TX/Perry socialists win- FEMA bails out private sector

[EVT1]

usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/02/19835739-obama-signs-disaster-declaration-months-after-explosion-devastates-west-texas?lite

That's right- the party that gave Christie shit for taking aid after a damn hurricane are just fine taking aid when a private company fucks up.
Someone want to explain to how this is FEMA's problem?  Why should we pay for any of this?

     Perry, who had written a letter to Obama protesting the earlier denial of a presidential disaster declaration, said in a statement on Friday that the federal aid will help the proud town of about 2,800 people piece itself back together.

     “The approval of the state’s appeal for a major disaster declaration is great and welcome news for the people of West,” Perry said in the statement. “This, along with the disaster relief funding provided by the Texas legislature, will help this community rebuild their infrastructure, school district and public works as quickly as possible

What happened to personal responsibility?  Oh right- corporations are not people when it comes to taking responsibility for their actions, committing crimes, etc.  Just let taxpayers cover it.

[djAdvocate]

evt- corporations are people too.  people with immortal lives and deep pockets.  in other words, people that are more important the people with a pulse.

[EVT1]

Immortal and immoral.  To me this is no different than bailing out the banks- the taxpayer has to pay for the damage caused by others- yet when they were raking in the cash all they did was complain about the taxes and regulation.

Thanks to one comment I read there is this:
www.local1259iaff.org/disaster.html

     The morning of 16 April 1947 dawned clear and crisp, cooled by a brisk north wind. Just before 8:00 A.M., longshoremen removed the hatch covers on Hold 4 of the French Liberty ship Grandcamp as they prepared to load the remainder of a consignment of ammonium nitrate fertilizer

     The Grandcamp's explosion triggered the worst industrial disaster, resulting in the largest number of casualties, in American history. Such was the intensity of the blasts and the ensuing confusion that no one was able to establish precisely the number of dead and injured. Ultimately, the Red Cross and the Texas Department of Public Safety counted 405 identified and 63 unidentified dead. Another 100 persons were classified as "believed missing" because no trace of their remains was ever found. Estimates of the injured are even less precise but appear to have been on the order of 3,500 persons. Although not all casualties were residents of Texas City, the total was equivalent to a staggering 25 percent of the towns estimated population of 16,000. Aggregate property loss amounted to almost $100 million, or more than $700 million in todays monetary value. Even so, this figure may be to low, because this estimate does not include 1.5 million barrels of petroleum products consumed in flames, valued at approximately $500 million in 1947 terms.

So- again we have ammonium nitrate going up in flames.  But of course in Texas- regulations are bad.  Regulations, for example on dangerous compounds and their storage, regulations on liability insurance, etc.  So again- why is it the taxpayers problem when a company is clearly at fault?  A tornado is one thing, this is not FEMA's problem. 

[EVT1]

I will modify that- I will support FEMA stepping in to help out the victims as soon as all of the corporate decision makers and lawmakers that allowed this to happen have their homes blown apart and are sued into bankruptcy with all proceed going to FEMA. 

[djAdvocate]

Aug 3, 2013 2:49:55 GMT -5 EVT1 said:

I will modify that- I will support FEMA stepping in to help out the victims as soon as all of the corporate decision makers and lawmakers that allowed this to happen have their homes blown apart and are sued into bankruptcy with all proceed going to FEMA. 

..............or to offset their costs.

[workpublic]

no way fema should be involved, unless they are going to reimbursed by the company and or it's owners.

[swamp]

Aug 3, 2013 2:49:55 GMT -5 EVT1 said:

I will modify that- I will support FEMA stepping in to help out the victims as soon as all of the corporate decision makers and lawmakers that allowed this to happen have their homes blown apart and are sued into bankruptcy with all proceed going to FEMA. 

Apparently the corporation is solely held by one guy and he only had $1,000,000 of insurance coverage.  I'll see if I can find a link. 

articles.latimes.com/2013/may/05/nation/la-na-nn-texas-fertilizer-plant-insurance-20130504

[EVT1]

Yep- TX and their position on evil regulations- and now the rest of the country has to pay for their problems- how about they spend some of that rainy day fund and leave the rest of the country out of it.

rt.com/usa/west-texas-fertilizer-insurance-888/

     Randy C. Roberts is an attorney representing a number of plaintiffs suing the fertilizer plant for losses caused by last month’s explosion, and he told the AP, "It's rare for Texas to require insurance for any kind of hazardous activity.”

     “We have very little oversight of hazardous activities and even less regulation,” he said of the Lone Star State.

     "The bottom line is, this lack of insurance coverage is just consistent with the overall lack of responsibility we've seen from the fertilizer plant, starting from the fact that from day one they have yet to acknowledge responsibility," Roberts told AP.

     Speaking to the Dallas Morning News, Roberts said having only one million in coverage was “a pathetic amount for this type of dangerous activity,” and compared the facility’s plan with the insurance coverage that is mandated in other industries.

     “If you want to drive a truck down the interstate, you’ve got to have $750,000 in coverage, even if you’re just carrying eggs,” Roberts said. “But if you want to put this ammonium nitrate into this town next to that school and that nursing home and those houses, you’re not required to carry insurance

[swamp]

But regulations are bad!!! 

[djAdvocate]

Aug 3, 2013 18:36:14 GMT -5 EVT1 said:

Yep- TX and their position on evil regulations- and now the rest of the country has to pay for their problems- how about they spend some of that rainy day fund and leave the rest of the country out of it.

rt.com/usa/west-texas-fertilizer-insurance-888/

     Randy C. Roberts is an attorney representing a number of plaintiffs suing the fertilizer plant for losses caused by last month’s explosion, and he told the AP, "It's rare for Texas to require insurance for any kind of hazardous activity.”

     “We have very little oversight of hazardous activities and even less regulation,” he said of the Lone Star State.

     "The bottom line is, this lack of insurance coverage is just consistent with the overall lack of responsibility we've seen from the fertilizer plant, starting from the fact that from day one they have yet to acknowledge responsibility," Roberts told AP.

     Speaking to the Dallas Morning News, Roberts said having only one million in coverage was “a pathetic amount for this type of dangerous activity,” and compared the facility’s plan with the insurance coverage that is mandated in other industries.

     “If you want to drive a truck down the interstate, you’ve got to have $750,000 in coverage, even if you’re just carrying eggs,” Roberts said. “But if you want to put this ammonium nitrate into this town next to that school and that nursing home and those houses, you’re not required to carry insurance

this is a perfect example of how the goals of capitalism and the public are often completely at odds. 

safety, shmafety.
insurance, shimsurance.

[EVT1]

Exactly- I'd love for someone to explain to me how the free market takes care of these problems other than throwing it on the public.

And even worse- throwing on the other states:

www.texastribune.org/2013/05/23/budget-deal-leaves-8-billion-in-rainy-day-fund/

     After debating the issue for months, lawmakers moved forward with a budget deal Wednesday evening that includes tapping the Rainy Day Fund for $3.9 billion. That should leave the fund with about $8 billion under current projections.

     That’s about $1 billion more than what Gov. Rick Perry has said the fund needs

And that sorry sack of shit has the gall to beg for federal aid.  Pay for your own damn problems you hypocritical douche bag.