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Thursday, January 10th, 2019

Trump revives threats to withhold FEMA funds from California fire recovery

Author:     Kevin Liptak and Maeve Reston
Source:     CNN
Publication Date:     12:32 PM ET, Wed January 9, 2019
 Link: Trump revives threats to withhold FEMA funds from California fire recovery
Stephan:   Because Republican governance is so incompetent, malicious, and corrupt, with Trump leading the parade, I take this story about Trump, California, and FEMA as a wake-up call to local governments. You cannot depend on the federal government adequately helping you in a catastrophe if Republicans are in control.

California fires
Credit: snowbrains.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. —President Donald Trump revived his criticism of California on Wednesday, insisting again the state has mismanaged forest management programs and allowed wildfires to rage.

Trump’s threat to withhold Federal Emergency Management Agency funds from recent wildfire survivors drew a swift rebuke from California Sen. Kamala Harris, a potential Democratic challenger to Trump for the White House in 2020, as well as the state’s other top Democrats, newly elected Gov. Gavin Newsom and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents the Bay Area.
When Trump has made that argument in the past, firefighters across the nation chided him for misunderstanding the issue and fire experts in the state have deemed his claims false. State officials have also pointed out that more than half of the California’s forests are owned and managed by federal agencies.
Still, Trump has not backed off, and on Wednesday appeared to escalate his threats to withhold federal dollars if unspecified programs are not reformed.