Governor asks feds to declare Texas a disaster area due to wildfires

[deminks]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry is asking the federal government to declare the state a disaster area, a bid to spur assistance during a particularly potent wildfire season that has imperiled lives, structures and livelihoods in 252 counties, his office said in a statement Sunday.

In his letter written late Saturday to President Barack Obama, sent through a Texas-based Federal Emergency Management Agency official, Perry said that above-average temperatures, lack of rain and low humidity have "caused extreme fire danger over most of the state."

"The wildland fire risk potential has reached a critically high level," the governor wrote. These conditions "present a serious hazard to the lives and property of the citizens of the state."

(snip)

"I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments, and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary," Perry said.

(end snip)

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/17/texas.forest.fires/index.html

---

The wildfires are terrible. I hope the feds can help. But you have to wonder when Gov. Goodhair is up at the pulpit whipping up secession to the teabaggers, if he really believes in it.

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Pull yourselves up by your own damn fire hoses." - RepubliBaggers (R)

"You Texicans want socialist support? Suck it."

- RepubliBaggers (R)

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[freshwest]

29. Rumor has it the TX Governor's mansion burned down years ago and Perry doesn't live there anymore.

They didn't even bother to rebuild it.

Seems the GOPig dictators prefer undisclosed locations.

Did the same thing in other states, too.

[tammywammy]

34. Your rumor is partly wrong

The governor's mansion was undergoing renovations when an arsonist set it ablaze. There are plans to renovate it.

The rental is at 8113 Hickory Creek Dr; Austin, TX 78735

[bjobotts]

38. Sorry Perry but McCaskill & Lieberman put a cap on debt ceiling & no new funds are allowed

[bjobotts]

40. McCaskill's new plan makes cryin' Ryan's budget appealing as it would end progressive agenda forever

[bjobotts]

46. Exactly what would happen if we had a cap on the debt ceilling. Just read this...

from Steve Benen at Political animal:

"...Ezra Klein did a very nice job yesterday of cutting through the nonsense and describing the spending cap idea as "completely insane."

Spending caps are bad policy, and the McCaskill-Corker spending cap -- which holds spending to 21.5 percent of GDP, or three percentage points lower than it is right now -- is a badly designed spending cap. But beyond all that, it's laughable to posit it as a compromise: It's arguably the most radically conservative reform that could be made to the federal budget. More extreme, by far, than Paul Ryan's plan.

Start with the shell game at the core of this discussion: We're worried about the debt ceiling but talking about a spending cap. This works just fine if you hew to the conservative conceit that "we have a spending problem, not a taxing problem." But that applause line is just an effort to deny the contribution tax cuts have made to the deficit and keep tax increases from being part of a solution. If you think we have a debt problem -- and that's what being upset about raising the debt ceiling implies -- then do something about the debt. The "trigger" proposal the White House included in his budget, for instance, is tied to the debt, not to spending or taxes.

Of course, to the Republicans, that's a feature, not a bug. The virtue of a spending cap is that by focusing on only one contributor to debt, it admits only one solution to it: spending cuts. Savage ones. The Corker-McCaskill proposal is so aggressive that there are years when even Paul Ryan's budget, with all its fantastical assumptions and hard caps, wouldn't qualify. "You put McCaskill-Corker into law," says Bob Greenstein, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "and progressive policy is dead for the next quarter-century."

That's not an exaggeration. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities published a detailed report on the proposed cap this week, explaining that if it were to become law, policymakers would have no choice but to enforce devastating cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, as well as every other domestic priority..."

So only by cutting "spending" can we raise funds to deal with disasters like Perry is asking for...not by raising taxes or closing tax loopholes to get "revenue". McCaskill...WTF?...you're a dem...are you really that clueless... like Lieberman???

[freshwest]

64. Excellent. Of course no cap on endless wars.

[freshwest]

63. Since 2008? No big hurry, then. Several governors are refusing to live in state quarters.

All the better to make deals out of sight and avoid the angry public

I'll bet Perry never moves back in.

He's not the only GOP who refuses, there are several more than this:

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/dec/21/kasich-family-will-not-live-governors-mansion-ar-334073/

[plumbob]

66. Renovation will be complete next year.

On February 2, 2011, Chief Tony Leal, an assistant director of the Texas Rangers, announced that a person of interest has been identified that is connected to an Austin-based anarchist group which has also been linked to an attack (involving Molotov cocktails) which was planned for the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis during September 2008.<5>

An official close to the investigation said agents determined the fire was a criminal act "after reviewing footage from security cameras." A restoration is currently being performed, but is not expected to be done until 2012.<6>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Governor's_Mansion

[freshwest]

71. Before or after December 21st, 2012?

:rofl:

Enjoy whatever happens.

[No Elephants]

96. Security at the Governor's Mansion was that bad? Why is the renovation not underway already?

[tammywammy]

99. Renovation is underway

There was a delay due to the extent of the damage and the fact that it's a historical building and additional approvals were needed. Plus, they had to raise funds (private donations) for the repairs.

[freshwest]

27. Love the registered name. Perfect, LOL.

[Mz Pip]

2. Hope the guy

who talked about secession realizes that Federal money comes from taxes.

Maybe he could ask for coporate donations instead.

[Old and In the Way]

7. Good question! Where are those Big Corporate donors to bail out Texas?

Funny how that goes....

[freshwest]

30. Dubai, right?

[newspeak]

87. yeah, isn't this the same governor that wanted to secede from the union?

I've never seen so many hypocrites in one party-family values to "we don't need no sticking assistance."

[sharp_stick]

3. I'd leave FEMA

at the border while I ask the asshole how he feels about secession right now. Perry's just another fair weather teabagging asshole, when push comes to shove he folds like a cheap tent.

[lob1]

4. I thought Perry would rather secede than deal with our

federal government.

[jpak]

5. I guess the secession thingy is on the back burner now huh

rub some dirt on it and pull yerself up by yer bootstraps Goodhair

yup

[Teaser]

6. HELP US BIG GUBMINT HELP US....

.

[Iliyah]

8. Well as progressives we do

care about our fellow Americans even when they are assholes that need the help of the "big" government. The difference tho, progressive shows compassion and the right wingers show contempt.

[WolverineDG]

42. Then there are a lot of right wingers on this thread nt

[No Elephants]

97. Really? Contempt for Perry's politics and his hypocrisy about federal government

is very different from saying "Let Texans suffer."

With that distinction in mind, please point out the many posts to which you refer.

[freshwest]

65. But progressives do show contempt for what Perry has said. He's a louse.

[plumbob]

67. Yep, he is. But I never voted for him for anything, not even yell leader

many years ago.

But he's not hurting. Regular ordinary people are. This is far west Texas, not east of I-35, where Perry and his $$$$$$$$$ buds hang out.

[newspeak]

88. well progressives also see that these teabagging

pukes want a whole lot of people to suffer with their policies-like children, like the elderly, like the unemployed, like labor, like the sick--oh except for big global "too big to fail" corporations and the oh so deserving wealthy.

[freshwest]

31. Think they want some cheese with that whine?

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

9. Thought he was Seceding? Cough up his own money.

Texas already gets much more than their share of tax dollars back in the military alone. The UNITED States is fine with this turkey as long as Blue States continue to fund Red States. Yukkk.

[plumbob]

68. Texas actually gets back 94 cents for every dollar paid in federal income

taxes. New Mexico is #1 at 2.03, and Mississippi is #2 at 2.02

http://visualizingeconomics.com/2010/02/17/federal-taxes-paidreceived-for-each-state/

[efhmc]

76. But it may go to needy people and that doesn't count.

[No Elephants]

98. I don't think that includes military.

[freshwest]

10. Will Perry get rid of all the local governments under him like the WI and MI dictators?

The GOPigs live for any opportunity to seize power.

[TheCowsCameHome]

11. Oh, so now you want back into the Union?

Up yours, Gov. Goodhair.

[hadrons]

12. If gov't should operate like a business like Perry says then ...

how does the Fed make a profit helping them????

[Arugula Latte]

13. Secede, asshole, and be a real man, not a damn socialist commie!

[fredamae]

14. I thought we were separated!

You want Me to invest My Tax dollar's in the state that wants to "Divorce America"? Are you kidding me? Why not just go piss on it like you do on everything else?

[hlthe2b]

15. Disaster area because of incompetent governor....

Go ahead and secede, you ass. (sorry Texans, we'll take Austin with US)

[WolverineDG]

43. Fuck that. We're staying AND we're keeping Austin nt

[newspeak]

89. yeah, Austin is alright!!!!!

A beckon of light shining through the darkness called Perry's Texas.

[Taverner]

17. Oh, so he's for SOCIALIST solutions now, is he?

Well fuck me and call me sally...

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Botany]

19. Didn't you want to secede from the U.S. Governor?

No big federal government pushing their will into state and local affairs ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzbdugWJbNo

[Blacksheep214]

20. Excuse me!??

Is someone looking for a handout?

I think Perry should ask his rich pals to cough up some money! Us poor union workers have no spare change for those who want to attack our wages and benefits.

Now maybe the dividers will see why division is not a good way to run a country. How fucking cocky are you assholes now?

[markmyword]

21. FEDERAL HELP!

Whoa partner,
This is Texas, a red state, a conservative state, a Tea Party
state, a go it alone state. I'm sorry Governor Perry, we don't
want you to compromise your principals. You don't want to have
the other red states say that you've betrayed them and what
you all stand for.

Several times this year, Governor Perry has said he doesn't
want the federal government "meddling in the states
business", and "we can take care of
ourselves"(when he accepted  most of the funds offered to
him AND at the same time refused a small portion of the
Recovery Act Funds).

So Governor Perry let's not be TWO FACED or HYPOCRITICAL about
this.
DON'T ASK the Federal government for a thing, not a thing.

As you said, "WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES", then
be true conservatives and do just that.

Deal with the fires yourselves.

[bertman]

22. The BIG question is: Will Texas voters see the hypocrisy and vote against it?

[freshwest]

32. Remember the ballot machines burned before the 2010 vote? Weren't replaced. No chance in hell.

[Nossida]

23. Take your Welfare State and $18 Billion Deficit and hit the road

Never ceases to amaze me.
These Creatures moan and
groan, and threaten to
leave the Union.

Good Riddance Texas Freeloaders.

You never miss a chance to feed
at the US Treasury like Hogs at
the troth. Besides High Crime
rates, high Welfare case loads,
and an abundance of piss poor
attitude, what exactly is it Texas
contributes to the Republic?

Have your Corporate Loved ones pay
for your eternal problems Texas.
The other 49 States will not miss
you when you go.

[plumbob]

69. Fine, except Texas pays more in federal taxes than it gets back.

94 cents on the dollar, actually.

#1 - New Mexico at 2.03 per dollar paid in
#2 - Mississippi at 2.02 per dollar paid in


http://visualizingeconomics.com/2010/02/17/federal-taxes-paidreceived-for-each-state/

Also, please find me an active secession group in Texas. I believe that you will find that Perry never ran on such an item, and he's just blowing his mouth off, not unheard of for any politician anywhere.

Please don't brush the rest of us with that tar, and do get some facts together. Thank you.

[WatsonT]

100. They don't care

they've worked themselves in to a frothing rage since the forbidden word (texas) was uttered.

Facts are meaningless now.

You may as well dump some pigs blood in the water then dive in and try to explain to the sharks that in fact that isn't your blood so they should leave you alone.

[MadMaddie]

24. I thought that Perry wanted to Secede?

Well, Secede and take care of yourself! What was that? You need FEMA and the goverment to help because you don't hav ethe resources?

Hey Perry why don't you call the Teabaggers to come help you?

[P. Galore]

25. Oh, they want federal money, do they? That's rich! nt

[Angry Dragon]

26. I thought that Texas could do everything better than the feds??

Has goodhair failed??

[bongbong]

28. Secession?

I thought the "tough" teabaggers down in Texas could take care of themselves with none of that evil Marxist Muslim Socialism that Kenyan Obama is so fond of.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Earth_First]

35. As much as I want to say "let the fucker burn"

It's not in my nature...

[DeSwiss]

36. So now he likes unions?

- Asshole.

K&R

[Snoutport]

37. Just say no

[plumbob]

39. This is far west Texas. This is not where Perry's big $$$ guys live,

which is east of the I-35 corridor.

Won't see much out here in the way of state or federal spending.

This is the end of Texas that "got" the nuclear waste dump, soon to be for the whole country, even though no nuclear plants are anywhere here.

Here's a video of the ongoing disaster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6BRc3NhPAU

[WolverineDG]

41. Because lots of folks are putting a ton of pressure on him

sure, the fires in West Texas as getting all the MSM's attention, but there have been devastating fires in South Texas as well. No rain anywhere in over 2 months.

It's not "Republicans" & "teabaggers" who are losing their homes due to fires; it's "PEOPLE."

dg

[Sailing]

52. And it's only April

We are in the midst of a very strong La Nina event that keeps Texas dry. This summer is going to be especially bad. And probably not just for Texas, but all of the southwest. From the charts you can see that we only had a brief reprieve of rain last year from a short El Nino event.

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensostuff/ensoyears.shtml

[tammywammy]

59. +1

Exactly

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BrightKnight]

45. This dumb ass polarized bullshit is counterproductive. - n/t

[BrightKnight]

51. .

[Lint Head]

47. Isn't this the state that wanted to secede from the union again?

[Lint Head]

48. Burn Baby Burn!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_sY2rjxq6M

[BrightKnight]

57. Flame baiting Repug! - n/t

[BrightKnight]

56. You must be dumb as a rock if you think Texas residents want to give up their US Citizenship. - n/t

[maxrandb]

81. I get so tired of this shit

Of course we (The United States) are going to step-up to the plate and help the people of Texas...BUT, that doesn't absolve places like Texas, South Carolina, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Florida of the sin of electing these ass-bags to office.

Can you understand how tempting it is to say; "Eff you" to a governor who repeatedly says; "Eff you" to the rest of us?

Part of me...a very small part of me...wants to just tell the people who send "Ayn Randian Ass-pickles" like Rand Paul to Washington to "go eff themselves".

Maybe, just maybe, the only way to open people's eyes to the idiocy of the CONservative movement would be to show them just how wonderful it is to be on their own.

[newspeak]

90. I want no one to suffer

but how in the hell do Texans vote for almost all repug congress and a teabagging governor? What happened to those who voted for the awesome, true blue Texan, Ann Richards? What happened to Texas?

[maxrandb]

92. I'll tell you what happened

Reagan came along and made selfishness the "new patriotism".

[WatsonT]

101. Should Vermont receive federal aid?

They have an active secessionist movement.

What about California or the North west? Yep, them too.

[efhmc]

62. No, this is the state where its freaky governor want to secede.

It's kind of like saying that whatever baby bush said the US should do is what all Americans wanted. Do you understand the difference???

[plumbob]

70. And it also assumes that everything Scott Walker says and does is

cheered in Wisconsin.

DO you believe that?

And Walker was elected quite recently.

[kentauros]

74. The Texas-bashers do understand the difference.

The problem is that they plain don't care. Bashing Texas on DU is second only to bashing Republicans, and is a favorite pastime around here... :eyes:

I'll probably have to call my parents in Drippings Springs sometime today to find out if my brother and SIL had any damage to their home in Oak Hill. That's in Austin, for the bashers here.

[efhmc]

75. Am in that area now.Haven't heard that any houses were

burned. Hearing sirens now. (at Bee Cave and 360)

[kentauros]

77. According to the story on the Statesman, eight houses were destroyed

and ten more damaged. My brother's house is on that lane. I haven't heard anything from my family, so I'm assuming they didn't have any major damage. (I don't live in Austin, so I vaguely know about where you're at ;))

[Doctor_J]

104. Since Rick the Rebel won a landslide twice, I am sorry but he represents TX

And when a big-government hating, president-hating secessionist comes crying to the admin for help, he should expect to get ridiculed and insulted. Sorry.

[Greybnk48]

49. This immediately pissed me off. I see I'm not alone.

But there are a lot of good people in Texas at the mercy of assholes like Perry, and I don't want them to suffer. But seriously, what an asshole!

[MasonJar]

50. I thought Perry wanted to secede. He has nerve asking the federal government

for anything. I don't mean Texans, I mean Perry.

[Name removed]

53. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bob Loblaw]

54. My apologies to the good folks of Texas but...

Rick Perry must have been the inspiration for some bathroom poetry I observed years ago and thought I had forgotten:

"Here I sit my cheeks a-flexin',
Givin' birth to another Texan."

I hope that those who are suffering get the help they need.

[AsahinaKimi]

55. Typical Republican Irony...

They complain that the government is giving out handouts (socialism), yet when a disaster comes, they suddenly need money. I would say of course, give it to them, but while handing them the cash, give them a simple reminder of what they said about government handouts.

[Odin2005]

58. Oh the Hypocrisy. Drop Dead, Perry.

I hope you burn to death.

[cliffordu]

60. IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SECEDE.....

Fuck off, little bag boy.

[maddogesq]

78. ROTFLMFAO!

Outstanding comment. :rofl:

[efhmc]

61. This Texan who has a 7k ranch in central Texas say that the

federal government should tell rick and his gang to go to hell!

[EFerrari]

73. Maybe they can declare a disaster due to Republicans.n/t

[MelissaB]

80. +1

[Blacksheep214]

72. At least the Wisconsinites

are working to RECALL and REMOVE the asshole elected officials.

What is Texas doing to get rid of Perry? Oh yeah! They re-elected him!

PS: It really is climate change and if you don't think so, well that's another reason to deny Texas any aid. You can't debunk science and then expect bailouts when the consequences get severe.

No sympathy for arrogant pricks!

[MelissaB]

79. Jesus Christ! Some of us are liberals who live here.

We've had wildfires all around us. Last Friday both kids and my husband watched it snow ashes while they were at school.

Perry is a prick, but some of us are working to change things in Texas.

PS
I've been here less than a year.

[WolverineDG]

82. Welcome to the world of being Texan on DU

where it's always open season on Texas & Texans.

dg

[MelissaB]

83. Well, I'm orginally from Alabama and it's open season on the South, too.

I guess I had a 3 year reprieve because we moved here from Michigan.

:hi:

[WolverineDG]

85. Yeah, I stick up for DUers in the South too

:hi:

dg

[w8liftinglady]

84. it's a strange concept. Texas USED TO have a strong Democratic party

and we will again.
I am a transplanted Connecticutt yankee living in Red Texas. My kids are ALL Texans. I am real active in Democratic politics here. We Will win!...welcome to the group of the mighty Texas Dems.!

[WolverineDG]

86. and no thanks to the National Party or those in blue states when that happens nt

[LanternWaste]

93. I vote democratic. I can't speak for the rest of Texans as we're all individuals.

"What is Texas doing to get rid of Perry...?"

I vote democratic. I can't speak for the rest of Texans as we're all individuals.

Have you posed your query to all 24,782,302 residents of the state, or is yours simply a rhetorical and dramatic question designed with no real answer in mind...?

[RedCloud]

91. You hate merica. Reckon not, you socialist swine! God made those wildfires for a reason.

[ehrnst]

94. Heard that FEMA has already helped, and Perry wants to declare nearly ALL counties

in TX as disaster areas, even though they have not been affected by the fire.

That would be prudent on the part of FEMA to refuse, and then Perry can say that FEMA ignored his state.

[No Elephants]

95. Would someone please take federal government off Perty's back?

Apparently, it keeps making him ask for federal funds, even as he threatens secession.

[defendandprotect]

102. Did he mention GLOBAL WARMING in that anywhere? This is it, folks ....

We're going to go nowhwere on any other issue until public wakes up on this

issue -- this is the one which holds the key to the rest of it --

i.e., capitalism is suicidal --

insanely suicidal in its attack on nature and animal life -- natural resources --


This will not only include floods/droughts -- forest fires --

but the actual changing of weather systems/patterns -- wind patterns.

More Cyclones, hurricanes, torandos, storms -- of increasing strength --

INCLUDING more earthquakes and more severe earthquakes --

In turn, earthwakes generate more volcanic activity.

[Doctor_J]

103. Sorry Rick. We'd like to help, but know you don't want to take that

first step on the slippery slope to Marxism. So grab your fucking bootstraps and pull - you'll be out of danger in no time.

[JVS]

105. "beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments"

Those capabilities have been impaired by decades of conservatives refusing to pay for functional government.