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The US gives billions of dollars to Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Will bring electricity to Africa and helps everyone even though they hate us. Yet right here, in a small town in upstate NY, which was devastated by a flood, they refuse to aid them.
I really don't think that's the issue from reading the article.
They received help in 2006.
They have the same problems today and seem to have done nothing in the interim to support themselves.
The two matters (foreign aid and domestic aid) are unrelated. Foreign aid is specifically intended to achieve various international objectives. Domestic aid is intended to serve citizens. If the nations objectives were ranked such that something that is Priority One must be completely and totally obviated before even one cent is spent on Priority Two, the nation would be a wreck.
This is a perfect demonstration of how the American government's priorities are screwed up. With the way that Africa and Iraq are going maybe the towns are better off without federal aid , but if anyone is to get aid shouldn't it be Americans in need, rather than foreign governments?
FEMA aid had previously come in 2006, during the flooding. Dutcher said they assisted people in getting new furnaces, water heaters and other utilities.
"We were expecting they would come in and do it again," Dutcher said.
If you want to live in a flood prone area, get flood insurance, rather than expect us to bail your asses out.
I said the same thing about New Orleans. Yet it was rebuilt using Fed money.
$25 billion has been spent from private sources (mostly private insurance) in the rebuilding of New Orleans. The federal government hasn't spent much more than that, perhaps as little as $35 billion. [Sources: Fortune magazine; Institute of Southern Studies.] I think a lot of people get confused by numbers that include money spent on rebuilding other parts of the gulf region, outside of New Orleans. That number is much higher. I suspect that there is a comparable number for money from private sources for the rebuilding of those other areas, as well.
I never understood why there wasn't some portion of the bill sent to the state. I suspect the reason is that Louisiana is run so poorly that there isn't a spare dollar to be had. It's a state run by people who think the solution to budget problems is eviscerating their revenue stream.
Regardless, much of the federal money went to build flood control measures that don't encumber the navigability of the Mississippi River (a national priority). Furthermore, the damage was mostly caused by the system of levees, which were built by the federal government - their system failed far sooner than it was warranted to and so you can consider that portion of the federal funding to be warranty repair, if it makes you feel better. And now the city and state will pay $38 million a year to pay for upkeep, maintenance and operational costs. Given how poorly they manage money, I bet they're going to have problems raising that kind of money.
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, but if anyone is to get aid shouldn't it be Americans in need, rather than foreign governments?
