FEMA Denies Aid to Black Minnesota Tornado Victims

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/FEMA-Denies-Aid-to-Black--by-debbie-hines-110621-92.html

The Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA") established to provide federal emergency aid to those in need in times of disaster, has once again refused to provide aid to black disaster victims. This time instead of black Hurricane Katrina victims, FEMA is now refusing to provide individual aid to help black families living in the north side of Minneapolis, hit hardest by the tornado on June 5. And this time the president is not George W. Bush.



Mayor R. T. Rybak of Minneapolis, a 2008 Obama state co-chair of Obama's election campaign, traveled to Washington, DC early this week to meet face to face with President Obama to plead his case for his residents. Unfortunately, the story appears to be the same despite the change in presidents and the type of natural disaster involved. And for those black Minnesotans, it's the same old song. Those hit hardest by the natural disaster are also those hit hardest by the economic disaster, with no help from the federal government agency established to dispense aid.



The story has a political side and not just because of Mayor Rybak's close connection to President Obama. It was also the topic of a question raised during a panel discussion at Netroots Nation on how to engage and get first time 2008 African American and young adult voters out again in 2012, held last week in Minneapolis. An audience participant asked the panel: What do you say to those who have been hit hard by disaster and economically and FEMA refuses to help; What do you say to get those voters to come out again and vote in 2012?

Kristal High, Editor in Chief of Politic 365 had this to say: "The squeaky wheel is the one that gets the oil." "Make people accountable and leverage that voice. We have a tremendous power if we just open our mouths and say something."

More at the link --

[Arkansas Granny]

1. FEMA has also denied aid to two rural counties here in Arkansas that had

extensive tornado damage.

http://www.4029tv.com/news/28290607/detail.html

[LiberalAndProud]

2. Well, I would say that's a bit misleading.

Black victims weren't the only victims who were denied inidividual aid.


http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/06/14/fema-denies-individual-aid-to-mpls-tornado-victims/

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) — The federal government has denied Minnesota’s request for disaster assistance for homeowners, renters and businesses hit by last month’s deadly tornado in Minneapolis.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent a letter Tuesday to Gov. Mark Dayton, denying the request. FEMA says the tornado damage is not beyond the combined capabilities of the state, affected local governments and voluntary agencies.

[elleng]

5. Thanks for this, Lib+Proud.

The headline is more than a bit misleading, and the linked story appears to be the same. One would expect that FEMA has standards for where they provide aid, and looks like they were applying them here.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. Just a little misleading, race bating as well

[jwirr]

6. Their reason is legitimate. They usually respond to disasters the

states cannot handle.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Wow..FEMA just went Marie Antoinette all over the states.

So what exactly is FEMA for then, if not to help states and local governments?
And why are we sending our money to the Feds to pay for FEMA?

[snooper2]

3. OpEd"news", where you can get the latest

David Ray Griffin T-shirts :rofl:

[CC]

4. Seems a bit of a reach

to compare to Katrina. I have about a dozen questions that should of been answered as part of the op-ed and weren't even mentioned. One is has the Governor declared a disaster area and ask for FEMA help?

TY LiberalAndProud for answering the one question I ask and for giving a better link. Sounds like local and state officials need to get on the ball.