Feds deny Arizona's request for disaster relief funds to help wildfire victims

So let me get this straight our government wants to bail out Detroit, but they deny Arizona disaster relief?

It makes you wonder if this has any thing to do with politics. Is it possible that this is payback for Arizona's stance on illegal immigration?

Or maybe payback to Joe Arpaio for his whole birther investigation.

Regardless whether this is political or not it is a very heartless thing to do 19 brave young people lost their lives to this fire.

The federal government has rejected Arizona's request for a disaster declaration for the Yarnell Hill fire, which killed 19 firefighters and destroyed more than 100 structures in late June and early July.

link to story

And for all you liberals out there here is a link from ABC in case you don't like FOX

ABC link

"The State of Arizona continues to mourn this tragedy, which took the lives of nineteen of our bravest first responders. While no amount of federal assistance could ever ease the pain of such an extraordinary loss, it would have provided significant financial relief to Yarnell and Peeples Valley," Brewer said in a statement.

So the people whose houses burned can expect zero help for the US government. We will give billions of dollars to the Muslim brotherhood, but we can't even help our own people in a time of tragedy. All in government are a bunch of useless tools!

But you (not you personally per se but 'the right' in general) would support refusing federal funds when offered?

Will someone explain to me the logic, reason, or, even, ideology that would react with such inconsistancy?

About time. Cali and AZ milk every fire for every cent and allow them to burn acres and acres of homes.

I can understand the poster wanting to see politics here, while as tragic as it is to lose 19 human lives and 100+ structures to a raging fire, I don't see a justifiable reason to request federal relief funds when, if not all, at least most of the loses should have been covered by fire insurance. Last I checked, just about everything needs to be insured against fire by law.

To pay for damages is the insurance company's legal obligation providing the people and parties affected were in fact insured, now you wouldn't want your tax dollars to pay for something that is the exclusive legal responsibility of the insurance company, now would you??

Sorry to piss on your bonfire but I'm afraid it has nothing to do with anything you said.

The federal government has denied aid to a lot of "disaster" areas. It denied aid to the West, Texas explosion and the San Bruno, California gas line explosion which leveled an entire neighborhood and killed 8 people along with 38 injured.

reply to post by muse7


They eventually came around with West, hopefully they will here also.

reply to post by Diisenchanted

Feds deny Arizona's request for disaster relief funds to help wildfire victims

This game is played by administrations throughout history. States that either didn't vote for the incumbent or take active stands against preferred agenda policy... are left out.

Bush did this to New Orleans right after Katrina. It took FEMA 10 forevers to get down there and help those people.
Obama is doing it to Arizona...

Nothing new. Just because you got elected, doesn't make you a decent human fricken being.

reply to post by Vanux


Actually one of the stories maybe one of the comments to the story brought politics into it.

Also this fire took place in Maricopa County. Witch is where Joe is sheriff.

Originally posted by Diisenchanted
reply to post by Vanux

 

Actually one of the stories maybe one of the comments to the story brought politics into it.

Also this fire took place in Maricopa County. Witch is where Joe is sheriff.

edit on 10-8-2013 by Diisenchanted because: (no reason given)

I read the piece, I just didn't get to see where this becomes political. It is people like you that want to turn unfortunate events into political issues so that you can offer you political views on the issue as if one cares what you are in favor of.

Can you please respect the memories of the brave firemen who died fighting the blaze by not turning this into a trivial and mundane political debate?

reply to post by muse7


You missed the point. The federal government wants to bail out their liberal cronies in Detroit. Who are in bankruptcy due to their liberal policies. Yet when a disaster happens due to nature, The feds are nowhere to be found.

The Yarnell Hill Fire was a relatively small wildfire that was started by lightning from a dry thunderstorm southwest of Prescott,

reply to post by Vanux


You read the links, and you don't see how politics were brought into it?

n the days after the fire, Brewer said Obama also called her and "pledged to support our state during its time of great need" and Vice President Joe Biden "reiterated that commitment at the memorial service for the Granite Mountain Hotshots."

What exactly do you mean by people like me? Is it my race, religion, sex, or political affiliation that you are referring to?

Maybe you should read the story again it could be your comprehension skills that are lacking.

Edit to add: Maybe Joe Biden should honor the firefighters by doing what he said he would do at their memorial service.

Ever hear of don't shoot the messenger?

reply to post by muse7


The two stories that you related are both man made events.

This fire was a natural occurrence.

There is a big difference between the two.

Originally posted by Diisenchanted
reply to post by Vanux

 

You read the links, and you don't see how politics were brought into it?

n the days after the fire, Brewer said Obama also called her and "pledged to support our state during its time of great need" and Vice President Joe Biden "reiterated that commitment at the memorial service for the Granite Mountain Hotshots."

What exactly do you mean by people like me? Is it my race, religion, sex, or political affiliation that you are referring to?

Maybe you should read the story again it could be your comprehension skills that are lacking.

Edit to add: Maybe Joe Biden should honor the firefighters by doing what he said he would do at their memorial service.

Ever hear of don't shoot the messenger?

edit on 10-8-2013 by Diisenchanted because: (no reason given)

Ok, people like you are raceless, colorless, blah, blah, blah as if it matters. People like you are the kind that rush to turn tragic news into sensational ones for arrogant ambitions. Because you are convinced that your stance is the righteous one and that everyone else opposing it is out to get you, seems that it has never occurred to you that sometimes, more often than one would like given the current times, people don't think and see things like you do because of human nature. People like you are politically promiscuous because you are willing to be in favor of any given political party as long as it suits your believes and/or pockets.

FYI Just in case you hadn't noticed, I hate breaking it to you pal but politicians are always ready to lie just to get you off their backs, they got elected by lying not by living up to their word. Personally, I hate all of them most passionately, I no longer believe my vote will make a difference as maybe it did in years past so let it be a lesson to you, never trust what a politician says.

It has been my intent from the start not to antagonize you and if now seems to you like I am, I apologize !!

reply to post by Vanux


So why even respond to a thread when you have nothing to offer?

You blamed me for bringing politics into it. I clearly showed how politics were brought into the story, and it wasn't me.

As to my political affiliation I don't vote for parties I vote for people. I voted for Reagan a Republican. I also voted for Clinton a Democrat. So I fail to see what my political opinion has to do with any thing.

The simple fact is that this fire took place on BLM land. Which makes it a federal problem.

This administration pays out huge sums of money to further their agenda.

When it comes to a fire that was started on federal land, by a natural occurrence. Then said fire spreads to private property ,and burns peoples houses. The Obama administration is no where to be found.

Originally posted by Diisenchanted
reply to post by Vanux

 

So why even respond to a thread when you have nothing to offer?

You blamed me for bringing politics into it. I clearly showed how politics were brought into the story, and it wasn't me.

As to my political affiliation I don't vote for parties I vote for people. I voted for Reagan a Republican. I also voted for Clinton a Democrat. So I fail to see what my political opinion has to do with any thing.

The simple fact is that this fire took place on BLM land. Which makes it a federal problem.

This administration pays out huge sums of money to further their agenda.

When it comes to a fire that was started on federal land, by a natural occurrence. Then said fire spreads to private property ,and burns peoples houses. The Obama administration is no where to be found.

I did, I did contribute to your thread but not in the way you wanted me to. Sometimes in threads people not only contribute things that you like but also things that you don't hence the purpose of this medium. As unfortunate as this tragedy was, I said that this tragedy did not reach critical mass per se so anything said by politicians was as if they never said it, one must take into account that one of the politicians main jobs is that of exploiting any and every news that reaches critical mass for the sole purpose of political gain.

They want to look and say sympathetic things just in case they have to be in front of TV cameras for long periods of times. If they had known before hand that the fire would have gotten that insignificant in the eyes of the national news media they would have never said anything because they risk looking like complete liars to a lot of people such as yourself.

a very interesting thread and very informative from both sides

i cannot add much as i was not present at this fire, but i can attest to what i found to be the feds general lack of interest or assistance in the state of arizona. imho after buying property, paying taxes, working and living there for eight years and coming in on the tail end of the rodeo-chedeski fire, from what i saw while i was there was that basically we were on our own..and where i happened to live happened to be rated the 4th poorest county(apache) in the united states, go figure..so, any tragedies whatsoever you were kinda stuck..forget insurance, most folks can't get or afford insurance on their 'homesteads' out there

just saying..nothing new, but it is really appalling, especially since it did occur naturally on blm land, so disenchanted is theoretically correct--federal land, federal problem..19 brave people dead, homes, lives destroyed..and the till is dry

reply to post by julia53


Thank you for that.

I grew up in flagstaff I love it in Arizona it is really a beautiful state. The people there are really friendly and easy to get along with. Both my brother and my sister were born in Holbrook

Hope things get better in Arizona. You have a nice evening.

Peace.

reply to post by Diisenchanted


So do all people then get federal assistance if their residence is damaged or destroyed by fire? Does that mean no one needs to take out fire insurance for themselves? I think I heard that this fire was started by lightning, but what about arson or other human-started fires -- are they considered natural disasters?

In addition, what about fire mitigation? I have a friend with a cabin in the San Gabriels (North of LA), he constantly remove brush and dead leaves around it. In 2007 a large wildfire swept through the area, destroying half the cabins in the area, his and some other survived. He also had some very large oak trees around his house, but they survived the fire; the important thing was that there wasn't much underbrush around to create a lot of heat. Should people who don't do a fastidious job of brush removal around their homes be eligible for fire damage relief?

Now I realize people can same similar things about homeowners in flood plains and along the coast. The difference is that in these other cases, most of the developed areas have been around for a long time. These days more and more developments are being put on the edge of wilderness areas, so that they are putting themselves in harm's way -- this with a modern understanding of natural hazards.

Have recent victims of other wildfires received relief funds? This is an honest question. I really don' know.

Then there's the issue of the sequester and the fact that the current congress cannot pass any taxes increases to raise tax rates to pre-Bush II levels in order to raise revenues, balance the budget and provide for emergencies like this. Arizona has two Republican senators and a majority of Republican congressmen, and it is the GOP that has steadfastly refused to raise the tax rates on the upper-most income brackets, which would bring them into line with pre-Bush II rates. Perhaps the good people of Arizona should reflect long and hard on which party they elect into federal office.

Then there's the fact that the US government is spending half of its yearly budget on the military-intellegince-security complex and corporate welfare, rather than investing in infrastructure, economic investment and other services for its citizens. Both parties are responsible for these screwed-up values as far as funding the various sectors of government goes. Perhaps the good people of Arizona should think long and hard before ever electing another Republican or Democrat in the upcoming election cycles.

I live nearing Wheeling (20 miles) and every year there's talk about help & assistance for those that need the help due to flooding.

Same with the wildfires, and those in Tornado Alley, etc.

Anyway whenever I see these stories, I'm always reminded of this clip.



"We will rebuild" is not always the motto of a sane person.