Time for red state MAGAts to earn their rewards.

[WrestlingRasta]

2 hours ago, Saylors_Tiny_Willie said:

"YOU'RE DOING A HECKUVA JOB, BROWNIE!"

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fema-staff-confused-after-head-said-he-was-unaware-us-hurricane-season-sources-2025-06-02/

 

We're living in an Onion Article.

I’d take issue with the article placing the increase in death and destruction on climate change. Or at least solely on climate change.  It’s not like some of the most recent storms top the list of strongest storms in history.  A big part of the issue is we are building more and more and more on the coastlines.  The city I live in has been hit hard the last few years. But it’s a city that they literally had to haul in dirt and build hundreds of miles of canals to make it livable. More and more preserves and mangrove areas are being torn down to build living space. Putting a lot more homes and a lot more people in the path.  
 

I’m not bi***ing, I’m one of them.  I wasn’t born here, I moved here.  My house got almost completely destroyed in Ian, but I rebuilt and stayed put. Irma 8 years ago hammered us. Milton last year made landfall 30 miles north, did a lot of damage again. Still stayed put.  (For one more year). More houses are going up in my neighborhood.  It’s just the unarguable reality of things around here. 

[ionel]

41 minutes ago, Saylors_Tiny_Willie said:

The head of FEMA is straight out of The Last of Us.

 

separated at birth?

[scourge165]

11 hours ago, Paul158 said:

 

We are talking about Helene and the government's lack or slow or response to it. Stay focused. 2 billion dollars for 2 Hurricanes is nothing when there is 113 billion in damage. Especially when a government agency is in charge of distributing it. You had 20 million families directly impacted across 7 states. I doubt if 70 percent of that money made it to those impacted by the hurricanes. What good is a fire department if it takes 4 to 8 weeks to get to you house when its on fire. You keep talking about filling out paperwork. That is hilarious. You have no home, no food, no clothing, no belongings of any kind. Hopefully you still have you family. You have no job now, nowhere to stay. The roads are gone. The bridges are gone. Just please fill out your paperwork. Please explain that Biden approved 100 percent of congressional funds for lost property. Thanks.

I stayed focused and I responded. 

You ducked the question. 

 

And yes, I keep talking about filling out the paperwork. Should they just take people's word for it? I thought we were worried about giving money to "Unlawfuls," and fraud. But now you should get more than the 750, the maximum allowed by congress and Biden should just hand that out...because, right?

Meanwhile, you doubt how much of that money made it to those impacted, but... they should have had to fill out the paperwork. 

 

President Joe Biden approved a 100% federal cost share for emergency response and debris removal efforts in several states affected by Hurricane Helene, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This means the federal government covered all eligible costs for these activities during the initial recovery period.

In North Carolina, the 100% federal cost share was authorized for the first 180 days following the disaster declaration. After this period, the federal cost share for Public Assistance was adjusted to 90%, reducing the state's financial burden compared to the standard 75% federal share.

Overall, the Biden administration's decision to increase the federal cost share significantly alleviated the financial strain on the affected states during the critical early stages of recovery from Hurricane Helene.

 

[scourge165]

11 hours ago, Paul158 said:

 

We are talking about Helene and the government's lack or slow or response to it. Stay focused. 2 billion dollars for 2 Hurricanes is nothing when there is 113 billion in damage. Especially when a government agency is in charge of distributing it. You had 20 million families directly impacted across 7 states. I doubt if 70 percent of that money made it to those impacted by the hurricanes. What good is a fire department if it takes 4 to 8 weeks to get to you house when its on fire. You keep talking about filling out paperwork. That is hilarious. You have no home, no food, no clothing, no belongings of any kind. Hopefully you still have you family. You have no job now, nowhere to stay. The roads are gone. The bridges are gone. Just please fill out your paperwork. Please explain that Biden approved 100 percent of congressional funds for lost property. Thanks.

 

I'm plenty focused and I addressed most of these issues. You apparently need to hear this multiple times. 

1-Yes, filing out paper work. Or...do you suppose you should just... tell Fema how much money you're entitled to with no other forms of documentation? How would YOU propose that money be handed out?

2-You want to talk about how slow and ineffective Fema is, but you don't want to talk about how Republicans voted against additional funding and NOW they've slashed the budget even more while cutting 1800 employees?

Please, spare me the whining about how slow it was. You're getting what you voted for. 

 

Finally, AGAIN, you realize the Federal Government isn't responsible for 100% of ALL costs, right? You have...what are called INSURANCE companies.

Biden did give out 100% of funds he was legally allowed to give out and as I said, States asked for troops, he sent troops. Biden offered additional help to Florida, they turned it down. 

 

But the "there's so much fraud and waste," crowd thinks you should just...I don't know, exactly HOW do you think the money should be allocated? Should I drive down to North Carolina and just...walk up with nothing and say I need 500K? Thoughts?

Quote

 

President Joe Biden approved a 100% federal cost share for emergency response and debris removal efforts in several states affected by Hurricane Helene, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This means the federal government covered all eligible costs for these activities during the initial recovery period. WLWT+6The White House+6KCRA+6FEMA+8NC Newsline+8WBIR+8

In North Carolina, the 100% federal cost share was authorized for the first 180 days following the disaster declaration. After this period, the federal cost share for Public Assistance was adjusted to 90%, reducing the state's financial burden compared to the standard 75% federal share. FEMA+1RTTNews+1WBIR+3NC Governor+3FEMA+3

Overall, the Biden administration's decision to increase the federal cost share significantly alleviated the financial strain on the affected states during the critical early stages of recovery from Hurricane Helene.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and AGAIN, not 2B, 2.7B. And that's..."nothing." 2.7 Billion dollars is..."nothing." 

Ok...cool. 

Edited June 3 by scourge165

[scourge165]

3 hours ago, ionel said:

separated at birth?

Looks more like separated by death... what's with the Grey Face?

 

[scourge165]

13 hours ago, Paul158 said:

 

1. False Claims of Aid Being Withheld from Republican Areas

Former President Donald Trump and other Republicans alleged that the Biden administration deliberately withheld disaster aid from Republican-leaning regions affected by Hurricane Helene. These claims were unfounded and contradicted by FEMA's documented assistance efforts. Such misinformation eroded trust in federal relief programs and complicated coordination with local officials.

---

2. Mischaracterization of the $750 Assistance Payment

Some conservative commentators misrepresented FEMA's $750 "Serious Needs Assistance" as either the total amount of aid available or as a loan requiring repayment. In reality, this payment was an initial, one-time grant intended to cover immediate essential needs. Eligible survivors could apply for additional assistance through FEMA's Individuals and Households Program.

---

3. Conspiracy Theories About Government Intentions

Conspiracy theories circulated online, suggesting that the federal government used Hurricane Helene as a pretext to seize land in areas like Chimney Rock, North Carolina, for purposes such as lithium mining. These claims were baseless and debunked by local authorities and emergency management officials. Nevertheless, they gained traction on social media, hindering recovery efforts. Wikipedia+3Wikipedia+3Congressman Chuck Edwards+3

---

4. AI-Generated Misinformation

AI-generated images falsely depicting disaster scenes were shared widely on social media to criticize FEMA's response. One such image showed a young girl in floodwaters, purportedly illustrating federal neglect. Despite being fabricated, these images were used to support misleading narratives about the federal response. Wikipedia

---

5. Political Undermining of FEMA

The Trump administration's approach included appointing FEMA leadership with limited disaster management experience and reducing the agency's role in favor of state-led responses. This shift led to internal confusion, staff resignations, and concerns about FEMA's preparedness for future disasters. The Times of India+2The Daily Beast+2AP News+2WSJ+1The Daily Beast+1

---

These instances of misinformation and political interference not only misrepresented FEMA's actions but also impeded effective disaster response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene.

[Bigbrog]

9 hours ago, scourge165 said:

1. False Claims of Aid Being Withheld from Republican Areas

Former President Donald Trump and other Republicans alleged that the Biden administration deliberately withheld disaster aid from Republican-leaning regions affected by Hurricane Helene. These claims were unfounded and contradicted by FEMA's documented assistance efforts. Such misinformation eroded trust in federal relief programs and complicated coordination with local officials.

 

But there was this....

Allegations have surfaced regarding potential political bias in FEMA's distribution of aid, particularly in the aftermath of recent hurricanes. 

Specifically, reports indicated that a FEMA supervisor instructed employees to avoid canvassing houses displaying support for Donald Trump in Florida after Hurricane Milton. This led to accusations of political discrimination in aid delivery. 

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell acknowledged the incident and stated that the employee responsible was terminated. She also emphasized that the agency does not tolerate such behavior and that investigations into potential broader issues of political bias within FEMA are ongoing. 

While FEMA has stated that the incident appeared isolated, some concerns persist regarding a broader pattern of political discrimination. 

It is important to note that FEMA provides assistance to survivors regardless of political affiliation. The agency has a "rumor response" page to counter misinformation about disaster aid distribution, including claims of political bias. 

[WrestlingRasta]

A bad actor abused authority and acted like a s**thead, and the agency dealt with it accordingly by firing her a** and turning it over for a possible criminal investigation.    As goes with any situation involving a bad actor, one bad actor does not a broader policy make.  

[Bigbrog]

15 minutes ago, WrestlingRasta said:

A bad actor abused authority and acted like a s**thead, and the agency dealt with it accordingly by firing her a** and turning it over for a possible criminal investigation.    As goes with any situation involving a bad actor, one bad actor does not a broader policy make.  

Did I say what you are suggesting?  I merely pointed out that scrouges very first "point" he was trying to make was factually incorrect...hard stop.

[El Luchador]

On 6/2/2025 at 8:23 AM, scourge165 said:

It's almost amusing to just deny it's happening. I mean, at least the right wing talking points are defending it. This guy has NO clue it's happening and just blindly dismisses it because it's PBS and it gets Govt funding...

 

Who should tell him when a tornado warning in his area comes on that he should just ignore it because...that too has Govt' funding and if it has Govt' funding, it HAS to be wrong!

What would you like to bet that there will be zero unexpected hurricanes to hit the US? Where I'm at it's raining exactly as was anticipated. 

[WrestlingRasta]

1 hour ago, Bigbrog said:

Did I say what you are suggesting?  I merely pointed out that scrouges very first "point" he was trying to make was factually incorrect...hard stop.

Actually it is not factually incorrect.  And yes you are saying what I'm suggesting, by stating that aid being withheld from Republican areas being false rumors is factually incorrect.  When in reality, aid being withheld is what is factually incorrect.   If you would dig into stories instead of running with whatever gives you warm fuzzies, you would have learned that:

Yes the state of Florida did sue the FEMA administrator for withholding aid for political reasons based on this event.   The suit and investigation ran through the end of the Biden administration, and the beginning of the Trump administration.  The conclusion......just about five weeks ago.....was that there was absolutely no findings that FEMA as an agency did or had any intention of withholding any aid to these areas, the suit was settled without any fault or punitive damages, and dropped against FEMA the agency, while still pursuing the claims against the individual.  The acting head of FEMA at the suits conclusion, who was appointed by Trump, even stated that field officers are receiving extensive training that political affiliation has no bearing in rendering of assistance.  

So no, his first point is not at all factually incorrect.  One bad actor does not a broader policy make.

 

Hard stop. 

Edited June 3 by WrestlingRasta

[El Luchador]

https://youtu.be/wCkchBXiaOE?si=QzROClg_4xSEGmgz

[Saylors_Tiny_Willie]

5 hours ago, Bigbrog said:

But there was this....

Allegations have surfaced regarding potential political bias in FEMA's distribution of aid, particularly in the aftermath of recent hurricanes. 

Specifically, reports indicated that a FEMA supervisor instructed employees to avoid canvassing houses displaying support for Donald Trump in Florida after Hurricane Milton. This led to accusations of political discrimination in aid delivery. 

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell acknowledged the incident and stated that the employee responsible was terminated. She also emphasized that the agency does not tolerate such behavior and that investigations into potential broader issues of political bias within FEMA are ongoing. 

While FEMA has stated that the incident appeared isolated, some concerns persist regarding a broader pattern of political discrimination. 

It is important to note that FEMA provides assistance to survivors regardless of political affiliation. The agency has a "rumor response" page to counter misinformation about disaster aid distribution, including claims of political bias. 

Post your source.

[Saylors_Tiny_Willie]

3 hours ago, El Luchador said:

What would you like to bet that there will be zero unexpected hurricanes to hit the US? Where I'm at it's raining exactly as was anticipated. 

When you cut NWS that does hurricane prediction, you lose the ability to predict the path.

When you cut FEMA that does both hurricane preparation and cleanup, you lose the ability to mitigate the damage.

[Saylors_Tiny_Willie]

3 hours ago, El Luchador said:

https://youtu.be/wCkchBXiaOE?si=QzROClg_4xSEGmgz

Dude.

Youtube videos aren't evidence.
Just stop.

[El Luchador]

25 minutes ago, Saylors_Tiny_Willie said:

When you cut NWS that does hurricane prediction, you lose the ability to predict the path.

When you cut FEMA that does both hurricane preparation and cleanup, you lose the ability to mitigate 

We know this to be true from school funding.  Every time we increase funding we get a proportional return in performance.  Never fails. 

[Saylors_Tiny_Willie]

4 minutes ago, El Luchador said:

We know this to be true from school funding.  Every time we increase funding we get a proportional return in performance.  Never fails. 

One of these things is not like the others...

[El Luchador]

39 minutes ago, Saylors_Tiny_Willie said:

One of these things is not like the others...

Only a brain dead lib would miss this obvious point. Leadership and accountability are far more important than spending.  

[scourge165]

10 hours ago, El Luchador said:

What would you like to bet that there will be zero unexpected hurricanes to hit the US? Where I'm at it's raining exactly as was anticipated. 

Are you so stupid that you think we're talking JUST about hurricanes? 

You don't grasp the impact that additional WARNING for a hurricane or other types of storms may be adversely impacted?

 

But no, you're right. Complain about Fema's responses and the money they were allowed to give out LEGALLY for immediate needs, complain that they actually have to file for paper work to be reimbursed for additional losses ALL while you clap like mindless seals when people talk about WASTE and FRAUD(even objecting to having to identify oneself) do all of this right after you cut FEMA funding by 20 Billion at a time when the scope and scale of storms are getting worse each year, THEN blame Biden because you're too stupid to fact check Trump's stump speeches.

THEN applaud the 1800 Fema employees and cut another 3.5B dollars from the Underfunded agency and make a statement as stupid as, 'er....they I'll bet they're aren't any unexpected Hurricanes," you clown. 

 

AS we all know, Hurricanes... that's the ONLY thing FEMA is responsible for. 

 

This is the point where YOU don't believe your own argument, you just feel like you need to make one and that's how you come up with these type of arguments. Also how you get "Pol Pot," when looking for the biggest Domestic Terrorist threats. 

[scourge165]

13 hours ago, Bigbrog said:

But there was this....

Allegations have surfaced regarding potential political bias in FEMA's distribution of aid, particularly in the aftermath of recent hurricanes. 

Specifically, reports indicated that a FEMA supervisor instructed employees to avoid canvassing houses displaying support for Donald Trump in Florida after Hurricane Milton. This led to accusations of political discrimination in aid delivery. 

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell acknowledged the incident and stated that the employee responsible was terminated. She also emphasized that the agency does not tolerate such behavior and that investigations into potential broader issues of political bias within FEMA are ongoing. 

While FEMA has stated that the incident appeared isolated, some concerns persist regarding a broader pattern of political discrimination. 

It is important to note that FEMA provides assistance to survivors regardless of political affiliation. The agency has a "rumor response" page to counter misinformation about disaster aid distribution, including claims of political bias. 

And then there was a Republican oversight committee that determined that there was no institutional wrongdoing and the INDIVIDUALS(3 low level employees canvassing) were held responsible.

In fact...the house applauded FEMA in addressing it;

https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-applauds-fema-for-holding-bad-actors-accountable-for-political-discrimination-against-trump-supporters/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

 

So the claim that they were "withholding funds to give to illegals," was false. 

But it's always telling who just laps up Trump's stump speeches in lieu of the facts. And if you have a problem with this, take it up with the Republican Congress who came to these conclusions(or again, who denied 20B in additional funding just before the Hurricanes and who have since slashed the budged and personnel even more).

 

If the Hurricane victims got "nothing," with nothing being 2.7B, I'm curious what would be "something." 

 

[JimmySpeaks]

2 minutes ago, scourge165 said:

And then there was a Republican oversight committee that determined that there was no institutional wrongdoing and the INDIVIDUALS(3 low level employees canvassing) were held responsible.

In fact...the house applauded FEMA in addressing it;

https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-applauds-fema-for-holding-bad-actors-accountable-for-political-discrimination-against-trump-supporters/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

 

So the claim that they were "withholding funds to give to illegals," was false. 

But it's always telling who just laps up Trump's stump speeches in lieu of the facts. And if you have a problem with this, take it up with the Republican Congress who came to these conclusions(or again, who denied 20B in additional funding just before the Hurricanes and who have since slashed the budged and personnel even more).

 

If the Hurricane victims got "nothing," with nothing being 2.7B, I'm curious what would be "something." 

 

For someone who claimed they were only posting a lot on here because they had time on their hands in a waiting room you sure post a lot outside the waiting room too. 

[WrestlingRasta]

11 hours ago, El Luchador said:

What would you like to bet that there will be zero unexpected hurricanes to hit the US? Where I'm at it's raining exactly as was anticipated. 

This is such a stupid, uninformed comment I don’t even know where to begin. 

[El Luchador]

8 hours ago, WrestlingRasta said:

This is such a stupid, uninformed comment I don’t even know where to begin. 

How convenient for you.

[Saylors_Tiny_Willie]

4 minutes ago, El Luchador said:

How convenient for you.

How sad for you.

 

[El Luchador]

I actually know people who have contracted with FEMA. The thing they all say is what a corrupt system of waste it is. I stand by my point, funding in government has little to do with quality of output. Corrupt wasteful systems need less funding. 

Edited June 4 by El Luchador