[Official editorial of the Advocate/Times-Picayune, Feb. 2)
The congressional delegation from Louisiana, of all places, should be wary of suggestions that the federal government should withhold relief for natural disasters over policy differences or that the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be abolished while states manage their own emergencies.
The former suggestion came from Louisiana’s own Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House. The second, since then modified to something somewhat less worrisome, came from President Donald Trump.
The problematic discussions began when this winter’s wildfires began ravaging the Los Angeles area, and Trump laid much of the blame on policies adopted by California Democrats. That’s when Johnson chimed in by raising the possibility that some federal aid should be withheld because the state supposedly had invited its own disaster.
“The Americans there that are affected desperately need and deserve help,” Johnson said. “But you’ve also heard us talk about our concerns with the governance of the state of California. And to the extent there is complicity involved in the scope of disaster, then we think that’s something that needs to be carefully regarded.”
Ten days later, Trump said he was considering “maybe getting rid of FEMA” and letting states handle disaster relief on their own.
With all the disasters that Louisiana has suffered, ranging from hurricanes to floods to oil spills, both ideas should be anathema . From FEMA specifically, Louisiana is one of the top three recipient states since 2015. More broadly, Louisiana is a net recipient of federal money, receiving $1.25 for every dollar it sends to Washington, while California is the fifth most generous “donor state,” receiving back only 65 cents for each tax dollar it gives the feds.
Louisiana politicians should also think hard before opening the door to official punishment for its own pro-oil and gas policies, which a different administration could say has made its coast more vulnerable to extreme weather.
Even conservatives who believe many responsibilities should devolve from the federal government back to the states should recognize that a state suffering from a disaster may not have the immediate wherewithal to handle it…. [The full editorial is at this link.]
