How Much Federal Help Is Enough?
During natural disasters, the Federal government, specifically the Federal Emergency Management Agency is the on-site point for assistance. Every state has a FEMA like office. The National Guard is also “owned” by the Governors’ in each state when they are not called for Federal duty.
What level of damage is needed for the FEMA to come in? You usually don’t see it with tornadoes even though the damage can be severe locally. Do some states rely on the federal government to bail them out for poor planning on there part? That is really tough to say. There is a good case that New Orleans good have been better prepared for Katrina is the funds for flood control were better managed. However, the city may not have had as much control as the state.
I don’t think any city can support itself after a disaster as large as Katrina. Even states can’t do it themselves. Puerto Rico was leveled last year. It still feels the effects.
The question is, what level of rebuilding should be funded by the federal government? The answer is always political. You would think as a country we would go all in to help another area because you never know when it could be you. I don’t like when states and cities complain the federal government has not done enough. Those criticism are really about their own inability to lead in a crisis.
The federal government may not always do their best in a crisis, but the people of the country do. It was amazing to see what the private sector and people did to go to Louisiana and Mississippi during Katrina and last year in Houston. Sometimes we just need to get government out of the way.
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