Letter to the Editor: The Storm, FEMA and the Government

Editor:

The government payment to hurricane survivors of $750 a one time direct payment may take up to ten days- individuals must sign up with FEMA online or in person. Where are the FEMA people? AWOL! Note: there is no WiFi or cell service available in many areas due to the storm. Although Elon Musk bid to put in his service, the bid was rejected. I understand he is now offering this service gratis for storm areas.

Also private helicopter operators are providing food, medicine, water and medical care transport. How many Helicopters does the states National Guard have? All it would take is for those troops to be activated; that has not happened yet. Get this --- the FAA has restricted drone flights and other rotary or fixed wing flights to these storm areas. What?

Civilians are doing the job that Government is supposed to do gratis. It is evident the people cannot count on government to give help when desperately needed. They have had all hurricane season to preposition needed supplies, but they have a shortage of funds now? Where was the money spent? On illegals?

Illegals: Some dispute the $2,200 payment I mention perilously. Look - debit card, free cell phone, free medical care, free food, free shelter, free education, free interpreters --- some get $600 a night hotel rooms --- commentators have reported some low income Veterans have been forced out of shelter so illegals can have it. School buildings evacuated for illegal shelter - this really frosts me. So, how much is the free stuff given to illegals with our tax money worth?

Real facts: Sharon and I are on Social Security and Medicare. S.S. deducts monthly $348.40 from our checks for health insurance - Wellmark insurance amount to $713.8, Medicare part D - $158.80 Total =$1227.00 PER MONTH, cell with smart phone, $134.07(varies) = total $1355.07. Illegals get this coverage for free? Now maybe many are younger then Sharon and myself, the cost may be lower (most of their visits is to the ER which is more costly) but really for free?

Our next President must clean house - management must go. They are incompetent or just out of their league. Biden/Harris have had three plus years to do this important job, but have not done so. So it means that with Harris as a new President, nothing changes. A vote for Trump is a vote for a man with courage and a spine!

Save our Republic - America first.

Regards and blessings

John Stiegelmeyer

Vinton

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GB October 6, 2024, 9:33 pm Well said John. Biden/ Harris are incompetent. It is shameful how our government has betrayed it's own citizens and spent billions of our tax dollars on illegal aliens.
Harris has done nothing as Vice President. Yet she wants a promotion for doing nothing. She is the poster child for not being qualified for any job and she wants to be President! What a sick joke!

SB October 7, 2024, 1:05 pm The truth shall set you free: https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/october-6-2024?r=1o4xjs&utm_medium=ios

RB October 7, 2024, 1:12 pm It almost just not responding to your misinformation filled posts. I think about Trump doing paper towel push shots to citizens in Puerto Rico. FEMA dollars are not going illegals. Trump’s response to the California fires was to rake under the millions of acres of teees. Covid was like the flu. Inject bleach as a cure. That’s who you want to be president?

The country and economy was in shutdown when Trump left office. Look where we are now. The economic envy of the world.

DL October 7, 2024, 2:20 pm This is now out of hand!!! You have nothing right about what FEMA is doing for the victims of Helene. FEMA has over 800 agents on the ground in Western N. Carolina. Let me ask you which option that you would prefer. Option 1- Have the victims go through all of the red tape situations before they get any monetary help from FEMA. Option 2- Get each victim $750 cash as immediately as possible, after the disaster. Then, when each area is given a way to get to the rest of civilization, they can speak with an agent to get them the full help from our government. If you care so much about this, get your behind onto YouTube, and let the hundreds of victims tell you, and show you, what's going on there. They are showing all of the roads that are washed out, leaving the only way to travel for those with ATV vehicles. I spoke with one woman, whose house was on the banks of a dry creek bed. The frame of her house is visually intact. But, everything has been cleared out of it, by the raging river that that creek bed became. The frame of the house is now set atop many boulders that were swept down the river. The house can't be saved, and the land that it was on, is now gone. Rebuilding would be like having to repurchase their own property. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of people in worse shape than her.

There are a lot of local, and not so local, helicopter pilots making rescues and food drops. Wouldn't you, if you had that ability? There's a story about a man that went to the fire department of one of the small towns, and asked if he could assist with the use of his helicopter. The Fire Chief had to tell him No. This was either day 2 or 3, after the disaster. There were no plans yet, as to how to get help to the isolated people. But, that Fire Chief had to turn down that man's offer to help. But, there was nothing to stop him from doing it independently. The Fire Chief couldn't let him "join in the effort", because that man would then be the responsibility of the local government. That story is going around, that FEMA wouldn't "let" that man help. That's bullc**p!

Your cult leader has initiated many rumors that are keeping many victims from seeking the help available to them. THIS HAS TO STOP! Stop believing that con man!!! Go on YouTube to hear, and see, what is actually going on! This is ridiculous that the mega cult is fighting against these victims, by spreading lies.

Most areas have gotten cell service now, through StarLink. Some have gotten electricity. It'll be many months before some areas get any access to water utilities.

Help to make this easier for all of these victims. Quit making it harder for them.

DC October 7, 2024, 9:27 pm If the absentee President and the former mistress of Willie Brown take as good of care of all these hurricane victims as the have all the illegals they brought in, all will be good. That money spent on the illegals didn't fall from the sky.

Dave Coots

GB October 8, 2024, 6:35 am DL and RS,
It is unrealistic to reason with people who believe Harris (who has done absolutely nothing for years except toss out word salads once in a while) is suddenly capable of fixing everything her and Biden screwed up!
Their woke policies, Domestic and Foreign policies are horrible!!!
They can't define what a woman is, they have drag queens in recruitment videos for the military services and they care more about illegal aliens than they do Americans!
It's not time for her to get a promotion, it's time to get her and Biden out of there.

It's time to take the trash out and to make America great again!!!

PK October 9, 2024, 9:13 pm EXCELLENT John!!! It's a shame that OUR AMERICAN CITIZENS aren't cared for like Biden's Bunches. What does that say to our upcoming generations?

WELCOME TO BIDEN'S BIGGEST BLUNDER, Kids!!!!!

DC October 10, 2024, 9:52 am I have great faith in the Biden administration under their CEO Obama doing a great job. Just look at how they took great care of the illegals. Flew them into our country, gave them free housing, and a monthly paycheck. A great campaigning scheme using taxpayers' money.

Dave Coots

Opinion : Letter to the Editor: The Storm, FEMA and the Government

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