disaster Aid

By Cory Reiss
Ledger Washington Bureau
[e-mail]

WASHINGTON -- Federal aid to hurricane-stricken Florida could mount to hundreds of millions of dollars, but Florida also could be the biggest loser yet from an effort by the Bush administration to redirect post-disaster spending.

President Bush tried to kill the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which provides an extra percentage of federal disaster aid to states and communities so they can prepare for future catastrophes. The result of that effort was that Congress in 2003 halved those grants from a maximum of 15 percent of disaster relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 7.5 percent.

The difference means Florida could lose big. Although it's too early to say how much, it easily could be tens of millions of dollars.

"That is hundreds, if not thousands, of mitigation projects that could have been undertaken to get people out of harm's way and prepare for the next hurricane, so that has really not saved money for the federal government," said Trina Sheets, executive director of the National Emergency Management Association...."

There are still so many without power, so many who have to drive around town for water in some areas (IF they have GAS).

Please help me keep this kicked in case anyone is interested in sending it to media who are not curious and lack research skills.

[LittleApple81]

1. done. Kick. Anything on page 16 IS IMPORTANT. As we well know.n/t

[anarchy1999]

2. Okay, is it time for another CNN BLITZ?

Get the alleged rapes, murders, Hilton girls, and all the rest off the air (Kerry's hair for heavens sake). I want stem cells off, I want abortion off, I want all the gay/lesbians issues off. And god knows how long have we been talking about health care, drugs and our failing infrastructure?

I want real news, I want real journalists and reporters. I want to be informed. The Dallas Morning News used to be one of the best newspapers in the country (small moment in time, when it had competition, as in the Dallas Herald, anyone remember when?) The Herald and The News fought it out every day. I want real media back.

Ted Turner would you please buy back CNN? Could you, would you partner with Soros to make it happen?

Sorry again, just one more rant.

On edit:

My first vote when I was eighteen was accidentally for Ford, I grew up in Richardson, Texas, sorry.

[sonias]

3. great find madfloridian

Although it means bad news for Florida. Since Florida is a swing state though, look for Bush to correct some of this error.

(snip)
While administrations are quick to respond in such situations, underlying policies sometimes are points of less publicized debate. In the case of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which has doled out hundreds of millions of dollars, Bush argued it was a waste to spend that money after a disaster instead of before. He proposed a $300 million pre-disaster mitigation grant program to replace it.
(/snip)

Good luck to all of you in Florida. Hang in there.

Sonia

[jean]

4. kick - let's keep this at the top - good job, madfloridian!

[Cha]

5. I Knew bush's CUTTING to states on various levels

would effect this somehow. But now that election time is here...watch them try to cover their sneaky yellow tracks!

[madfloridian]

6. Kick for Fema cuts, undermining emergency response.

:kick:

[Cha]

7. Kick!

We'll have to see how this unfolds...

[Eloriel]

8. Disaster times 2 is all I can say

What another clusterfuck. Bush is absolutely THE most destructive human being I've ever encountered. Everything he touches, he ruins, defiles, besmirches, or out and out destroys. Everything.

Of course, there's no interest or intent on his part to do RIGHT, so what should one expect, really?

[hedda_foil]

9. Oh my, this deserves a great big

KICK!

[LincolnMcGrath]

10. Jebby spent the rainy day / hurricane fund

On a tax break for the rich when I lived in Fl.

[ogsball]

11. I'm sure there must be some way

to find some money to fund a large corporation to go in and rebuild the infrastructure. . . at least get electricity and roads to the wealthy neighborhoods. There has to be a way.

[Karenina]

12. Kick!

:kick:

[EST]

13. GAWD what an incompetent prick.

Kick

[Pepperbelly]

14. i am surprised that FEMA hasn't been subbed to Halliburton. nt

[Tight_rope]

15. kick

[thecrow]

16. KICK

:kick:

[soup]

17. I always wonder about the bottom line.

The Ledger article cited in your original post ends with:

"FEMA and White House officials did not respond this week to inquiries about the effect the grant cuts would have on Florida."

surprise, surprise.

[madfloridian]

18. Yep, soup, surprise! FEMA fell down on the job.

Jeb was just on BayNews9 from Tampa talking about how he was trying to get the media and the companies to *notice* central Florida cities in Polk and Hardee that were just devastated. He used the word *months* talking about getting full power(?) restored. Said many insurance companies would leave, just like in Andrew.

They are just now talking about doing things like getting portable classrooms so schools can start.

It is just pathetic.

[goclark]

19. Jeb at the wheel again-bad driver n/t kick