READ the FEMA denial letter to Gov. Quinn yourself here.
HARRISBURG—Sometimes, being self-sufficient and community-minded can be a drawback.
But of course, that depends on what you’re looking to accomplish.
The people of Harrisburg learned over the weekend that federal funds will not be available to help them recover from the Leap Day Tornado that befell a portion of their town a week and a half ago. The feds used the reasoning that many people in the affected area had adequate insurance, and that there were so many volunteers and so much assistance rendered so quickly, the people of Harrisburg didn’t need any more help in the form of federal government disaster funds.
A view of the destruction in Country Club Hills
That’s the official story.
But having been through a couple of other disasters in our nine years of existence (we’ve started our tenth TODAY), and working with behind-the-scenes people who filled us in on the intricacies of applying for and receiving both state and federal funds, there’s a little something we feel we need to fill you in on.
The feds have a “system” by which they gauge where they’re going to send their funds (yours, mine and our tax dollars). Much of it is accurately reflected by the published “reasons” given: If those affected are insured by private insurance (and it’s NOT a flood, which is a whole different ballgame), they’re not going to be eligible, by and large, for ANY relief funds; that’s what insurance is for, the public agencies argue.
However, the part they’re leaving out is that if those affected by the disaster are living in housing that’s subsidized by the government—Section 8 housing, which includes apartments, of course, but also includes single-family rental homes, the owners (landlords) of which applied for Section 8 coverage and performs their rentals through that program—those don’t necessarily get first choice when it comes to funds, either. Why? Because they’re already federally funded. And the feds, in their infinite wisdom, have a dismissive attitude about such things, as in, they shrug their shoulders and say “So? We have a big program; let those people go out and find more Section 8 housing. No sweat off our backs.”
We don’t know how many Section 8 dwellings were in the affected area…but the feds aren’t doing themselves any favors by failing to point out that this is another facet of their decision-making. Instead, they’re talking about “volunteers” and how there were “so many, those Harrisburg people don’t need our help.” Really? What about all the “volunteers” that went to Haiti after the earthquake, or Sumatra after the tsunami? There was a MASSIVE outpouring of “aid”…and yet, OUR TAX DOLLARS were sent to those places, whether we liked it or not.
We have mixed feelings about this.
We find that it’s awesome that people are so committed and self-sufficient that they are directing their own recovery…and that’s the way it should be. But we find it kind of unsettling that even with all the help that’s poured in, there is this much fuss about federal funds. Folks, federal funds are your tax dollars. There has been much complaining about how high taxes are. Our state can’t even pay their bills, yet they take our taxes daily. Why can’t the state pay their bills? Because THEY’RE beholden to federal tax programs, too, and the feds aren’t paying THEM. It’s perpetually a situation of a snake chasing its tail….a never-ending situation, with no resolution. This, therefore, is the biggest Catch-22 in the world: We want relief funds from the federal government to help Harrisburg/Saline recover….but we complain about having to pay the dollars that go to such programs that fund those recovery dollars. Do you see the quandary here?
It’s to Harrisburg’s credit that so many people pitched in and are helping with common humanity being the motivation, and little else. Do you think, therefore, that this should be the way the matter ends, and other resources besides the feds continue to help Harrisburg pick up the pieces and move on? Or do you think an ongoing effort should be made to gain those federal funds—even if it means the federal government overextending the program even further than it already is—to make sure those funds are available to the Leap Day Tornado area? Below (and on the front page) is a new poll…let us know….we want to hear what you think.
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