Biden-Harris Bureaucrats Hindering Effective Helene Response
Poor, agenda-driven choices made by FEMA, the Commerce Department and the FCC may be contributing to the death toll from Helene, and needlessly delaying recovery operations.
We have been following the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which swooped through the Southeastern US via a “conveyor belt” weather pattern, causing catastrophic flooding in inland areas unused to hurricanes.
The death toll is climbing, and crews are struggling to get assistance into areas isolated by floods and debris.
Crews are continuing their work to clear debris, restore power and get supplies into North Carolina communities that remain isolated due to the destruction caused after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida last week, leaving more than 125 people dead in several states across the Southeast.
The Category 4 hurricane made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday night, with winds of 140 mph and a devastating storm surge. As the storm traveled across the U.S., Helene left behind widespread destruction from the Sunshine State through Georgia into the Carolinas and Tennessee Valley.
Granted, a disaster on this scale offers an array of complex challenges that would test any well-organized government. But this is the Biden-Harris administration, which has brought its toxic progressive and conservative-hating agenda to every government agency, creating complications for the region when it needs the most support.
My colleague Stacey Matthews has already covered the absence of effective leadership by the occupant of the Oval Office and his vice president. I now want to turn to the other players who are contributing to the continued response chaos.
Let’s start with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Theoretically, the group’s mission is to help people before, during, and after disasters.
FEMA, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, isn’t just about swooping in with relief after a tornado or a hurricane. Under Biden-Harris, bureaucrats have been empowered to take on the role of societal equalizers by making “equity” their number one goal.
Goal 1 – Instill Equity as a Foundation of Emergency Management:
Disasters impact people and communities differently. Every disaster occurs within a unique context based on a community’s geographic, demographic, political, historical, and cultural characteristics.
These unique contexts require tailored solutions that are designed to meet their unique needs.
Underserved communities, as well as specific identity groups, often suffer disproportionately from disasters. As a result, disasters worsen inequities already present in society.
First up on FEMA's emergency management national preparedness agenda:
Equity
"These communities face systemic barriers and are disproportionately affected by climate change."https://t.co/Qogy0XQrNr pic.twitter.com/clKcaQ2EiN
— Sunny (@sunnyright) September 30, 2024
In case you’re wondering why the response to Hurricane Helene has been a disaster… Fema’s goal 1 is to instill equity as a foundation of emergency management. This is real pic.twitter.com/bPFTmfkndE
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 30, 2024
Floods and high winds do not target people based on skin color, gender, or sexual preferences. Response choices and recovery fund availability should not be “equity”-based decisions. If equity choices have been made by the agency during this response, I hope there are legal challenges to prevent such choices from being made again.
Now let’s turn to the Biden Commerce Department, which opted not to consider SpaceX Starlink communications for rural internet support in June of this year. The Democrat-led Federal Communication Commission axed a Trump-era program designed to get Starlink to those communities.
Mr. Musk’s SpaceX is excluded from the BEAD federal subsidies because the money is reserved for companies deploying fiber-optic cable, which the government views as a more proven technology than satellite connections.
During the Trump administration, SpaceX was on track to receive $885.5 million from a different federal program to provide internet to rural locations. The Democratic-led Federal Communications Commission canceled the SpaceX award in August 2022.
Clearly, the decision was a poisonous combination of Trump-hate, Musk-hate, and a lack of foresight.
It turns out Starlink has been an exceedingly easy and reliable communications service in the storm-impacted areas. Starlink kits were deployed like life rafts on the digital ocean, restoring connections to the outside world when traditional communications were knocked out.
The devastation seen today was unreal in Western North Carolina Thanks to @Starlink for providing these Black Mountain residents with the first contact they’ve had with their families in days thanks @elonmusk for a great thing pic.twitter.com/07EujpjpGZ
— Greg Biffle (@gbiffle) September 30, 2024
FEMA is now proudly touting the 30 kits it sent.
Biden’s FEMA just bent a knee to Elon Musk and is installing 30 Starlink received to help those affected by Hurricane Helene.
North Carolina would’ve had 19,522 Starlink kits installed now if the FCC hadn’t withdrawn the grant they had promised SpaceX.pic.twitter.com/KLJU5XGzE8
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) September 30, 2024
However, if the FCC had not killed the Trump-era program, it may already have close to 20,000 Starlink kits in rural areas.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said yesterday Starlink satellites have been sent into North Carolina to help with the lack of communication. We’ve already seen citizens set up Starlink satellites privately for citizens to use, well ahead of any federal government response.
Some have argued North Carolina would have nearly 20,000 Starlink kits, if it wasn’t for the FCC denying and revoking SpaceX as the winning bidder to supply rural areas with internet.
FYI – North Carolina would have 19,522 working @Starlink kits available today after Hurricane Helene had the FCC not revoked in bad faith the grant that was awarded to SpaceX as the winning bidder. pic.twitter.com/oXqTuyFBAc
— ALEX (@ajtourville) September 30, 2024
Sadly, it appears the Department of the Interior and the Department of Transportation aren’t the only ones in the Biden-Harris administration filled with incompetence and irrationality. Unfortunately, the poor, agenda-driven choices made by FEMA, the Commerce Department, and the FCC may be contributing to the death toll from Helene and needlessly delaying recovery operations.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
lefty proving to their stock that ,,except when it comes to illegals,
they are their biggest supporters and the anti white theme counties
remember this woke whites remember this
correction:
continues
This is just one of the predictable effects you can see when racism is enshrined as a positive virtue in a bureaucracy.
Who needs food and water? The first requirement of the flood-ravaged areas in NC and Tennessee is an adequate supply of pronouns for the trans community, and FEMA has trucklods of them on the way right now.
Can we give cases of water while people wait in line for the correct pronoun?
Maybe a pack of saltine crackers? Or are crackers racist?
Asking for a friend.
Saltines are white. So racist.
Ritz are light brown on the outside, white inside. So racist.
Graham crackers are brown all the way through. Not racist.
What about Keebler Fudge Stripes? Twinkies? Ho Ho’s? Chocolate Chip cookie packs from Sams Club? You’re killing me that all my favs are racist!
I’m in middle of this. You aren’t funny.
how soon until the
red cross
is forced to change their name/logo??!
The Alfred Cross is severely woke
So you don’t need miles of cables for star link which are eye sores and get knocked out easily in storms
These somewhat tall poles do the trick?
I’ve always hoped for this
Either underground cables for nearly everything, or power from the sky
Alfred.. geez, some phone
Red Cross is woke
The NSA duly notes your phones autocorrect dysfunction.
The color will remain the same. It will just be replaced with a hammer and sickle.
I believe it’s already the Red Crescent in Muslim countries.
Looking at Wikipedia (for what that’s worth), it seems there’s a Red Star of David in Israel (called Red Crystal outside of Israel).
They know this is bad for Biden and by extension, Harris.
That’s why Kemp tried to throw them a lifeline to save them with his crap.
And here I saw Kemp and Trump shaking hands
Worm
Interesting that the side which believes in scientific government turns around and hamstrings the government with ridiculous mandates such as CRT/DEI.
“If equity choices have been made by the agency during this response, I hope there are legal challenges to prevent such choices from being made again.”
Yes, yes, it’s better than nothing, but unless there criminal consequences put in place to punish those who engage in this wicked ‘equity’ crap during life threatening disasters nothing will change.
Emergency workers are now telling people to get out of the western part of the state if they are able to- do not just wait for food and water.
I am in NC (though in the foothills).
What if they find out that minorities are under-represented in the death toll?
To them, all the better. Whites need not apply.
Turn over some rocks at the TVA.
They have been politicized. I’m wondering if they have been neglecting infrastructure in favor of green energy and pronouns.
Local TN response has been top shelf from local and state resources.
“Blackie, you’re doin’ a heckuva job!”
Ukraine flags all around Florida are raised to get Aid from Congress after Hurricane Helene.
https://x.com/pablonjelly/status/1840756065652355212
As usual, Dan greenfield has a great article re: this
The Federal bureaucracy is gonna have to be trimmed of woke weirdos who emphasize buzzwords instead of core missions. I suspect that’s gonna require a very large set of shears. The whining out of these agencies when it comes is gonna be spectacular.
In addition to the reasons listed above, you cannot ignore the basic fact that to those in power in this country the inhabitants of the areas worst hit are the enemy and do not deserve either rescue or succor. Indeed, to those in power there is the hope that any recovery can be delayed in hopes that conditions will make the totals for Trump less. They have their priorities.
Subotai Bahadur
The Biden admin decided fiber optic cables would be the best way to provide high speed internet to rural areas… because they think everyone in a rural area lives right on a highway or state road. Screw internet, how about providing electricity? My REC wanted 2K just to do a fiber drop in town and my home in the county isn’t eligible because the REC only provides power for the opposite side of the road, excluding the 20 houses on my side which have to depend on off grid electric. So when starlink became available, I installed it at my house and my office.
“…disasters [often] worsen [racial],inequities already present in society…” and this is what Harris’ FEMA is out to undo.
Thus when disasters do not worsen racial “inequities,” or when they actually lessen these inequities, there is nothing to fix. Everything is good, maybe even better than it was!
Why would anyone call in FEMA when Job 1, reducing racial disparities, has already been advanced by the natural disaster?
Undo that??? No way.
I am not a conspiracy nut but, given the motives and moves of this administration, I can’t hep but wonder if the slow response is deliberate, as in, “Wow, those people will be too busy trying to survive and won’t have time to vote next month……………..”
FEMA, Commerce and FCC??? I’ll raise with Defense, State and Treasury… And Raise you with Home Land Security and Border Patrol.
Let’s be real: Because Mayorkas is about to be tried in the Senate, you really don’t expect Team Biden/Harris/Obama to help ANYONE in the two southern swing states trending Red, do you? One of Harris’ Democrat operatives was giddy as Helene struck in the Red Heartland of both of the Southeastern Swing States. You might not stop them from voting, but they can’t vote if they die before the election….