Gov. Jerry Brown asks President Trump for Disaster Relief Funds
After state politicians insult the new President for three weeks, California now needs money for flood response.
Governor Jerry Brown recently spoke out against President Trump for his NASA-space focus and climate skepticism while asserting California’s independence.
The state’s legislatures have vowed to create a “Sanctuary State.” A day after Trump’s presidential victory, both state houses issued a joint letter that began, “Today, we woke up feeling like strangers in a foreign land, because yesterday Americans expressed their views on a pluralistic and democratic society that are clearly inconsistent with the values of the people of California.”
Less than three weeks after these displays of political hubris, Governor Brown is now asking the President for disaster relief in the wake of significant rainfall that has led to flooding and mudslides.
…The request could be an early test of relations between the Democrats who run the nation’s largest state and the new Republican administration.
If California’s request is rejected, however, it might be difficult to pin it on a frosty relationship between the governor and the president, said Larry Gerston, professor emeritus of political science at San Jose State. “It’s an easy claim to make, but a hard one to prove,” he said.
FEMA considers many factors for disaster relief, including the severity of damage and cost, Gerston said. “It’s a very discretionary call by the president,” he said.
Gerston added that Trump just might reveal his reasoning behind any decision. “This president is fairly transparent with his feelings,” he said.
The rainfall truly has been historic. A Northern California dam was forced to use its emergency spillway for first time in its nearly 50-year history, as water tops capacity.
The emergency spillway at California’s swollen Oroville Dam was activated Saturday, as water levels from heavy rains this week caused the reservoir to rise above its capacity during an unusually plentiful rain season.
Saturday marked the first time the emergency spillway has been used in the dam’s 48-year history. Normally the dam would use its concrete-lined spillway to discharge water, but that primary channel is severely damaged. However, utilizing the emergency spillway—essentially an unlined hillside—is likely to send mud and other debris into the water of rivers and channels downstream.
…The use of the emergency spillway follows a series of so-called atmospheric river storms that have dropped huge amounts of rain into Northern California—a region tracking to have its wettest year ever recorded.
Of course, the real reason for all the water is not being reported: All the liberal tears.
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utilizing the emergency spillway—essentially an unlined hillside—is likely to send mud and other debris into the water of rivers and channels downstream.
Hey, no crisis there—the EPA will impose a fine, and everything will be back to normal.
The emergency, or auxiliary, spillway is not something they choose to use, implying an option. The spillway is a 1700 foot long concrete lip just north of the “regular” spillway. When the level of the reservoir exceeds the height of the lip, the water goes over…. as it is doing now (1749hr, PST).
Many of us here in Moonbeam’s peoples paradise are captives and deal with it as best we can. When I fed my animals tonight I took stock of unused fence panels and wire and t-posts and came up with some numbers as to additional animals we could take in…. Mrs W advises that we have been polled for availability for this… so we wait. It may resolve short of disaster and we may be up all night…
All this to tell you that you should not use too broad a brush to paint those of us out here…
When I saw where the dam was- I was thinking that this is where the non-Californians reside. Just like a lot of Oregon and Washington look at Portland/Eugene and Seattle with constitutional contempt, the same is true in other states.
In Kentucky it is Jefferson (Louisville) and Fayette (Lexington) counties. Liberal cesspools of the tenth order.
I can only imagine the panic of those people sitting in their cars in a traffic jam trying to get out before the dam fails.
Maybe they should just keep driving out of the state of California to anywhere else.
We came close to this on a smaller scale with Milford in Kansas back in ’93. The Corps of Engineers held the water back for so long that when they finally started letting it out, they couldn’t open the ‘tubes’ far enough to make up for the rain. Thankfully, the uncontrolled spillway only ate back *most* of the way through the highway over the top (which is a lot like saying the fuse on the bomb only burned 3/4 of the way to the dynamite, I suppose.)
Supposedly, the reason the Corps held the water so long was fear of downstream flooding on the Mississippi. They came very close to destroying the two cities Milford and Tuttle were built to protect.
I am confused. Didn’t California’s Democratic legislative leadership just tell the world that California has the 6th largest economy in the world? That is is rich and powerful and doesn’t need the rest of the nation? That is can go its own way, thank you very much? That it doesn’t need to accept any federal directives? That it doesn’t need federal grant money, so if Trump wants to withhold it, they are fine with it? Yessir, they did.
President Trump: let California handle its own problems with its own money. Or, better yet, let all the adolescent tech billionaires open their wallets and take care of the problem. Just write the check, Mr. Zuckerberg. Screw California. And I live here.
They certainly did! Told the rest of us they didn’t need our dirty old money … so let them spend their own, at least until it is clear that they really need our help. Then, make them admit that in a national TV hookup!
Quick!…plant more grapes! All deadwood (Pelosi, Waters, Feinstein, Brown et.al.)into the breech!
Pres. Trump should ask Gov. Moonbeam how long he can tread water.
California wants to secede and become it’s own country. When you are your own country there is nobody else to bail you out when there is a problem. It seems this is a good test to see if they are ready to be their own country.
Unless they are willing to admit they need us and then we should extract a concession on sanctuary city and state measures before sending Federal relief.
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0 5 Rick | February 12, 2017 at 1:35 pm
Waters being from California is close enough for me to say:
I hate that I live in California.
I can’t see it happening, but it would be great if the federal government could refuse emergency funds to California or any California “sanctuary” [should be called “renegade”] city so long as the begging entity spends any of its tax dollars resisting federal immigration laws.
Why send foreign aid to a state that spends its money sabotaging American policy?
Baby Elephant, we’ve been bailing out other countries for the better part of a century, including places openly hostile to the US, like North Korea.
Actually, North Korea may be less hostile to the US than California.
then we should extract a concession on sanctuary city and state measures before sending Federal relief
I’m not enthusiastic about the idea that the country has to buy California’s compliance with Federal policy.
I’m more with Sam Spade on this, in the 1941 remake of Maltese Falcon—”When you’re slapped you’ll take it and like it!”
Love to see the deal maker in chief arrange a little quid for the quo.
Something like, “Well, Governor, if Sacramento totally and completely irrevocably renounces both the idea and practices of so-called “sanctuary” cities or state and adheres to the law of the land, then there’s loads of emergency aid. There’s so much emergency aid, you’re gonna be tired of all the emergency aid. Believe me.”
Winner.
That’s what I wanted to write, but the Professor insists I keep the tenor of my posts professional 😀
Tell him you’re a soprano and write what you want.
“I have a falsetto voice”
“That’s a funny, I gotta false setta teeth.”
Use the money you were paying Eric Holder.
Or the high speed rail…
Did the Feds cancel the nearly billion dollars for the slow train to no where?
On your knees, Moonbeam.
Well,
Seems to me it is, oh, a “Mexican Standoff” …..
Speaking of Mexicans, maybe they can get all that cheap illegal labor and they won’t need to ask for federal aid.
IMO this is not the place to take the stand.
I have mixed feelings about this. Not all Californians are idiots and they should not be penalized. However, since the state is made up of radical leftists, President Trump should tell them to ask Mexico. Let them pay for it!
However, since the state is made up of radical leftists
Correction, it’s COLONIZED by radical leftists. They’re doing their best to reduce the natives, particularly property owners, to penal servitude, while corrupting the educational system and diverting infrastructure maintenance funds to support The Revolution.
Time for a counter-revolution.
Aren’t they CA grown? I thought it was places like Portland and Seattle that have been (and continue to be) colonized by Leftists from CA.
Why didn’t you refurbish the dam as part of Obamas billion dollar infrastructure plan to create jobs for the american people. Gee, where did that money go, I can’t find one project. I think americans and governors really have no right to bash a sitting president. It’s just crash and rude and only serves to divide the american people, which never makes us better. The sad truth is that we all need each other, it is for that reason we are stronger and all part of a union. Having to eat your words is never fun, but spewing actual hate towards our president has no place in america. If you disagree in policy, that’s fine, but to say spiteful, hateful things is counter productive to the political process. Everyone needs to take a breath and grow up. Of course you’re getting the money as like it or not, you are a big part of the United States.
They really love to pick and choose the laws they want to live by !!
They should be ashamed to ask money of the fascist Trump regime.
Henry: the Godless left doesn’t do shame. They shout “shame, shame, shame” at conservatives because they know we believe there is Good and Evil, and feel remorse when we sin. Since they believe the end justifies the means, failure is the only thing to be ashamed of. Since when things go wrong it isn’t their fault, they might be chagrined, but not ashamed.
Think of their shouting “shame” as a way they weaponize our sensibilities against ourselves. Asking them to feel shame is as productive as asking pigs to fly or horses to whistle.
Notice their apologies? I’m sorry this upset you. I’m sorry I got caught. I didn’t mean to offend anyone. Not sorry for what they did, at all.
Perhaps I should have added the /sarc.
From an article Leslie wrote about California’s reaction to a possible loss of federal funding, a couple of weeks ago: “California could very well become an organized non-payer,” said Willie Brown, Jr, a former speaker of the state Assembly in an interview recorded Friday for KPIX 5’s Sunday morning news. “They could recommend non-compliance with the federal tax code.”
Maybe President Trump could recommend non-compliance with the federal disaster relief code.
President Trump!
(I hope there are some progs reading this.) 😀
Trump should declare California in rebellion and send the military to arrest the progressive fascists politicians.
President Trump to Gov. Moonbeam: Ask Maxine Waters.
waters is the problem. Waters, too.
The believers expected hot, dry weather. They needed to demonstrate their faith in the consensus of politicians, scientists, and models. Only when reality intruded (i.e. flooding) on their ivory gates, did they turn away from their sincerely held belief in catastrophic (i.e. progressive process) anthropogenic global warming, and ask for relief. California is a sanctuary for labor arbitrage, asset inflation, demographic redistricting, and scientific mysticism.
We are enjoying an enriched government here in California: of hispanics, by hispanics, and for hispanics.
Good, tell them to go work on the dam.
Looks like the Orobville Dam emergency spillway is collapsing and it might bring the dam down with it. For all that I may joke about not missing California if it fell into the Pacific, I’m praying for the safety and well-being of the people in the path of what could be a truly terrible disaster.
And I can’t spell, Oroville LOL
That’s OK. Is “Ebonics” still a thing?
First thing Trump should do. Visit the affected area with Brown.
Great idea. Destroy your enemy with kindness.
That would be a real “Brown Out.”
A perfect set-up: Picture Gov.Brown welcoming Pres. Trump to review the situation. Remember Chris Christie welcoming Obama to N.J. Shore after Hurricane Sandy. Christie never was able to walk-back that “Warm Body Hug” they shared.
Also along this same note when Rick Perry was Governor and Gregg Abbott was A.G; Obama walked back on any type of aid AFTER the fertilizer plant in Texas exploded taking out a 37 sq block of of homes, schools and businesses and killing 15 people saying it didn’t meet the criteria for any type of FEMA intervention.
Let California take their hat in hand and try doing the same. What goes around, comes around time.
Obama always denied the Republican states aid, he was such a bitter, vindictive person. Couldn’t stand anyone disagreeing with him.
Up until a few months ago, Brown and all the climate change experts and the MSM declared that California was in a permanent state of drought and that global warming was to blame.
A few months later, the “permanent” drought is over and the problem is flooding.
Once again, the climate experts are incredibly wrong. Hopefully, for once and for all, their government funding will be stopped due to incompetence and fraud.
I just read that the problems with the spillway have been known since 2013.
Gee…why didn’t they fix it when it was dry?
Simple Progressive Logic: When it’s dry it doesn’t matter that there are holes in your roof – when it’s raining … heck, everybody knows you can’t patch your roof when it’s raining!
Oldie but goody.
California State Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Eem9DzHELM
Actually, it was annoying lefty, environmental groups that pointed it out (I hate it when they get something right.) When the bureaucrats realized the amount of cash that would have to come out of THEIR budgets they amazingly found studies to support their position that the dam was sound. You know, kinda like those “studies” proving global warming. The politicization of science is a very bad thing.
The state is run by true believers who sincerely didn’t believe that such an event was possible. As someone here commented, they were expecting the drought to be permanent. Or at least last until carbon taxes reduced the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Maybe they would have used carbon tax revenues to repair the damn in anticipation of the moderating effect the tax would have on the climate.
I guess that speaks to the poor judgment on the part of the people that control major decisions and the state budget. Why would the governor elect to spend millions in entitlements and illegal aliens instead of inspecting his states infrastructures. How negligent is that???? I would never vote for him again, if I lived by the dam.The governor forgot about you people while he chose to keep paying for arrests of illegals, courts, jails,police, schools, fire dept,roads, more people more expense. What does he actually do for you citizens of california.?? Are you all last????
Send emergency aid for displaced people but zero funding for fixing California infrastructure. Let them jack up the taxes on their people to pay for it.
They have money for infrastructure- they just misspending it. Think the bullet train from nowhere to nowhere. The basic problem with govts here, and esp Dem havens like CA, is that their ruling elites see part of the purpose of govt to be the enrichment of friends, family, cronies, and constituents. This is also why Chicago, The City That Works, doesn’t any more. Everyone, who is anyone, gets a piece of the action, which means that there is little left for the potholes and the dams. We have been hearing for decades about the need for more dams in CA, and fixing the ones they had. But how can that compete with the allure of a bullet train, or giving illegals welfare and free college?
HahahahahaaaaHoooo Heee…
Stuff it Jerry.
No.
Not $1.00 in disaster telief for KKKahlifornia
HAHAHA. how’s that CalExit going?
“The toes you stepped on yesterday belong to the ass you have to kiss today.”
Maybe the best way for these people to ease their own suffering isnt help from FEMA but to get outta Failafornia!
As much as Commie brown deserves the comeuppance suggested by other commenters, I don’t think President Trump will be that petty if a need for assistance truly exists.
Yes, but while magnanimously granting federal aid, he could still get his digs in. The aid will be the knife, the comments it comes with its twisting. They need to be humbled, not for having the temerity to talk of “secession” (remember when Idahoans, Montanans and other did the same and the Left called them loonies?), but for being short-sighted and ill-prepared because of their starry-eyed belief in the religion of AGW.
Let’s take a look at how many times Obama withheld funds from a less-than-friendly state? I seem to recall it happened often, or at least was considered.
What a great opportunity for negotiation. Trump could point out the hypocrisy of requesting financial aid after having claimed independence. He can also declare his commitment to the citizens of CA in spite of their politicians.
Heh!
I just tried to see the video but was told that it is unavailable as the account has been terminated.
Deja Vu?
The emergency spillway at California’s swollen Oroville Dam was activated Saturday
‘Activated’, hell. It’s a passive structure, when the water rises past its level it just flows over.
The reporting on this shows the reverberating ignorance of media people about the infrastructure they take for granted and give no attention until something attracts their lordly attention. CNN has been saying the emergency overflow was ‘breached’ – their desperate search for dramatics can’t be overstated. Fire the lot of them and get a competent construction foreman on board to cover infrastructure.
If this is a request for money, Trump should insist it come from Brown’s immigration support and global warming funds, and no more speculative train spending. After that, federal materiel support, not just money. California truly is the drunken panhandler who needs physical help more than cash.
I don’t know if it’s been discussed, but the main users of that reservoir could open their faucets for a few days to help reduce the level. Water bills not levied, of course. Once a structure like this is compromised, it’s hard to justify letting it fill up again.
Our local reservoir developed a crack early on, so was not permitted to fill since. They need to plan for total failure of this 700 foot dam.
Tell Brown to use some of the funds he is using in support of illegal immigrants, then he won’t need federal tax money
Kaptain Kundalini made it official. The Trumpster is president. Oh, and about the money…no.
We all know that trump will give the money because he’s a real human being and not a slimy politician like osama and brown. Actually trump will be happy because he will be doing what he does best and that’s creating jobs. It’s only sad that the jobs will go to a rude state and a slimy governor, who should have been inspecting that dam yearly instead of insulating himself in his ecstasy of loving himself with all those illegals he needs for future votes. I guess you northerns were last. Oh well, you can be first with trump. If you hate him that much you can always make brown givee the money back.
Hoping Trump will audit the slow train to no where and shut it down. This will frree up funds to repair our dams and highways, infrustucture that Californians depend on.