Thursday's Final Word

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

Closing the tabs ...

Over the last two years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has handed out more than $1 billion taxpayer dollars to specifically support illegal migrants with housing.

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But now there's no money to help out the 150,000 American citizens who have reached out for federal assistance after their homes were damaged by Hurricane Helene.  

'FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season,' Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted on Wednesday.

Ed: This is what you get with mission creep. FEMA is funded specifically for real disasters, not for the disastrous consequences of bad policy and incompetent governance.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg ordered private drone flights suspended in North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene flood zone, sparking fierce outcry from those frustrated by the government’s lackluster response to the deadly crisis. ...

“Private citizen drones and helicopters have been saving lives for days, and still are. You should be ashamed,” said another user.

Some users felt the order was an effort to prevent citizen journalists from capturing the true extent of the damage on film.

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“You’re hiding something,” a poster said accusingly.

Ed: That's certainly how it looks.

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Well, it is a scandal. I would add that the federal government spends so much money–$6,290,000,000,000–in so many screwy ways, it is outrageous that the government cannot meet core responsibilities without going back to Congress to ask taxpayers for more money. I suspect we could finance hurricane relief simply by firing all of the government’s DEI employees.

Ed: It would make a good start, anyway. 

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If you are wondering why citizens are being turned away that are coming to help NC and TN - you'll want to hear my experience as someone who has been doing this as a private citizen for almost a decade. 

I was able to get into, and out of Asheville. We brought food, water, fuel and other supplies as well as helped people affected by the floods, but there are reasons why they are not allowing outside help. 

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I cannot confirm the reasons why in NC, but i can tell you the reasons in other storms i have worked - i'll explain below. 

Let me share with you the first disaster area that i finally realized that this was all about money

Ed: In this case, the lack thereof, after Mayorkas spent it to cover up the border crisis.

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Devonna Brown, an Asheville business owner, said she felt the city failed its residents. “They should have been more prepared. They knew that this storm was coming,” she said. “We’re very frustrated by it. I mean, there’s no way to get in, no way to get out.”

Sara Legatski, another Asheville business owner, said officials should have expressed more urgency and brought in emergency water supplies earlier.

“There should have been a more urgent call for people to be prepared,” she said. “Were they stationing water off the mountain ready to be trucked up here, knowing how fragile our water system is? None of this is a surprise. Anyone acting like this is a surprise has not been here long enough and is not from the mountains and does not understand how water works.”

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Ed: Let's not forget that Joe Biden spent the weekend on Rehoboth Beach rather than the White House as the hurricane cut its deadly swath. And Kamala Harris spent it at fundraisers in Las Vegas. 

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Ed: Pray for all of them, especially those who remain at risk -- but also for those lost, and those left behind. 

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Ed Morrissey 10:00 PM | November 20, 2024
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