If you didn’t know it, the state of Florida is not exactly on the political left’s nice list. Over the last few years, the Sunshine State has become more conservative, largely seen in its reaction to COVID-19 and its subsequent pandemic. Unlike most coastal and densely populated states, Florida remained unmasked, unmandated, and unclosed for the majority of the time, despite having the nation’s highest number of those over 65 and, therefore, the most “at-risk.”
As a result, more liberal states and leaders have been found in a near-constant state of criticism towards Florida, with their Republican Governor Ron DeSantis taking much of the heat.
But there is a line between disagreeing with someone and punishing them or those around them for doing what you believe is wrong.
And apparently, the latter is what Joe Biden and his administration have decided to do with Florida.
Most recently, Biden denied the state and no small number of its senior citizens Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aid after a natural disaster.
You might remember that a few tornadoes recently went through the state, touching down in Lee and Charlotte counties and causing an astounding amount of damage.
According to CNN, in Lee County, some 28 homes were completely destroyed, and another 62 were classified as “unlivable” due to the damage. When numbers of destroyed or severely damaged homes in the neighboring Charlotte County were added to this, Just the News noted that some 158 homes and their residents were left in shambles.
Of the homes affected, 84 percent belonged to seniors dependent on Social Security funds.
Additionally, the fierce storms knocked out whole power grids, leaving thousands without electricity or heat.
Naturally, the state moved to act quickly to assist in recovery.
The Florida Department of Emergency Management sent out disaster recovery teams to assess the damages and help residents begin to pick up the pieces of their lives. DeSantis issued an executive order that declared a state of emergency for both counties. A number of local and state-led agencies reached out to offer help in whatever way they could, such as Florida’s Individual Assistance program.
But as you can imagine, these kinds of situations require an all-hands-on-deck approach. And so, Governor DeSantis requested the help of FEMA.
And FEMA did come out. But just to assess the damages.
Apparently, what they saw didn’t warrant their attention or aid.
In response to DeSantis’ request for help, FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said that “the damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments, and voluntary agencies.”
Basically, seeing hundreds of people’s lives lying in shambles on the ground, most of whom live Social Security check to Social Security check, just isn’t enough of a tragedy…
As you can imagine, this decision did not go over all that well with too many people.
DeSantis immediately held a news conference, in which he called out FEMA and the Biden administration for failing to see to the needs of hurting people and begging them to reverse their decision.
According to him, this is nothing more than a political stunt all too familiar to Floridians since Biden took office a little over a year ago. But that is no excuse. “These things should be above politics when people have needs like this.”
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno seconded this, remarking that this was just another in a long list of “failures” from the Biden administration. This should be about “being a human being and doing what is right” rather than politics.
Naturally, the tornado victims themselves aren’t thrilled with the news, either.
Ed Murray noted that this was the “most frightening thing to ever happen to me.” And yet “some government agency” just told him that his loss is “not a tragedy.” That the destruction of 22 years of memories and having both his children and pets put in serious danger is not worth their time.
It’s unbelievable.
If Biden thinks this will give him and his party more votes at the polls this November or in 2024, he’s got another thing coming – especially since DeSantis is being looked at as 2024’s most eligible GOP candidate…
