Bush denies federal aid to Ohio flood victims

[clumzgirl]

You all know I'm a Bush supporter and campaign volunteer extraordinaire, but today I'm on shaky ground. Here's why:

Here in Columbiana County and the surrounding areas, we've been hit by the remnants of both Frances and Ivan, to the tune of $10 million in damage. The first round was in late August, the second last week, and the flooding was like nothing I've ever seen before. Roads disappeared and caved in, houses washed away, many are STILL without clean water, and some are sleeping in their trucks because they're afraid of the growing mold.

Our congressmen wrote letters to Bush, as did the governor. Several letters each, in fact. Only today did Bush respond: the county will get help for the second round of flooding, but not the first.

WTF?!?!

Much of the damage caused by the 2nd round was exacerbated by the first flooding. I'm tempted to join our democratic friends in saying, "If Jeb Bush were OUR governor..."

Apparently Bush isn't all that concerned about winning Ohio because I'm pretty sure he just lost this battleground county.

 

[Avatar4321]

Forgive me for my ignorance, but if he is giving aid for the second round doesnt that mean Ohians are getting aid? How is that denying aid.

 

[clumzgirl]

He's denying aid for the round that hurt the most, caused the most damage, and cost the most monetarily.

For example, if your basement wall caved in during the first round and flooded the basement, caused foundation problems, etc. and your basement re-flooded during the second round (due to the gaping hole in the wall) and caused a 2nd wall to collapse, they'll help with the second wall but not the first. (This is a stupid example but you get the idea.) It makes no sense.

 

[Avatar4321]

yeah it really doesnt make sense but some is better than none isnt it?

 

[clumzgirl]

Yes, it's better than none, I suppose, but I thought of this example:

If your house was washed away in the first flooding, then *technically* it wasn't damaged in the second round. Therefore, you qualify for nothing.

Now, it has come to my attention that those with insurance don't qualify for help anyway, which is reasonable, but this is a pretty poor area on the northern most edge of Appalachia and there are many steelworkers and coalminers out of work.

In an election year, I think this was a poor decision on Bush's part. Also, he never declared it a disaster area, even though many roads are still closed, schools are closed because there's no water, etc. We just don't have the manpower or resources to get this fixed in a timely manner. Parts of the county are still under several feet of water.

As a volunteer, I know this county is highly sought after since it's 50/50. They've (Bush-Cheney Ohio) been courting and pushing us like mad. Our job to cement support for the president will be that much harder after an announcement like this.

 

[dmp]

Perhaps there's a protocol to follow which was not. Perhaps the aid will come, but later. Perhaps the letters didn't contain strong-enough of a case?

 

[NATO AIR]

i may be incorrect but how good are relations between gov. taft and pres. bush?

there could be a small chance that this is payback for some of the things taft has done as governor that many conservatives (mostly outside of ohio from the two articles i read) didn't much appreciate.

(hey all presidents do it, you gotta make your point to folks, even within your own party)

 

[Jimmyeatworld]

Here's a link.

http://www.ema.ohio.gov/2004Press_Releases.htm

The second from the top is the President's declaration of a disaster area for 15 counties. I couldn't find anything about first flood or second flood. Makes me wonder if that wasn't a local decision.

 

[krisy]

I am wondering too if there was some kind of protocal. I didn't see anything in the link either about Ist or 2nd round. I have to admit,that if true it doesn't sound like a good move in election year being that Bush and Kerry have been in this state almost every week fighting for our 20 electoral votes. I would hope he wouldn't do something like this to get back at Taft for something,although Taft has ticked some people here off with his taxes. There has to be a good reason if the first round is denied. I hope. I saw this stuff on the news,but didn't realise it was that bad. Good luck to all you clumz,I hope whatever you guys need comes your way.

 

[clumzgirl]

Here's a link to a local paper that helps explain it:

http://www.morningjournalnews.com/news/story/0921202004_new02news21.asp

Two out of three not good for Lisbon's sake


By KRISTY FOSTER Journal Staff Writer

LISBON - Village residents and officials were left stunned after President George Bush denied federal assistance to Columbiana County for the Aug. 27-28 floods.

U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland immediately sent a letter to Gov. Bob Taft in an effort to start the appeal process.

If the appeal is made and still denied, many Columbiana County residents as well as businesses and local governments may receive no help at all from the federal government.

"For those who lost everything in August, this administration has made a callous decision," Strickland said. "These residents didn't even have time to recover or build before the Sept. 8 storms."

Lisbon Mayor Mike Lewis said he was stunned that even with an estimated $3.8 million in damages just in Lisbon and not including the other damage, a declaration for the Aug. 27-28 storm was not made.

"I can't believe they have done what they have done," he said.

Although the August flood did not qualify for federal disaster funds, victims can still apply for disaster funds from the state.

"The cleanup is the easy part. The hardest part is living with what's left and that's the part we can't help them with," Lewis said.

But most of all, Lewis said, he was disappointed for the village residents that suffered so much damage during the August flood.

"We have residents down there with very little to begin with and now they have nothing," Lewis said. "They are left out in the cold with little or no assistance at all."

Councilman Roger Gallo said that the fight is not over and an appeal will be made.

"It's not over yet," he said.

The village lost its entire fleet of street and water department vehicles, equipment and tools, and the village street department building sustained serious damage.

In addition, after the flood, portions of the main village water line had to be reconstructed.

Lisbon Board of Public Affairs Chairman Will Coleman said that $10,000 of village funds was spent just on piping and another $6,000 had to be spent on electronics for the water department because of the flood damage.

Lewis said that the village had to pay overtime for the street and water crews so that they could get the waterline repaired and, in addition, had to hire contractors to help with the work.

Besides those expenses, the village had overtime costs and additional officers' wages to pay to keep order in the village and protect the areas that were left behind the flood.

The village did have flood insurance on the vehicles and the insurance committee comprised of village council members and the clerk have already begun working on a settlement with the adjuster and is in the process of looking for replacements.

The adjuster considered all of the vehicles a complete loss because the flood waters washed over the dash in all of the vehicles and considered them not worth repairing.

The village also carries insurance on the building and contents but lacked specific flood insurance on either of these.

Village fiscal officer Tracy Wonner said the village is planning on applying for whatever state funds are available for the flood even though the county was refused a federal declaration for the August flood that hit the village the hardest.

 

[Jimmyeatworld]

From what I can tell, as long as you are a resident you can apply for assistance no matter if your home was destroyed in the first flood or not. Has that been announced or is it just a rumor?

(You have to read down a bit to get to the September 8 part.)

http://www.wytv.com/home/headlines/1035066.html

President George W. Bush has denied federal assistance to people living in Columbiana County affected by a flash flood back in August.

That means places like Lisbon and Kensington hammered by flooding back on August 27 and 28 are ineligible for federal grants and loans.

Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency Director Jay Carter says people should still apply by calling FEMA regardless of this setback.

Governor Bob Taft has 30 days to appeal the president’s decision.

However President Bush has declared Columbiana County a disaster during flooding beginning September 8 caused by Hurricanes Frances and Ivan.

The declaration clears the way for residents of those counties to apply for federal funding for temporary housing, home repairs and loans to cover uninsured property.

Other counties include Belmont, Carroll, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Stark, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, and Washington.

Four people died after the remnants of Hurricane Frances drenched eastern and southeastern Ohio.

And remnants from Hurricane Ivan swamped parts of 16 counties on Friday.

Many towns are still under water Monday night.

 

[NATO AIR]

Damn these poor people need a lawyer to make it through this process... (not just in Ohio but in Florida, Alabama, Lousiana, etc etc)

I can see how easily someone could get screwed if they didn't know what to ask and how to ask.