How's this for irony? Right after making the news show rounds complaining about government spending, attacking the stimulus bill, and saying that the solution is less government, not more, and that the federal government should simply offer tax cuts, because the private sector is better at allocating resources than the government, Mitch McConnell writes a letter requesting federal disaster relief for Kentucky.
Huh? What happened to the magical cure all of tax cuts? What happened to the efficiencies of the private sector? What happened to the grave concern about the deficit notwithstanding the impact of the current economic crisis?
Now, the big question is whether the mainstream media has the guts to call Mitch McConnell on his hypocrisy? Or, will the so-called "liberal" media give another Republican a free pass? Better yet, will any journalist have the guts to use McConnell's own words against him, and ask him if he is "embarrassed" to ask for federal money, rather than tax cuts?
http://www.kentucky.com/1004/story/675903.html/snip
Beshear said at a news conference in Lexington that he had spoken to White House officials early Wednesday about quickly approving a joint emergency declaration to allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to almost immediately bring money and extra workers to Kentucky so residents won’t have to wait long for help.
“We expect shortly that the request will be granted,” Beshear said.
He will fly to Western Kentucky Thursday morning to view the damage, making stops in Paducah, Henderson and Bowling Green.
The state also is running low on generators for nursing homes and water treatment plants, Beshear said.
According to the letter Beshear sent Obama, costs associated with the storm will exceed $5 million in damages, the minimum amount a state must spend to trigger federal assistance. The letter also states that at least seven wastewater treatment plants were on bypass mode — meaning not all sewage was going through every stage of treatment — because of flooding or power outages. More than 20 outstanding requests for generators had not yet been honored, the letter said.
With an emergency declaration, the state can tap into a store of generators used by U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and other federal agencies. FEMA also can help the state assess damages if the emergency declaration is granted.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Louisville, also sent President Obama a letter Wednesday urging Obama to grant the emergency declaration. Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s wintry mix resulted in the second-largest statewide power outage in history. The largest — with more than 600,000 people without power — came last year, when winds from Hurricane Ike tore down power lines in Louisville and other areas of the state.
But this week’s storm was more dangerous because of the ice and cold, Beshear said.
Patience urged
The storm came as Kentucky is wrestling with a $456 million shortfall. Beshear promised that the state’s dismal finances will have no effect on the state’s response.
“The most basic responsibility of government is to protect the lives and safety of its people,” Beshear said.
/snip
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