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August 19, 2009
E-mail a friendYOUNG VOICES
Recovery Still Needed
Texas Governor Rick Perry
It's been about two months since the devastation of Hurricane Ike hit the Gulf Coast region. Thousands of homes were lost, businesses collapsed, and millions of people were without power for over a week. No one wants to relive that experience again, yet countless individuals are still struggling. Some families are still working to rebuild their lives, while others are simply looking for shelter.
Just because a story doesn't appear in a newspaper headline or make the television evening news doesn't necessarily mean the issue is solved. Torn fences and debris still remain near homes and businesses in certain areas of Texas .
Some Houston and Galveston area businesses have yet to make a full economic recovery. In fact, one of the cities hit hardest by the hurricane is still struggling to get back on its feet in the wake of even more bad news. Galveston's University of Texas Medical Branch announced that they would be laying off several thousand employees due to tough economic conditions left by Ike.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been hard at work trying to restore Texas to its original condition, but has been very frustrated over the lack of federal funding his state has received in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.
What's most upsetting to Gov. Perry is that the state is not receiving the same amount of federal assistance to restore their state as Louisiana did after Hurricane Katrina.
The federal government's view is that the state of Louisiana suffered a budget deficit and therefore needed a lot more money than Texas. Texas however has a budget surplus, and the feds feel that Texas should pay for its own recovery. Gov. Perry was not in agreement with this logic and doesn't want his state penalized for being fiscally responsible.
Is it a fair assessment for states with a financial surplus to foot the bill for disaster-related expenses? Or, should the federal government continue to do its job in making sure that federal dollars are available for every state when a disaster strikes?
I'd like to hear your thoughts.