In support of President Trump

Dear Editor,

In this week’s headlines, President Trump denies California’s Governor Brown a Declaration of Major Disaster Status – yet qualifying it for funding status defaulting to FEMA Emergency Relief until such time an assessment as a Major Disaster develops at the Oroville Dam Breach. To hear the opposition of the Nancy Pelosi Democratic crowd, one would think it was an act of treason with Congresswoman Waters asking for impeachment.

Critics of President Trump should recall the days after the West, Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion on April 17, 2013, with the immediate loss of 15 lives and which severely damaged or destroyed infrastructure of water, sewer, gas, streets, buildings and schools, President Obama declared a Major Disaster Declaration statement to Governor Rick Perry that local governments will be eligible to receive federal funding for a town that vowed to do “whatever they have to do to rebuild”. 

Two months later, FEMA taking liberty or perhaps directive, reversed the presidential Major Disaster Declaration and informed Governor Perry it would not provide any Emergency Relief of support initially given, stating in a letter to Texas Governor Rick Perry, “The impact from this event is not of the severity and magnitude that warrants a Major Disaster,” and contrary to the earlier assessment left it to the people, and the local and state government to do the major heavy lift to keep the Town of West viable. Governor Perry was forced into taking a legal appeal process to have President Obama re-instate the original assessment declaring West, Texas a Major Disaster area entitled to the aid it provides.   

While Texas was put on hold for over four months, Governor Brown is immediately challenging President Trump on his call of not categorizing the crisis as a Major Disaster, but giving it deferred status until assessment of damages and harm at the Oroville Dam site can be made.  

Granted Governor Brown is looking at a severe crisis of a Dam breach, but currently it remains a situation without the ability to assess property damages or any loss of life. FEMA is on site giving required and necessary Emergency Assistance. Approval for a Major Disaster required by law to stay at the Federal level comes from President Trump. California is currently and hopefully remains at FEMA Emergency Status, giving Governor Brown the opportunity to reverse the 15 years of neglected maintenance and make recommended corrections within his State budget to fix it. 

And on more to the point, seven years ago, California approved a project dedicating $9.5 billion in state tax dollars with a commitment by President Obama of Federal tax dollars to construct a high speed “Bullet Train” system. The cost to complete is now low-balled at $68 billion, up from an original $33 billion. As of December 2016, Californians are on the hook for $15 billion of spent funds, up and above the original $9.5 billion and were recently denied a Federal Loan as well as a Performance Continuance Extension by our new administration. To date they have received Federal Funding of $3.5 billion due to a delayed construction start. 

In seven years they have yet to lay down one mile of a 700-track system. It appears that the neglect of California Upstate Oroville in a rural Republican Butte County suffers the same fate as Upstate New York Hoosick Falls in Republican dominated Rennselaer County.

Sincerely,

Florence Alpert

Candor, N.Y.