No Good Reason
by digby
In an attempt to clear the roads and keep the economy moving, President Obama has issued Federal FEMA orders declaring snow emergencies, giving federal FEMA funds to states so they can remove the snow.
The leading conservative think tank, Heritage Foundation, has cast such efforts a “Snow Bailout” criticizing it by saying:
“Given the federal budget deficits, FEMA can’t afford to cover 75% of the costs of state snow removal either. It is high time for this federalization of routine events to come to a halt and for states to plan and budget for what are known events every year.”
It’s funny that the Heritage Foundation mentions its concern for federal budget deficits
The Heritage Foundation certainly had no qualms advocating for the unnecessary War in Iraq without paying for it, but when it comes to removing snows from the road to help people get to work – no way. Remove snow from the roads – that’s simply irresponsible!It’s time that conservatives in Congress wake up and behave like human beings. States desperately need federal aid in order to provide basic services that we all depend on like clearing the roads. Nobody benefits – rich or poor – alike when they have to risk their lives on dangerous roads.
They just don’t agree with that sentiment no matter what the situation. Here’s a good example of Republican prescriptions to problems:
WOMAN: “Senator Coburn, we need help (crying) my husband has traumatic brain injury, and his health insurance would not cover him to even drink, (Crying) and, what I need to know is are you gonna help him, where he could eat and drink, we left the Nursing Home and they told us we’re on our own.
He left with a feeding tube, I’ve been working with him but I’m not a speech pathologist, a profession though that take six years for a Masters, and I try to get him to eat and drink again and this means so much to me (crying). “
COBURN: “Well I think, first of all yeah, we’ll help, uh, the first thing we’ll do is see what we can do individually to help you, uh, through our office.
Uhm, but the other thing that’s missing in this debate is us as neighbors. Helping people that need our help, uh, you know, we tend to, (clapping) the idea that the government is the solution to our problem is an inaccurate, a very inaccurate statement, (clapping) Government, government…”
People should be out there digging out the roads themselves.
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