Community | July 03, 2008 | 19 comments

Feds say California's fires aren't a disaster

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The numbers are staggering - 1,400 wildfires burning around the state. Over 70 homes destroyed and 7,800 under threat. President Bush has declared the fires a federal emergency and released $50 million in federal aid, announced by FEMA administrator David Paulison - surely a sign that the feds are fully engaged in the fire aid effort, right?

Not so fast. There is a difference between an "emergency," which frees up something like the $50 million in firefighting funds, and a "federal disaster" declaration, which frees up the full range of FEMA assistance to fire victims, including relocation shelters and financial assistance.

According to the Monterey Herald the federal government has refused to declare the California fires a disaster:

“But assistance from FEMA for fire victims has not been approved because the fires have not been declared a federal disaster.

“Paulison said a preliminary damage evaluation will be done to determine if more declarations are needed.

“Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, said he was told it does not appear California's wildfires qualify as a federal disaster because the level of destruction has not been great enough.”

It's conservative government in action - the stingy nature of FEMA assistance that was revealed to the world during Hurricane Katrina continues to dominate the Bush Administration's approach to disaster relief. As a Daily Kos diarist has explained FEMA is screwing around with Midwest flood disaster relief and of course, FEMA's initial reaction to last fall's fires here in California was to host a news conference where its employees posed as actual reporters and lobbed softball questions at FEMA administrators.


Read the full article By Robert Cruickshank
California Progress Report
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/07/feds_say_califo.html
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19 comments // Feds say California's fires aren't a disaster

  • thewarnerla
    • 0
      thewarnerla  
    • I think its time Cali buys some of these awesome helicopters that dropped tons of water and repellent. Because renting them from Canada all year long just doesn't balance our budget.

      Fires in California--who ya' gonna call--The Guvernator.

      I'll be back!

    • 4 years ago
  • kevdawg
    • 0
      kevdawg  
    • If I sound like John Hagee to you, thanks for the compliment; I'm not attempting to sound like him. Though I do agree with his beliefs for the most part and he's an awesome preacher. Our country is going to Hell in a hand-basket and has been for quite some time, and it will be judged by God in the future, count on it. We will all also be judged individually as well, make sure you're on God's side and not the side His angered is directed at. Make no mistake about it, God is real, and He will hold us accountable for everything we've done, good and bad.

    • 4 years ago
  • 96thdayofrage
    • 0
      96thdayofrage  
    • "If God doesn't judge America for murdering the unborn and embracing immorality then He would be a liar and He'd have to go back apologize to every nation who has come under His righteous judgment throughout history; my God is not a liar, so He must judge us accordingly as a nation either now or in the future. Unless we turn things around we're in grave danger of God's judgment being brought upon us as a nation"

      LOL!

      Greetings, Pastor Hagee! Didn't know you went in for this blogging stuff! Welcome to free speech central, dude!

    • 4 years ago
  • chris50
    • 0
      chris50  
    • PLEASE STOP THE HOLY ROLLER CRAP. GOD DOES NOT PUNISH. STUPID HUMANS DO IN THE NAME OF GOD. I A SO SICK OF HEARING THAT THIS OR THAT IS GODS WORK. SHUT UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELVES.

      IT JUST SO STUPID TO THINK THERE IS A GOD OUT THERE JUDGING MEN, WHEN ONLY HUMANS JUDGE OTHER HUMANS

    • 4 years ago
  • 96thdayofrage
    • 0
      96thdayofrage  
    • Well, it's not an oil fire under a barrel-filling derrick. So, of course, that little flaming silliness ain't important to the Chimperor and Vice President Halliburton Cheney. Cali gets nada for that little crap, no matter how many voters go homeless for it.

      Perhaps Californians can negotiate with the flood victims fo the Mississippi Valley to take that flood water for their fire thingy, since Chimperor Forrest Dumya Gump-Hoover doesn't see their tiny debacle as a real problem.

    • 4 years ago
  • kevdawg
    • 0
      kevdawg  
    • He said not to judge because their own actions will condemn them on the day of judgment. I'm not judging, I'm simply calling it like I see it and how the Bible tells it; the children of Israel and Judah were in the same abominable state that our nation is in right now in Isaiah's day and the day of many other prophets and we'd be fools not to realize that we are in danger of God's judgment if we're not already feeling His wrath. Furthermore, the Bible also says that we are to call sin, sin. Judging is when you judge a fellow believer over doctrine that is neither here nor there; like when you are casting judgment on them for something that does no harm, such as speaking in tongues or whether or not they believe in baptising by emersion or sprinkling; something that will neither send you to Hell or get you into Heaven. If God doesn't judge America for murdering the unborn and embracing immorality then He would be a liar and He'd have to go back apologize to every nation who has come under His righteous judgment throughout history; my God is not a liar, so He must judge us accordingly as a nation either now or in the future. Unless we turn things around we're in grave danger of God's judgment being brought upon us as a nation

    • 4 years ago
  • Marilynn_Murray
    • 0
      Marilynn_Murray  
    • kevdawg, Isn't there something about "Judge Not, and casting the first stone?"

      If you reap what you sew you might end up with an ugly outfit. Generally you won't feel the wrath of an angry God over that.

      I doubt that a just God punishes people for giving basic human rights to everyone. If he does so be it, because we are screwed anyway if that is the case.

    • 4 years ago
  • kevdawg
    • 0
      kevdawg  
    • God's judgment, it just may be. Has anyone out there ever thought that the reason California is suffering all of the "tragedies" they're suffering, such as fires and earthquakes is because of their immoral stance on every issue imaginable. They permit gay marriage to take place in their state by law, and they are basically a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah, therefore, they're reaping what they've sewn. All of what is happening to California makes it even more evident to me that God is in charge, and He is holding and will hold everyone accountable for what they have done and will do. Congratulations California, you have angered a mighty, sovereign, and jealous God. You have turned from Him and made idols of other gods; you have accepted and embraced immorality. The sewing might have been fun, but the reaping won't be, I promise you that.

    • 4 years ago
  • Azucena
    • 0
      Azucena  
    • Bush is such a shit...He would rather let the world burn and let the animals and people alike loose there homes...there life. what a selfish bastard.

    • 4 years ago
  • darkhorsejim
  • anglcazn
  • Adumbration
    • 0
      Adumbration  
    • Too many people I know have either been evacuated from their houses or had their houses burned. And that's only Santa Cruz County: just about the smallest county in the state. The fires are more inland than it would seem, so no, Carlos, it isn't the same. This summer has been a relative hell: there hasn't been a fire in Santa Cruz in the summer in my own recent memory, and this summer alone there's been three. I can only imagine things getting worse.

    • 4 years ago
  • CarlosIsDown
    • 0
      CarlosIsDown  
    • Not to sound arrogant but: as if the people that live in those areas need federal assistance. It's like people's waterfront property getting soaked by the tide and having government aid re-tile the floor and any other water dammage.

    • 4 years ago
  • pissedoffinarkansas
  • Marilynn_Murray
  • 96thdayofrage
  • ipodrulz
    • 0
      ipodrulz  
    • Its interesting to see different people's opinion on 'disasters'. But here it's clear that Bush is the disaster; and we can all agree on that.

    • 4 years ago
  • VSiskos
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