Disaster Relief

I read with interest your article "Politics on back burner in aftermath of storm" (Oct. 31). It seems that politics are never on the back burner for The Sun, however. The current theme song in the media is Mitt Romney declining "to respond when reporters asked about past statements questioning the role of the federal government in disaster relief. " I agree that Mr. Romney should answer such questions. When asked he should say: "As president, I would never desert Americans who are in need of our government's help and support in a desperate situation.

A $60 billion emergency spending bill that would provide federal aid to states still recovering from Hurricane Sandy would guarantee additional money for Maryland and subtly change the way administration officials determine eligibility for disaster relief in the future. The controversial legislation - which the Senate is debating this week - would set aside $17 billion in federal grants to all states affected by the storm, including Maryland. It also would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to give "greater weight" to economic factors when deciding whether to provide certain types of disaster aid in the future.

Federal disaster relief funds were allocated Wednesday to Maryland by President Obama, according to a statement from the White House. The money will be put toward state and local efforts to clean up from the damage caused by the heavy rains from Tropical Storm Lee. The storm hit the state for four days in early September. Government agencies and some nonprofits in Anne Arundel, Cecil, Charles and Prince George's counties can use the money for emergency work and the repair and replacement of facilities damaged by the storm.

I thank The Sun for its coverage of the refusal by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and President Barack Obama to grant federal disaster relief to Maryland in the wake of Hurricane Sandy ("U.S. denies aid to Md. storm victims," Dec. 5). The need on the lower Eastern Shore is desperate, especially in the town of Crisfield where hundreds have been displaced due to mold or damage to heat or water systems. Many of those displaced lived in federally-subsidized housing and have little prospect of being able to rebuild without considerable help.

Maryland Interclub Seniors Golf Association contributed more than $18,000 to The Sun's Disaster Relief Fund for victims of last month's terrorist attacks. Association President Charles Fieldhouse said he solicited donations from the club's 4,677 members. The association has 48 clubs in Maryland, one each in Pennsylvania and Virginia, and six in Delaware, he said. Members must be age 55 or older. Fieldhouse asked for the donations between Sept. 14 and Monday. On Thursday, three clubs -- Piney Branch in Hampstead, Rolling Road and University of Maryland -- played at Piney Branch, where the donation total of $18,195 was announced.

A team of federal, state and local officials toured western Carroll County Friday to determine whether the county qualifies for federal disaster relief in the wake of last month's flooding.Five other Maryland counties were declared disaster areas by President Clinton Jan. 23 because of flooding, but Carroll officials did not request federal help at first.Minor flooding occurred around the county, and there was serious flood-related damage along the banks of the Monocacy River in Detour and Little Pipe Creek in Union Bridge Jan. 19.The county applied for federal aid last week, and the governor forwarded that request to federal officials.

WASHINGTON -- Saying that the people of Florida have been "victimized twice," first by a killer hurricane and then by a slow federal government, Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski is calling for an overhaul of federal disaster relief policy.Ms. Mikulski, chairwoman of the Senate spending subcommittee that oversees the beleaguered Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will ask for a study of the government's disaster policy that will serve as a blueprint for legislation next year."The human tragedy is truly intolerable, because the people of South Florida have been victimized twice," the Maryland Democrat said in a statement, noting that the hurricane could not have been controlled.

ONE OF THE sad realities of natural disasters is that there are always those who try to take advantage of people who want to make donations to help the victims. Hurricane Katrina may not be any different. Regulators and consumer advocates already are warning people who want to help those uprooted by the hurricane to be on the lookout for schemers and to give wisely. "Most Americans are very generous and want to do something. And so they are predisposed to say `yes' when someone calls," said Bob Ottenhoff, president and chief executive of GuideStar, which provides information about nonprofits.

FERNDALE'S Robert and Joan Childs are motivated by the need to help others through their Christian faith. They are members of a response unit of the Maryland/Delaware Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief Program.They belong to Linthicum Baptist Church, whose former pastor, the Rev. Elwood Ulmer, spoke to them this year about a program that certified volunteers to respond to natural or other disasters in relief efforts.The couple received training through a Red Cross course given in early June at Glen Burnie Baptist Church, so they would be available to respond to the challenge of helping people affected by disasters.

WASHINGTON -- In a harsh attack reminiscent of the budget fights of two years ago, President Clinton accused the Republican Congress yesterday of an "unconscionable" failure for taking a spring vacation without voting on billions of dollars of relief for flood-soaked states."

Trying to make sense of the Obama administration denying federal relief to Maryland for the flooding and other damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, and I'm coming up dry. No one besides maybe Grover Norquist would have beefed had Maryland picked up a few million bucks to help some homeowners in the Eastern Shore counties of Worcester, Somerset and Dorchester. There are, however, howls about the denial. The damage was limited here, but it was concentrated and significant, certainly enough to justify some help.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Monday that it is instituting a 90-day foreclosure moratorium on Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgages in Maryland areas hard hit by Hurricane Sandy. As part of President Obama's disaster declaration last week, the housing department is implementing foreclosure relief and other assistance for homeowners and low-income renters in 18 Maryland jurisdictions. “Families who may have been forced from their homes need to know that help is available to begin the rebuilding process,” HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said in a statement.

I read with interest your article "Politics on back burner in aftermath of storm" (Oct. 31). It seems that politics are never on the back burner for The Sun, however. The current theme song in the media is Mitt Romney declining "to respond when reporters asked about past statements questioning the role of the federal government in disaster relief. " I agree that Mr. Romney should answer such questions. When asked he should say: "As president, I would never desert Americans who are in need of our government's help and support in a desperate situation.

Gov.Martin O'Malleyhas requested federal disaster relief for 13 counties in the state that have experienced "widespread crop losses" this year due to drought and extreme heat. In a letter dated Tuesday, O'Malley asked Tom Vilsack, secretary of theU.S. Department of Agriculture, to issue a Secretarial Disaster Designation for the counties based on Maryland Farm Service Agency data showing they are experiencing crop losses of more than 30 percent this year. "I urge you to act quickly upon this request so that appropriate relief can be made available to eligible producers," O'Malley wrote in the letter.

Guzzone and Robey, co-chairs of the delegation, have sponsored another bill to change how the Columbia Association is defined under state law. Because the Columbia Association has been considered a homeowner's association, it has had to pay nominal lobbying fees for officials to go to Annapolis and request to be exempt whenever legislation to amend the Homeowner's Act is proposed. Another reason to redefine the Columbia Association, Guzzone said, "is as a strict homeowner's association, they don't qualify for certain kinds of federal funds, including disaster relief.

Federal disaster relief funds were allocated Wednesday to Maryland by President Obama, according to a statement from the White House. The money will be put toward state and local efforts to clean up from the damage caused by the heavy rains from Tropical Storm Lee. The storm hit the state for four days in early September. Government agencies and some nonprofits in Anne Arundel, Cecil, Charles and Prince George's counties can use the money for emergency work and the repair and replacement of facilities damaged by the storm.

WASHINGTON -- Defying President Clinton's veto threat, House Republicans passed a $16.4 billion spending-cut bill yesterday and warned that his failure to sign it will only delay the emergency relief he wants for California and Oklahoma City.Hours after passing a resolution to balance the budget by 2002, the GOP-controlled House voted 235-189 to give final approval to a bill that would take the first step toward finding the more than $1 trillion in savings needed to achieve the ambitious aim.The $16.4 billion would be cut from funds already appropriated ++ but not yet spent.

A $60 billion emergency spending bill that would provide federal aid to states still recovering from Hurricane Sandy would guarantee additional money for Maryland and subtly change the way administration officials determine eligibility for disaster relief in the future. The controversial legislation - which the Senate is debating this week - would set aside $17 billion in federal grants to all states affected by the storm, including Maryland. It also would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to give "greater weight" to economic factors when deciding whether to provide certain types of disaster aid in the future.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House estimated on Monday that Hurricane Irene will cost federal taxpayers $1.5 billion in disaster relief, further ballooning a government account that was already the focus of fresh partisan friction between President Barack Obama and Congress. The preliminary estimate, released by White House budget director Jacob Lew, is on top of $5.2 billion needed for other recent disasters, including tornadoes that leveled much of Joplin, Mo. Lew said the $1.5 billion should last through next year.

Whether it's a hurricane, a flood, a tornado or an earthquake, Americans count on the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be among the first responders. As the recent example of Hurricane Irene shows, only government can marshal the vast resources needed to quickly bring relief to victims of major disasters, then oversee cleanup and reconstruction efforts in the aftermath. That's why a looming partisan fight in Congress over whether to replenish FEMA's disaster relief account must not be allowed to cripple the agency's ability to carry out its life-saving mission.