FEMA turns down Louisiana on West Nile Aid

Multiple news outlets. | self

[kms61]

Sorry I don't have a link, but it's been all over the news down here that FEMA has denied Louisiana's request for emergency West Nile assistance. Without going into the right or wrong of it (which to be honest I'm not sure about at this point), two things come to mind....

1. I wonder if there's any relation to Foster's decision not to run against Mary Landrieu for Senate..ie, he knew he was going to get turned down and thus felt no obligation to play ball with the White House.

2. This WILL be a campaign issue in Louisiana and regardless of the merits of the decision, will be used in campaign ads against Bush in 2004, and probably in the upcoming election as well. As the saying goes, all politics is local.

[Bogey78O]

Well I'm sure the Democrats can roll out the old people on this considering they are the main victims of WNV.

"See the Bush White House doesn't care about you getting WNV"

I talked to a friend of mine who's son(mid 20s) has gotten it. He says he was having it pretty bad. I think every year after this it will get worse.

[Clara Lou]

I don't know the specifics about FEMA's responsibilities, either. But if someone had asked me, I'd have suggested that FEMA was intended to respond to destructive disaster-- weather, earthquake, tsunami, the WTC, etc. I don't see that there's any such disaster involved with the West nile virus. I'd imagine that this would be a job for the CDC, not FEMA. [FEMA dosen't have any DDT at its disposal, does it?] FEMA doesn't respond to St. Louis encephalitis outbreaks.

[mewzilla]

I believe the admin said that West Nile is a state problem. One that they can and should be paying to take care of. Where's LA been all this time? Didn't they think they'd need to deal with this? Why haven't they been proactive? And if LA expects Federal money for bug spraying, what's next? States demanding Federal assistance for rodent control? Sheesh.

[Bogey78O]

Well if ever there is a case of Bubonic plague I'm sure the feds will do something.

[mewzilla]

The feds shouldn't have to do anything. Good grief, what the heck are state taxes for?

[Bogey78O]

I agree. The feds shouldn't have to do anything. The fact is though they create these departments for a reason. And when the citizens need it it should be there.

That's what Federal taxes are for.

[mewzilla]

Terrorists, yes. Skeeters, no.

[Clara Lou]

The Feds might do something if there's bubonic plague, but I'm betting it won't be FEMA. It will be the CDC.