Posted on 08/28/2011 2:12:51 PM PDT by mdittmar
(Reuters) - Hurricane Irene could cost U.S. state and local governments billions of dollars in damages, but funds from the federal government might ultimately cover much of this expense.
It is too early to estimate the cost of the storm, but New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said New Jersey alone may have suffered tens of billions of dollars in damage.
The timing is terrible for municipalities as they dig their way out of their bleakest economic period in decades after the financial crisis and recession sank budgets and forced widespread cuts in expense and increased taxes.
But Maryland said the federal government will reimburse the state for 75 percent of what it spends on emergency preparedness and the immediate response to the storm in a trend that may be replicated across the region.
Just how well the United States can handle the unexpected expense is a different question as it battles record budget deficits and growing fears of a double dip recession.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Why should the federal government pay for it?
Why should taxpayers in Nevada and Wyoming pay for the rebuilding Atlantic City casino’s or refilling the sand on a public beach in Florida?
Texas denied federal aid for Tropical Storm Hermine recovery (Blast to the past. 10/11/2010)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2770105/posts
Vote buying plain and simple.
What is the damage to the municipalities vs. the Citizens?
they should say your future unborn children will be bearing the debt to pay for this
Urkel will just print up a fresh batch of funny money for Ben Bernanke to scatter over the peons from his helicopter.
Remember too that the very first Irene ‘disaster’ declarations that Obama signed were Puerto Rico and North Carolina.
Now read this flashback article:(it mentions both Puerto Rico, North Carolina and Florida being battleground states..PR just to help in Florida)
Federal government to reimburse BLUE states for Irene damage
Let's hope they get mad enough to ask. I live in NYS, BTW.
How much help did the upper and mid-western states get from all the flooding? How much did Joplin, MO. and AL. get for tornado damage? Just asking.
Brother, can you spare a vote?
Disgusting.........
Red state, pass em by. Blue state, coddify.........
Did flooding damage those huge bags of cash that seem to be laying around everywhere in DC?
Gonna be a lot of union thugs out there collectin’ double overtime from dat feller Obama’s Stash...
75%?? Do states not prepare for these contingencies?
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