Hurricane Sandy and FEMA Disaster Relief - Romney Style

While the East Coast trys to swim it's way out from under what is the worst storm to hit the US this the year, we should all pause and reflect on how fragile our lives really are.

If you care to help, donate to the Red Cross.  There will be an ongoing need for weeks to come as people recover from this disaster.

Of all the ironic things that happened today, Mitt Romney participated on a status call with FEMA, the organization that he and his running mate Paul Ryan would all but eliminate under their economic plan.  He stated in a 2011 debate that he would like to see the FEMA role sent to the states.  Romney clearly doesn't understand the role of FEMA.

The whole point of having FEMA is to supplement the states during a disaster when a states' resources are overwhelmed.  FEMA provides a single flexible backup disaster resource for the states that can be deployed when and where it's needed, instead of having each state duplicate these capabilities on their own, saving the inefficient duplication of cost, management and maintenance of these resources.

Actually, Romney went much further, and stated flatly that he'd like it even more to see FEMA's role directed to the private sector.

Privitizing FEMA implies that companies will be making PROFIT FROM DISASTER.  The idea of a private company making profits from public tax dollars meant to go for disaster relief is offensive.  Protection of the people and the country from threats, including natural disasters, is the role of government.  FEMA is exactly what our government SHOULD be doing!

Paul Ryan's budget proposal in Congress last year proposed a 41% cut in funding for the part of the budget that includes FEMA.  His, and Romney's ideas would leave little, if any disaster response capability in the federal government.  If there were to be a terrorist strike in this country like what happened on 9/11, the federal government wouldn't be able to respond.

Should New York have to bear the entire cost of the World Trade Center attack, when it was an attack against the United States or should that burden be shared among all Americans?  Should Louisana and Mississippi carry the entire cost of the Katrina recovery?  I think we are sronger if we all stand together and share the load through our federal government.

We only need to go back to the presidency of George W. Bush and Hurricane Katrina to know what a disaster a non-functional FEMA can be.  Let's not go back to that time.  Let's go FORWARD instead.