By Miriam Raftery
November 23, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Just in time for Thanksgiving, President Donald Trump’s White House sent Congress a skimpy disaster relief funding request that includes not one penny for survivors of the worst wildfires in California history, those that ravaged the wine region and other areas recently. The measure provided only bare-bones funding for states that suffered hurricane damage.
A fact that may disturb all Californians fearful of future wildfires is that a letter sent to Trump asking for $7.4 billion in federal disaster aid for these fire victims was signed by California’s Governor, Democrat Congressional members and Senators. But of our state’s 14 Republicans, 13 refused to sign. Those who turned their backs on helping fire survivors include San Diego Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa.
KQED news spoke with an aide to Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) who circulated the letter to get help for his devastated constituents. The aide, TJ Adams-Falconer, told KQED that the letter was circulated to all Congressional Republicans from California, and that with the exception of Orange County’s Ed Royce, all refused to sign.
KQED quoted GOP political consultant Luis Alvarado, who claimed Republicans didn’t sign because the request included funding for “superfluous” items such as a desalinization plant. But according to KQED’s report, the request did not include any desalinization plant. What it did include was a plea for funds to help rebuild homes, schools, and businesses, remove hazardous waste and help farmers ravaged by the flames.
The fires killed 42 people, burned 8,900 of structures and charred 245,000 acres-- the equivalent in size of San Francisco, Sacramento and several other counties combined. The devastation far surpassed even the Cedar Fire and 2007 firestorms in San Diego County, which until recently were the worst in our state’s history.
Such a snub is unprecedented in American history, leaving victims of California’s worst natural disaster to fend for themselves.
No reason for the denial of funding by the President was given. But Mother Jones magazine suggests a political motive. The “red” states such as Florida and Texas that got hurricane relief funds voted for Trump. “Blue” California did not.
It’s a dangerous precedent to base disaster relief on partisan politics.
It’s also a betrayal of the many Republicans and others in California who did vote for Trump, even though the state’s electoral college votes went for his rival, Hillary Clinton.
Voters in San Diego’s largely conservative East County who voted for Hunter and Trump, as well as voters in Issa’s district, may wish to contact their representatives to ask that Congress amend the disaster relief package to include funding for those who lost property and lives in northern California. After all, the next firestorm could be in your community.
Here is their contact information:
50th District – Duncan Hunter (R)
e-mail: https://hunter.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Washington D.C. Phone: 202-225-5672 Fax: 202-225-0235
El Cajon: Phone: 619-448-5201 Fax: 619-449-2251
District office: 1611 Magnolia Ave., Suite 310 El Cajon, CA 92020
Website: https://hunter.house.gov/
49th District – Daryl Issa (R)
e-mail: http://issa.house.gov/contact/contact-me
Washington: Phone (202) 225-3906; fax (202) 225-3303
Vista: Phone (760) 599-5000; fax (760) 599-1178
District office: 1800 Thibodo Road, #310 Vista, CA 92083
Website: http://issa.house.gov/
President Donald Trump
Call the President
PHONE NUMBERS
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
TTY/TTD
Comments: 202-456-6213
Visitor's Office: 202-456-2121
Send email via this contact page: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
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