Reap What You Sow

FEMA denies funds to rebuilding West, Texas:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will not provide money to help rebuild the town where a fertilizer plant explosion destroyed and damaged homes and schools and killed 15 people.
In a letter to Gov. Rick Perry, FEMA said it reviewed the state’s appeal to help West. But the agency decided the impact from the explosion “is not of the severity and magnitude that warrants a major disaster declaration.” FEMA has, however, provided emergency funds to individual residents.
West Mayor Tommy Muska said Thursday he's disappointed with FEMA's decision.
"I just feel like they have kind of cast us to the side," he said.
Muska said the city's insurance will cover the two water tanks that were damaged in the blast. Still, he said the city faces about $17 million in damages to streets and pipes.
West school superintendent Marty Crawford says that the school district was insured for $59 million, but rebuilding damaged schools will cost $86-96 million.
In the two months after the blast, Muska said other area disasters, like the tornadoes in Granbury and Moore, Okla., have taken priority, pushing West into the shadow.
“We’re pretty much third page news," he said.
President Obama, during a visit to attend the memorial service for first responders after the blast, promised that the nation will help West rebuild.
Perry’s office on Thursday also expressed dismay with the FEMA determination, but indicated the state will continue to supply information to the federal agency in hopes of reconsideration. The state can appeal the denial within 30 days of the letter, dated Monday.
FEMA director Craig Fugate said in his letter that FEMA believed the remaining reconstruction work was within the capability of state and local government.
"This explosion has impacted everyone in West in some way, and we are very disappointed that the Administration is denying the people of West this important assistance," said Lucy Nashed, a spokeswoman for Perry.

It's a shame that because of carelessness and happenstance, a lot of innocent victims have to turn to their private insurance to rebuild their community, and that the funds available might not meet the tremendous cost, but this is NOT a natural disaster.   And it is truly ironic that Rick "maybe Texas ought to secede from the United States" Perry is whining that the federal government isn't helping them out.  I think folks from Hurricane Sandy, and even more so, Hurricane Katrina might have heard folks from Texas saying almost the exact same thing Craig Fugate said.