While I do think that FEMA is neccissary and that we need a nationalized safety blanket for those that get effected by natural disasters I'm not entirely in disagreement with a complete overhaul of FEMA. FEMA does suck ass and is way too bureaucratic. Anyone remember the shit show that was Hurricane Katrina recovery? And if you do you most likely don't remember Hurricane Rita that hit the western part of Louisiana just a few weeks later. A much less populated area of the state but hit just as hard with significant loss of homes, several communities being washed completely away and a rediculus amount of costal wetland losses due to salt water intrusion. Still, New Orleans was devestated, lives were lost, FEMA severely dropped the ball on too many fronts to count, and the city to this day has remnants of abandoned buildings and houses that have been empty nearly 20 years later... FEMA trailers, the reselling of FEMA trailers, hundreds of people that lost what money they got from FEMA due to sheisty contractors who just took their checks and never did a damn thing. All of this either directly or indirectly due to the organization being a shit show.
On top of this the majority of the homes that are rebuilt are in questionable areas and due to climate change will be in danger of repeating this cycle in the next 5 years. The FEMA maps can go fuck off, as some one who has worked in a field that delta with them on a daily bases, they often times do not take into consideration the realities of flooding possibilities under climate change and are heavily influenced by insurance companies and other political entities.
On the flip side, I know many people that would have been homeless with out those FEMA checks. The money injected into the economy of South Louisiana is a big part of why it's not considered an apocalyptic wasteland. It's not great in it's current state and is propped up on oil money and voodoo but I have no doubt I my mind that it would be a hellscape had the recovery been left solely to the good Ole boys in the state legislature. There is zero chance that the state would have had 5% of the money needed to recover to where they currently stand. The oil companies def would not have helped.
All in all I am two beers in and this article hit a sore spot that I have. I hate FEMA but don't think that in any way trump is going to help this situation. Even a broken clock is right twice a day...
Oh I fully agree, I said as much in my second paragraph of ranting where I tried to back off of my personal hatred for them and point out the positive that they do. I know there is no intention of an actual replacement, and that "leave it to the states" will cause economic crisis. Again, I don't agree with him I just also hold a belief that people shouldnt start defending FEMA as this benevolent government agency that only shits cotton candy for people that have lived through a natural disaster.