Texas Politicians Press Feds for Fire Relief Money
As the 35,000-acre blaze in Bastrop continues to rage, Texas is starting to tally up the damage — and politicians are going hat in hand to the federal government, asking for more disaster relief funding.
On Monday, Republican U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison wrote to President Obama, urging him to approve an expanded disaster declaration — which would trigger more federal funding — "as expeditiously as possible" (though Cornyn also said on the Senate floor today that additional federal disaster spending should be offset by budget cuts elsewhere, according to The Hill). State Rep. Garnet Coleman and state ...
Comments (8)
Ike Waller via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Socialism! Secessionist hate the federal gov't, that's why Perry cut the fire fighters 75%! http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/09/texas-cut-fire-department-funding-by-75-percent-this-year/
Shaun Swegman via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So that's how "small government" works. Just get a bigger government to take care of everything.
Dale H Curry via Texas Tribune on Facebook
OK for those not keeping score. Our tea party legislature and governor cut fire fighters budget by a disgraceful 75%, all the while, blaming POTUS for the wreckage that their Bush/Cheney left behind, then when the state literally catches on fire, they start looking to the FED to pull them out of their screw up. not that any of us should be surprised. Perry used billions in stimulus $ to cover the preceding budget deficit (also caused by his 2006 tax swap). These boys could not manage anything.
Jack Suggs via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Raise taxes on business and the wealthy, in Texas and in D.C.
John Carhart via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Damn Perry can't you get it straight? NOW you want FEDERAL money? This must be the old "Al Gore supportin" Rick Perry!
David Huang via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Why doesn't Perry authorize use of the Rainy Day Fund already? Did he not state that it was our "insurance policy against a major natural disaster"? Does the loss of over 1400 homes not constitute a major natural disaster?
jpt51
I agree with Lt. Gov. Dewhurst that resources are spread thin because of the number of fires but our elected officials must be honest. Deep cuts were made by the Lege to volunteer and paid firefighters and it's a major factor why the fires took so long to get under control.
It's the latest example of politicians taking the easy way out and being penny wise and pound foolish. There's a long history of the Texas Lege using that logic and having the taxpayer pick up the extra costs in the end. I read that tax collections for this year are $900 million ahead of projections. We laid off 100,000 teachers and countless other bureaucrats because the money wasn't going to be in the coffers but they are.
If we want to elect officials that don't talk out of both sides of their mouths, we need to be better informed before we get to the voting booth.
Scott Nicol via Texas Tribune on Facebook
In Perry's mind its no big deal until his $10,000 per month rental mansion catches fire.