Update: An earlier version of this article stated that only one of California's Congressional Republicans joined with Democrats in signing a letter to President Trump asking for disaster aid for the fire victims. The article has been updated to include a separate letter signed by Congressman Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa, both San Diego Republicans, asking Trump for the disaster aid.
By Miriam Raftery
November 23, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Just in time for Thanksgiving, President Donald Trump’s White House sent Congress a skimpy disaster relief funding request that includes not one penny for survivors of the worst wildfires in California history, those that ravaged the wine region and other areas recently. The measure provided only bare-bones funding for states that suffered hurricane damage.
A a letter sent to Trump asking for $7.4 billion in federal disaster aid for these fire victims was signed by California’s Governor, Democrat Congressional members and Senators.Of our state’s 14 Republicans, 13 refused to sign.
However some Republicans signed a separate letter of their own, including San Diego Congressman Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa, asking the President for disaster relief to aid fire survivors. See their letter.
Asked if Rep. Hunter plans to take any additional actions to persuade the President and Congress to fund relief for California fire victims, Hunter's district Chief of Staff and Communications Director Mike Harrison, replied, "Congressman Hunter has, and will continue to, advocate for the needs of our community and his district at every opportunity."
The fires killed 42 people, burned 8,900 of structures and charred 245,000 acres-- the equivalent in size of San Francisco, Sacramento and several other counties combined. The devastation far surpassed even the Cedar Fire and 2007 firestorms in San Diego County, which until recently were the worst in our state’s history.
President Trump's snub of disaster victims is unprecedented in American history, leaving victims of California’s worst natural disaster to fend for themselves.
No reason for the denial of funding by the President was given. But Mother Jones magazine suggests a political motive. The “red” states such as Florida and Texas that got hurricane relief funds voted for Trump. “Blue” California did not.
It’s a dangerous precedent to base disaster relief on partisan politics.
It’s also a betrayal of the many Republicans and others in California who did vote for Trump, even though the state’s electoral college votes went for his rival, Hillary Clinton.
Comments
Fires
My sister has a cabin in the woods, there would be no chance the volunteer fire dept. could do anything. She has her truck and horse trailer on the dirt road facing down hill ready to evacuate. No insurance, she would lose everything.
Fire Aid
Homes even in major urban areas burned along with big box stores
They're being hurt by this action, not merely those in mountain or rural areas.
To be clear, the people who
fire victim's complaint
Wildfire victims got money in October
That was for firefighting-not helping those who lost homes
as I understand it and also the fires were still burning with new ones that started after that date.
Stop promoting partisan manipulation
Money for firefighting is not the same as $$ to rebuild homes
and businesses that burned. That's what this new request is for. That's an honest description of the problem!
lots of things are not right
the governor doesn't need to waste money traveling around the world to spread the global warming fantasy
the state doesn't need to waste money protect illegal aliens
the state doesn't need to keep raising taxes for bigger pensions and more benefits for their political supporters
the governor supports infecting people with hiv, he agrees it should not be a felony to hide that from a sex partner
the democrats from california and this publication could remember there is a significant number of people who do not support the dems or the governor but are at the mercy of an out of control and corrupt state government. the dems would rather call them names and disregard their rights to secure streets and rational policies and the expulsion of illegal and all criminal aliens.
the extreme far left rants and hate spewed by the ENTIRE california democrat contingent in dc and sacramento is a clear reason why we have President Trump
try homeowners insurance most of us have it
Here you go Miriam....
Well...
...I guess California is paying for trying to act like they were their own nation.
People whose homes burned weren't responsible for that.
To the posters below, by your logic, if you lived in a red state and your house flooded during say, Obama or Clinton's administration, it would be okay to deny you emergency disaster funds due to your state obstructing their policies, such as Obamacare, or calling for impeachment of Clinton, or whatever.
Disaster aid should never be tied to a state's politics, and of course many of the voters don't even support what their state may be doing. These funds are set up to help Americans in times of desperate need. But hey, if your house burns down, I hope you still feel the same way when Trump withholds money from you that you should have been entitled to under the laws of common decency and past precedent from the time FEMA began.
Doubling down on a dishonest narrative
Huh?
No Wonder Why