Should Texas get fire aid?

Sure, as long as him and other republicans stop harping about how they and the American people don’t need government intruding in their lives.

Ditto @Blackberry You talk the talk, can you walk the walk? Anxious to see how that plays out. Having said it, even if he asked for assistance, the chance of Gov. Perry actually getting it is about one in a million.

Texas? Yes. Not everyone who lives in Texas agrees with Gov. Perry (nor did everyone in Texas vote for him), and there’s no reason to punish the citizens of Texas just because their governor is a blowhard. But should any of Gov. Perry’s personal property be damaged or in danger of damage, that I’m fine with FEMA just letting happen.

If they qualify for FEMA aid, then they should get it. The citizens of Texas should not be punished for their governor’s political beliefs.

I bet they will be. Could be wrong, but I bet they will be.

I know we have some Texas Jellies, I’d love to get their take on this.

I’m gonna say yes on this one. The people who’ve lost everything because of the wildfires can’t be held responsible for Rick Perry’s douchebaggery.

Does FEMA even have any funding left?

Yes. Though it is pretty dreist of that guy to cut funding for his own fire fighters and now instead is asking the hated “federal nanny” for a handout.

Firstly, I am not a big Perry fan. However, his handling of the situation thus far has been exemplary.

I was most impressed with his general carriage giving an update on the news yesterday evening. He looked like a man who was weary from working the situation, but also quite in control, and when asked by someone if/how this affects his campaign activities he answered, immediately and apparently quite sincerely, “Listen, politics is the last thing on my mind at the moment…”. He upped my opinion of him by a couple of notches (which isn’t saying much). He does seem like a man who knows how to lead in a crisis.

It will be very interesting to see how the aftermath of this disaster compares to New Orleans after Katrina. I suspect that the main differences will have little to do with how much “Uncle Sugar” pitched in for the relief effort, but rather with the general mindset of the people involved. For the most part, rather than expecting the government to swoop in to the rescue, when he saw the fires heading his way Billy Joe Bubba Bob loaded the family in the truck and got the “F” out. Then he went back and helped his neighbor load up his family and got them the “F” out. Then he went back with a shovel and hose to help put the flippin’ fire out!

(And after the smoke clears, I’ll bet he’ll be the first to pick up a hammer and start rebuilding his house, as well as his neighbors instead of spending his time whining about how FEMA screwed him over.)

The budget cuts are proposed over a two years for the Texas Forest Service for monies the TFS gives out as grants for volunteer fire departments to purchase new equipment. This proposal came about after Texas A&M did a review of the agency and made recommendations for better oversight of the agency and how the funds are dispersed. The monies will be going to a consolidated agency better prepared to give proper oversight of the funds and the fire departments receiving the monies. Be very careful concerning things you read in the liberal media about Texas and Gov. Perry. Check, recheck and then recheck your facts.

http://www.sunset.state.tx.us/82ndreports/tfs/tfs_dec.pdf

I live in Texas and I can tell you that everyone I know can’t stand Perry. As far as the wildfires, They are a natural disaster because of the extended drought we have suffered with in recent years. The people need help. Just like the flood victims from the latest storm. BTW ..I didn’t vote for the idiot known as Rick Perry. He is in the pocket of big business. IMO he is the slimiest politician in a long time.

I take it Perry’s mass prayer for rain has not worked out so well

@bkcunningham The report I read was on Reuters, a pretty unbiased source with no ax to grind.

To quote the article: A state commission that reviewed the Forest Service this year noted the grants were not distributed to the counties most at risk for wildfires. Boggus said that is because the service only recently conducted a study to determine which counties are the most at-risk, and that the agency now plans to distribute grants based on that information.

That’s what I said @zenvelo.

@bkcunningham Finding a better way to distribute funding is a far cry from cutting funding by 75%.

Read the report. If you read just the summary of the report, it outlines the fiscal savings and alternatives. There is alot of overlap in agencies and the report clarifies this.

Texas is ridiculous. If they’re not doing everything in their power to ask the help of other states that is just absurd. The damages of the fire won’t be as bad if they borrow from other states. Ridiculous, just ridiculous. 1 House burned down every 4 minutes. That’s alot of economy thats now gone.

Texans should get fire aid.

@woodcutter Thoroughly agreed. Livelihoods are at steak here, or have been steaked.

No. Rick Perry slashed the funding for the firefighters that fight wildfires by 75%. He wants to seceede from the union. Let him go put the fire out. Let the dupes that voted him into office to get government (like firefighters) off their back twist in the wind they created.

Lotta folks here hatin’ on the Lone Star State. Seems wrong

@woodcutter Texas is a rich state. You get what you pay for. You don’t get what you are unwilling to pay for. If you want to hate government and cut taxes and government revenue, then don’t come with hat in hand asking the government you revile to make you whole when things go wrong.

@ETpro I understand that part but the governor is but one person who from what I have learned a huge part of the population dislikes. I think you are confusing personal politics with real people’s homes burning. You are trying to damn an entire state because you disagree with one person’s politics? You are one hard hearted individual, however I admire your conviction.

@woodcutter Lone Star state often hates on the other states, and other people. So maybe it isn’t right, but it’s hardly surprising.

@Aethelflaed Lone Star state often hates on the other states, and other people. Do you have any links that prove this? Or at least have a few names of Texans. I think that there is a hate bias for the south on Fluther, no in fact I know there is. I know it, you know it, and Augie knows it. It just the way it is and the progressives on here maybe have plenty good reasons to feel this way but really…In doing that, do you all not become that which you have shown contempt for?

@woodcutter Please don’t think that I’m indifferent to the losses of the people of Texas. But the fact is that they have elected Rick Perry multiple times now because he promises to get rid of government, and thereby cut their taxes. Now I don;t love taxes any more than anyone else. But I do recognize there are no free rides.

@woodcutter I’ve heard plenty people in Texas trash talk California and how progressive we are, and how freaky our people are. All of this on sports forums of course. Does it get to me? No, not at all. I’m from California, I stay here. I wish the best for Texans. Texas should get fire aid however.

@ETpro they have elected Rick Perry multiple times. Have they really? All of them? So you want to put one assholes blunder upon all of the population of Texas and wish apon them the big shit sandwich?

@dreamwolf There’s a huge difference between trash talking others its done all the time. We’re Americans. it’s what we do, all of us. You think you guys from the People’s Republik of Kalifornia are totally innocent when it comes to looking down their collective noses at other states? No you are not, it’s unfortunate that a slim minority take this joshing to heart and use it to form uneducated opinions of others. Websters might define that practice as pre -judging. But all kidding aside there are people suddenly finding themselves homeless and we have a person who thinks they should eat shit because they have a twat for a governor, that or he’s trying to pull some serious back peddling out of his ass.

@woodcutter “You think you guys from the People’s Republik of Kalifornia are totally innocent when it comes to looking down their collective noses at other states? No you are not, it’s unfortunate that a slim minority take this joshing to heart and use it to form uneducated opinions of others. Websters might define that practice as pre -judging” I never accused a Texan of being trash talkers. I cited an example of where I’ve heard it. And yes, we Americans love to talk smack, it’s what some of us do.

@woodcutter I’m not trying to vilify Texas. I am trying to point out that Texas is not an innocent bystander in the divided political climate we find ourselves in. No, that doesn’t make hatred towards Texas right or helpful or whatever, and I’m not defending it as such. I am pointing out how completely predictable it is that many would have less than warm feelings towards the state who was, well, Texas in Lawrence v Texas. You yourself admit this when you say “maybe have plenty good reasons to feel this way”.

@Aethelflaed BUT…people’s homes are on fire…right now. That simply trumps anyone’s desire to have anal sex and let’s be honest, how many consenting adults get busted for that really? There is no excuse to hold stuff like that over the heads of a people on fire.

There are people in Kalifornia with AK-47’s and most who supported prop 8. But do these people make the entire state look conservative? It’s the blind prejudice of grouping all of the people who happen to live within a state’s boundaries together as having a single monolithic belief .Then calling it factual enough for argument sake that is good enough to call it fact. Especially if you are preaching to the“enlightened” hysterical choir that are easily lead. It’s going to snowball and it won’t help anyone.
They want to believe it’s true.Case in point…you. To truly be progressive you can’t do the same things that you condemn other people for without being the same bad thing. Y’all don’t get different rules unless, you are willing to admit you are in agreement with double standard as long as it fits your beliefs. The end justifies the means? Progressives being called out as hypocrites is a small death in itself to their very fiber. Don’t be that person.

@woodcutter You’re losing me in your argument… What does what you think Californians think about have to do with Texas…

@woodcutter If you read above, I was in favor of giving aid to Texans. I’m not holding sodomy laws over their heads. I’m not saying that California is all good (or saying anything about California at all), or saying that Texans are a monolithic group – in fact, I argued the very opposite. I’m not being “that person”, so stop talking to me like I am.

I wonder if Texas fundamentalist think this is a sign of God. Time to no longer be gluttons.

They need FEMA, they need obesity specialists then they will be ok. God bless Texas. California has tons of wildfires, we feel your pain.

OK what I’m picking up here is that apparently the stereotype that befalls Texans is they are backward regressive thinking rednecks and it’s not a totally bad thing if bad shit happens to them. The debate continuing is sort of a way of not backing away from that false notion, that, or there isn’t a big rush to clear that one up. I think people are satisfied with leaving it like it is. lest they give up an edge when they might be called on to empathize with southerners.

Sorry but that’s what its been looking like and I realize reliable talking points are hard to abandon.

Agreed for whatever reason they’ve been especially terrible this year and it is all heartbreak and nothing good for any victim no matter what their governor is like.

@woodcutter I think were all in agreement that Texas needs serious help, and we want this to happen.

@woodcutter we want the help to happen*

@Aethelflaed I wasn’t really meaning to explicitly blame you but the color of this discussion was starting to go south by some in the collective, not necessarily you per se. Usually when there are discussions like this even when there are plenty of others who would normally chime in with me to help. it seems they remain silent and let me go it alone till the end. I’m not sure why that is but i think there are some who really don’t want to go as far so as not to get a fire started..But myself, I happen to like fire and it helps to be fireproof too.

Probably it got turned that way by @ Etpro by doing what he does lot. Sometimes he is assholeish ( sorry @Etpro you’ve no doubt heard this many times before). He’s been here a long time so his thoughts carry a lot of weight with me so when he goes int ass mode it’s on. So if I see there are others who look like they agree with his comments then to me at least ,it constitutes, a team.

@woodcutter Ok. It’s a little bit hard to feel like you’re not aiming comments directly at me when you start them with @ and then my name. I mean, I get wanting to rant against more an institutional and communal thought than a particular person, but I also think those rants are more suited for personal blog posts or political blog posts than comments on Fluther with specific people’s names in them. Also, others probably didn’t chime in as much because it’s past midnight for the US.

@woodcutter I agreed with what you had to say in the beginning. It was pretty factual. Then it fell off with an opinion that didn’t back up why Texas was on fire or receiving help. California had nothing to do Texas on fire, and you attacked the flame bait. So I think people stopped chiming in to help you. Let’s all stop this discussion. I’m going to stop following this question.

@Aethelflaed No it seems to happen alot on some of these touchy topics, but I can respect that. Nobody wants to be standing beside someone who’s holding the grenade pin.

@ETpro, saying Rick Perry wants to secede from the union is a falsehood. It is a prime example of what I was saying about checking your facts.

Where do you think FEMA’s funds come from? Why has Gov. Perry been critical of FEMA?

@ETpro I didn’t elect Rick Perry, so does that mean I should welcome a royal fucking anyway?

Just for the record, I don’t hate on other states, and it is completely true (whoever said this in another comment) that there is a Fluther bias against most southern states. I see it here all the time, unfortunately.

Like I said, I didn’t elect Rick Perry to be tha fine govnuh of this here redneck state. My earlier comment stands- The people who’ve lost everything because of the wildfires can’t be held responsible for Rick Perry’s douchebaggery.

I’m a native Texan, and I’m in Austin, which is the little dot of blue in the red state. I’m not a Perry fan, I don’t hold other states in contempt, and those in need are those in need. Yes, any aid is welcome to those who have been affected and will continue to be affected for months/years to come.

And I think that Perry’s return to Texas to be at the epicenter of the crisis has more to do with political grandstanding than less. Just my opinion, of course. Nothing like a good crisis to rally public support.

@ETpro No not all of us have elected Rick Perry. I have voted against him EVERY time. I don’t hate other states or begrudge them any help they might need. I have also noticed, as pointed out by @woodcutter that there is a bias against the south here on Fluther and most of the times I have seen it, it has been directed at Texas or Texans. At times it seems rather childish to me.

Uh, you forgot the Christians and the hillbillys and stay-at-home moms and the poor working class white folk. Right?

@bkcunningham Yes, I have noticed that also.

If anything this whole govt. fire aid is going to make Perry look like he’s talking out of both sides of his mouth, with election year coming this might not work out in his favor later.

I’ll own to a personal bias against Texas. Texas has overwhelmingly elected Perry numerous times, and Perry is the one who brought up Texas’ “right to secede”. Texas is also the home of Tom “the Hammer” DeLay, to whom much of the current confrontational politics can be attributed.

Until Texans repudiate such politicians, they need to share responsibility for the policies.

@zenvelo Many of us do. The problem is we don’t make the policies. As previously stated, I have voted against Perry EVERY time he has ran. I have news for you also. Muck raking and political confrontation is, as they say, politics as usual. You give Delay too much credit.

@zenvelo Not all “Texans” (said with that sneer) are part of the problem. You can’t whip the whole class if a few kids are innocent.

If we’re going to decide who is responsible for things by including the entire group, then all Mexicans are dirty and cram 5 families into one roach infested house, all Muslims are to be held responsible for 9/11, all Jews are penny-pinching assholes, all African-Americans have greasy, smelly jerrycurl with hairpics sticking out and sag their pants to their knees, all Christians are bible-thumping psychopaths, all Mormons have 20 kids, all Californians surf and say “dude”, all New Yorkers are loudmouthed, greedy Wall Street bastards, and while we’re at it, so much of humanity is disgusting that if we’re going to make statements about what “the whole group” does, it would be safe to say that the entire human race is fucking retarded.

Let’s skip the blanket statements and stick to making real comments.

:D

@woodcutterI hear you about those who didn’t vote the guy into office. My heart definitely goes out to all who have lost their homes and worldly possessions. My inclination is that they should definitely be eligible for federal assistance. But I’m also reacting to Republicans in Congress insisting that my own Eastern seaboard which was so hard hit by Hurricane Irene should not get any federal disaster relief until budget cuts can be made elsewhere to offset the cost. If that’s how Americans are going to treat each other, it’s going to apply to red states as well as blue.

The republicans are on the ropes and in a tight squeeze between the baggers and the rest of the country. If they step in the way of aid to the suffering it will be them who are on the endangered list…and they know it. They will blink because its too close to next November really for the Americas weak memory theory to work. They’re rubbing tea bags right now.

@woodcutter I keep waiting for that dawn to break.

@woodcutter I agree, but the election isn’t for another 15 months. We have to put up with this all through primary season next spring.

@zenvelo Ah yes primary season. My DVD player tends to get more use during that time. The question is, who is more exhausted from it- the candidates or the people?