Dear Sharra, Disasters are a new normal in America, and the government has a major role in responding to them. From Katrina to East Palestine to Maui, the efficacy of our disaster response systems has been on full display.
The grade I'd give them, unfortunately, is somewhere between inept and shameful.
While the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, still cry out for help — from anyone! — in the aftermath of the train derailment and intentional burning off of vinyl chloride in their neighborhood, citizens of Hawaii are now experiencing an unspeakable tragedy after the wildfire that ravaged Lahaina on August 8th. While 110 people are declared dead in the disaster, 800 residents — many of them children — are still unaccounted for. The President is on his way to Maui today, after voices were raised all over the country protesting his absence. Vice President Kamala had explained that she didn't want to be a "distraction" while recovery efforts were going on. (To put it bluntly, you can't make this stuff up.)
More important is the cold and callous financial response to the victims of the Lahaina fire. A $700 one-time stipend per family followed by help filling out a FEMA form is not the response of a compassionate government.
Washington is the source of many irresponsible policies that contribute to these horrors, as in the connection between climate change and the fire in Lahaina, and deregulation as in the case of Norfolk Southern's criminal actions in East Palestine. The government is then routinely callous in the face of disasters they help cause. It took ten days for anyone in the Biden Administration to say anything about what happened in East Palestine; Trump cynically did visit East Palestine, but he was gravely dismissive of the agony from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Before Trump, President Obama ignored the still-ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan, but pulled an absurd stunt pretending to drink Flint's water to downplay the crisis. Before Obama, Bush was widely criticized for his careless response to Hurricane Katrina.
This will not happen when I am President. |
Vermont was hit by unprecedented devastation during a flood in July. To date the damage to Vermont agriculture is estimated at over $12 million, with over 18,000 acres of ravaged farmland. The flooding has had a major impact on Vermont's July unemployment numbers, and an inadequate federal response will have long term harmful effects on Vermont's overall economy. I am traveling to Burlington, Barre and Johnson, Vermont tomorrow and will meet with farmers and business and community leaders to discuss rebuilding. Part of running for President is information gathering and education, none of which I will forget when the levers of Presidential power are placed in my hands. I believe in a government that actively helps people when they're in trouble. To me that should be a no brainer, and my administration will be known for its excellence as well as its compassion. Nothing less to me is, or will be, acceptable. |
Thank you so much for your unwavering support, |
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