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May 28, 2007
Stafford Act victory
Lost in all the disappointment about the Democrats' caving to Bush on the Iraq supplemental is a bit of fantastic news, which may mean nothing to Democrats anywhere else but which to residents of the Gulf Coast is a great victory.
Up until now, the White House has insisted that Bush will veto any legislation that contains a waiver of the Stafford Act requirement that state and local governments match Federal disaster relief moneys to the tune of 10%. The 10% match has been waived 32 times since 1985, including at least once by the Bush administration after 9/11.
We don't have the money here to match the 10%, so desperately-needed federal funding has been held up for months. We needed that waiver to survive, Bush didn't want to give it to us, but he wanted his war more and now he has signed the waiver into law along with the Iraq funding bill.
Happy day.
Posted by ray at May 28, 2007 8:48 AM | Permalink
Categories: [katrina | new orleans | politics ]
Comments
Very happy day. 'Bout damn time, I say.
Posted by: darkneuro at May 28, 2007 10:14 AM
yeeeah but.. It shouldnt have had to be this way. We shouldnt have to accept MORE WAR in order to do what should have long been done for the Gulf Coast.. it is a sick trade off.
Posted by: bicyclemark at May 30, 2007 6:34 AM
Yeah, you're right, it is. But here was something that Bush swore he'd veto, that he didn't veto. It's a little thing from a Democratic strategy point of view, and yet it's a huge victory for the Gulf Coast.
Posted by: Ray at May 30, 2007 8:03 AM
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