No FEMA Aid for Milwaukee County Flood Victims

Milwaukee County flood victims, the Obama administration has a message for individuals who suffered damage from the storms: NO FEDERAL AID FOR YOU.

This is a slap in the face to Milwaukee County residents, to taxpayers, to voters.

Obama's FEMA has denied federal aid to flood victims.

That's a disgrace.

Obama and the Democrats demand that WE bail out the irresponsible rich and incompetent state governments. They create a culture of dependency to suit their political purposes and demand that WE pay for the education, health care, and other services of ILLEGAL immigrants, lawbreakers.

Obama's State Department is even funding a trip to the Middle East for Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the controversial guy behind the controversial effort to build the controversial mosque at Ground Zero.

Absolutely sickening!

But when it comes to tossing some assistance to people whose homes in Milwaukee County were devastated by the torrential rains -- FORGET IT!

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Federal officials Wednesday declared the July 22 flood a major disaster in Milwaukee and Grant counties, making some federal and other money available for local governments recovering from flood damage.

Individuals won't get help from FEMA, Gov. Jim Doyle said in a news release announcing the disaster help. The state did not meet the federal government's threshold for individuals with damage to get help from FEMA, Doyle said.

"I want to thank the Federal Emergency Management Agency for helping Wisconsin communities recover from these damaging floods," Doyle said. "While I am disappointed that the state did not meet the threshold for individual assistance, we will continue to work with affected communities to rebuild from July's severe storms and flooding."

Lori Getter, crisis communications manager for Wisconsin Emergency Management, said she had not seen the letter from FEMA that explained why individuals would not get assistance. She said FEMA officials were searching for first-floor damage, which those officials considered major, and not giving as much weight to basement damage.

State officials were hoping FEMA officials would factor in economic damages for individual homeowners, but whatever was considered did not meet the threshold for the federal examiners, Getter said.

That's ridiculous.

Many people use their basements as living space that is just as valuable as the space on the first-floor. Appliances in their basements impact the entire home. It's idiotic to consider basement damage as being less catastrophic for homeowners.

...Milwaukee County officials estimated more than $50 million in damage from the storm. The local governments will now review costs with FEMA officials and determine which of the costs that local officials claimed are eligible for help.

The federal government will pay 75% of that tab and the state will help with another 12.5%. The local government will be stuck with the balance, Getter said.

Doyle also noted that Wisconsin will not receive federal money for the FoodShare benefits that it provided after the storms. The state Department of Health Services in July provided replacement FoodShare benefits to families with flood damage.

It really angers me that Obama's FEMA is denying Wisconsinites assistance.

When Obama comes to Milwaukee to fundraise for Tom Barrett on August 16 (details here and here), I hope he's met by flood victims. I hope he hears from them that this abandonment will not be forgotten.