Arkansas Governor Blasts Feds for Denying Emergency Funds

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If BBSNews 2007-03-10 -- Governor of Arkansas Mike Beebe blasted FEMA on Friday for denying emergency funds for tornado ravaged Desha County saying the decision "defies common sense." The governor issued the following statement outlininga plan:

"Although this decision by FEMA to deny emergency funds to Desha County defies common sense, Arkansas will take care of its own people. It is unfortunate that assistance will now depend on additional state resources instead of federal disaster programs that Arkansas taxpayers helped fund.

"We are deciding whether to appeal FEMA's decision, but that will not slow our efforts to ensure that storm victims get the help they need. I thank Congressman Ross and Senators Pryor and Lincoln for their continued support and assistance the past two weeks.
"My office and our federal delegation are now joining with state, local, private and other federal entities to work through the red tape, get trailers and put them on the road from Hope to Desha County as quickly as possible.

Officials at FEMA have indicated that they will donate trailers but will not transport, set up or support those trailers."

Hurricane Katrina showed the failures created by folding FEMA up into the "Homeland Security" behemoth and Americans around the country are voicing outrage at another blunder by the Bush bureaucracy created in the wake of September 11th -- A huge unnecessaryball of red tape that is short on effectiveness but huge on expenditures and useless official platitudes.

"James Lee Witt, you are missed, and Kay Goss, you too.

FEMA did a great job under Clinton, but FEMA today is a joke, just like everything else under Bush."

"I am so ticked off, I can hardly type. Arkansas provided food, shelter, clothing, employment, education, protection, National Guard, to help the victims of Katrina and Rita.

SOME of the monies were returned to the State. Arkansas did the right thing. Now, when OUR citizens are in need, the FEDS turn a deaf ear.

Kudos to Governor Beebe.I have visited lower Mississippi and Alabama. There are still folks living in TENTS after Katrina.

I am so ashamed. Aren't you?"

"I've been a tornado victim, and FEMA took great care of me.

But that was during the Clinton years.
But there's something I'd like to point out in a rather callous manner. No doubt, the people of that area supported the Bush Administration through thick and thin, as many rural folks have done.

Now, it's time to pay the piper.
Bush's FEMA cares little for your tornado damage, and cares little for your children who join and fight his wars.
Perhaps you'll awaken now, and begin to understand what you elected to presidential office.

Perhaps now, God, Guns, and Gays isn't so important after all."

Louisiana saw the same partisanship when Mississippi Republican governor Haley Barber was praised and Kathleen Blanco was hooted by partisanRepublicans more concerned about keeping power rather than fairly and equally helping Americans in times of disaster.
FEMA must be split off from the collossal waste pile known as "Homeland Security" before the next Katrina hits the nation.