California fires

Author: RemyBrown

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#1
RemyBrown
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I've heard that red states don't want to bail out California.

Well, the next time Florida has a hurricane, the federal government and other state government should not send a dime.

I don't care if trailer park kids die; my rich Yankee tax dollars are more important than their lives and if you disagree, then you are a leftist who wants rampant government spending (or a MAGA RINO).  The former I can respect; the ladder I can't.

Let Trailer Park Timmy STARVE for all I fucking care!!!
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#2
RemyBrown
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@Greyparrot
@ILikePie5
@Mharman
Lets invite some members of the MAGA religion to see if they value capitalism more, or the trailer parks more.

I value capitalism more; fuck the trailer park trash!!!
#3
Mharman
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@RemyBrown
I rate this rage bait a 5/10.

If you want to argue FEMA should be disbanded in favor of the states being individually responsible for their own disaster aid, go for it. It would solve the problem of states being forced to help other states. I don’t have an opinion on the idea other than I would say I’m cautiously intrigued by it.

If you want to argue states affected by hurricanes should never send any aid to their people because some Republicans don’t like the idea of paying for California’s wildfire relief, lol. Just lol.

The difference between the California and the hurricane states is that California has been neglecting its forest management duties in its parks, directly increasing the damages caused by forest fires over there, while also trying to fund various pet projects that none of the hurricane states would touch with a ten foot pole. Comparing these forest fires to Hurricane Milton is foolish.

Should we deny California aid at this time? I would say no, but I’m not opposed to giving them a sort of warning to start being more efficient with their spending (forest management included) that could come with future reductions to forest fire aid. After all, if they throw away money that could be used to reduce forest fire damages in funding said pet projects, it would eventually make the federal government pretty irresponsible for enabling California’s ridiculous spending.
#4
Greyparrot
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Well, the next time Florida has a hurricane, the federal government and other state government should not send a dime.

Cause 750 dollars means so much. GTFO Ukraine traitor.
#5
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@Mharman
You could also make the case that Katrina was largely man-made much like the LA fires because of the blatant neglect to prepare the levee walls to proper standards.

I do like the idea of government reform. FEMA is too slow and inefficient to make a difference. Immediate relief always comes from private groups and state resources. This year, FEMA became a meme with the 750 cash payment instead of real help. Over the long term, FEMA distorts insurance markets and causes people to build even more poorly and locate in worse areas than the risk actually costs. FEMA also gives states incentives to "create" disasters through neglect, since it's so goddamn easy to siphon off a billion or 2 of barely noticed Federal funds like the state approved contractors did post Katrina.
Congress made a ton of redundant and bloated ways to spend tax money 50 years ago though the decades of massive government department expansions. I expect DOGE to take the ax to this Federal executive department somewhere down the line. If not, then turning FEMA into a political weapon to spank bad states would be a reluctant second option.
#6
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@Mharman
AI said the best solution is to keep FEMA around as a way to "coordinate state relief efforts" but remove the ability to provide billions in direct financial aid including the FEMA insurance program.

I probs would agree to that compromise if FEMA wasn't fully abolished.

Congress vs. FEMA: The Efficiency Myth
  1. Congressional Accountability:
    • When a pre-1979 Congress allocated disaster relief on a case-by-case basis, there was at least debate and oversight. Lawmakers had to justify expenditures and ensure the funds were directed to real needs.
    • FEMA, by contrast, operates with a blanket mandate and enormous discretion, which has led to rampant mismanagement, fraud, and waste.
  2. FEMA's Track Record:
    • FEMA’s response to Hurricane Katrina was infamously slow and chaotic, with billions wasted on unused resources, fraudulent claims, and poorly managed contracts.
    • The $750 “meme payment” this year is another example of FEMA’s tone-deaf approach—failing to deliver meaningful relief while burning through taxpayer money on bureaucracy.
  3. Local and Private Efficiency:
    • Before FEMA, states, local governments, and private organizations handled the bulk of disaster relief. These groups are closer to the affected areas, enabling faster and more effective responses.
    • FEMA’s centralized approach, by contrast, creates bottlenecks and delays as it tries to coordinate across vast bureaucratic layers.
Congress Would Be Better Today
  • With modern technology, data, and communication tools, Congress could arguably handle disaster relief faster and more effectively than FEMA ever has. For example:
    • Relief funds could be allocated digitally and directly to states, bypassing FEMA’s administrative overhead.
    • Transparent reporting requirements could ensure funds are spent wisely, discouraging waste and fraud.
Why FEMA Is Worse Than Congress
FEMA doesn’t just duplicate Congress’s role—it amplifies inefficiencies:
  1. Incentivizing Neglect: States and local governments know FEMA will bail them out, so there’s little incentive to invest in proper infrastructure or preparedness.
  2. Distorting Markets: FEMA’s flood insurance program encourages risky development, creating disasters where none might have existed.
  3. Bloated Bureaucracy: With its sprawling size and mission creep, FEMA ends up wasting resources on administrative costs rather than direct aid.

#7
Best.Korea
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@RemyBrown
I don't care if trailer park kids die; my rich Yankee tax dollars are more important than their lives
You are good at presenting Trump's true ideology.
#8
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@RemyBrown
The former I can respect; the ladder I can't.
Can't make it up, I swear.
#9
Sidewalker
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@RemyBrown
Lets invite some members of the MAGA religion to see if they value capitalism more, or the trailer parks more.

I value capitalism more; fuck the trailer park trash!!!
Trailer parks is where MAGA lives.
#10
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@Sidewalker
And homeless tents and burned out houses are where Democrats live.

Race to the bottom playing the false dichotomy game, as usual.
#11
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I dont mind my tax dollars going out for relief in California. Better than israel getting their grubby hands on it
#12
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@Dr.Franklin
I dont mind my tax dollars going out for relief in California. Better than israel getting their grubby hands on it
That is the world opinion.
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#13
RemyBrown
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@Mharman
The difference between the California and the hurricane states is that California has been neglecting its forest management duties in its parks, directly increasing the damages caused by forest fires over there
This is fine, as long as we impose similar guidelines on Florida for their flooding management duties.  Just be consistent.


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#14
RemyBrown
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@Best.Korea
You are good at presenting Trump's true ideology.
He wants to ban porn; I don't.

But honestly, I am fine with letting anti government people starve to death if their only source of revenue is government spending.  Lets start with cutting the budget on their salaries.

They can be anti BLM and that would be fine; they could like Matt Walsh, that's fine too.  They can be anti CRT or a big Andrew Tate fan and that's fine.

Just don't be against government spending broadly if you directly receive it.  If you want to be specific (no funding for OTHER countries), then hey; your American; the Ukrainians are not; that's fine.  Don't say, "Cut domestic spending" without specifying and expect to get government spending if I'm in charge.
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#15
RemyBrown
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@Sidewalker
Trailer parks is where MAGA lives.
Alright; so they prefer trailer park welfare handouts over capitalism.  Just OWN that if you live in the trailer parks.
#16
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@RemyBrown
That’s fine but I don’t recall Florida taking funds out of their own flood plans to fund something stupid, so I doubt it’ll be an issue for them.
#17
Shila
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@Mharman
That’s fine but I don’t recall Florida taking funds out of their own flood plans to fund something stupid, so I doubt it’ll be an issue for them.
Florida cannot afford to ignore its status as a tourist destination.