Arkansas Blog: Trailers headed to Dumas

Gov. Mike Beebe issued the following statement earlier today:

Although this decision by FEMA to deny emergency funds to Desha County defies common sense, Arkansas will take care of its own people. It is unfortunate that assistance will now depend on additional state resources instead of federal disaster programs that Arkansas taxpayers helped fund.

We are deciding whether to appeal FEMA’s decision, but that will not slow our efforts to ensure that storm victims get the help they need. I thank Congressman Ross and Senators Pryor and Lincoln for their continued support and assistance the past two weeks.

My office and our federal delegation are now joining with state, local, private and other federal entities to work through the red tape, get trailers and put them on the road from Hope to Desha County as quickly as possible. Officials at FEMA have indicated that they will donate trailers but will not transport, set up or support those trailers.

True to his word, Beebe already has finalized the paperwork to get the FEMA trailers to Dumas.

Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample just called to say that 23 manufactured homes and seven travel trailers will be moved from Hope to Dumas starting tomorrow.

"We've got 10-12 trucks from Arkansas Trucking arranged through the Manufactured Housing Association," DeCample said. "We're getting the transportation at a reduced rate, but the costs will be paid by the state."

Beebe has authorized another $100,000 to pay for the transport and set-up of the trailers, although DeCample couldn't say exactly where the money is coming from.

All of the trailers should be in Dumas by Monday, depending on how many truckloads it takes. Local officials in Dumas will decide how the trailers are distributed.

DeCample said the state is also paying to get utilities hooked up so that the trailers can be fully-functioning homes as soon as possible.

"On another front, the governor authorized the early release of Medicaid reimbursement money to the hospital in Dumas," DeCample said. "It's over $300,000 ... it's money they would already be getting, but they're just getting it earlier because they have the need now."

Comments

ACTION! By golly there's government in ACTION! Thank you Governor Beebe for not quitting when you got the middle finger from Bush's FEMA. It's a sorry shame that politics come into play when tornado victims are sitting in the rain in front of a pile of rubble.

We should have known after Katrina to not expect anything from Bush's FEMA. Thank you for taking care of the victims in Dumas. This action will be remembered for a long time in the future.

I would be glad to throw the trailer hitch on the Ford and pull a trailer to Dumas. I'll get my C.W. McCall 8 track out of the attic and we can have us a CONVOY! Arkansas to George W. Bush: Drop Dead!

Posted by: Deathbyinches | March 9, 2007 05:13 PM

Once again I hang my head in shame....superpower my ass!

Posted by: bejeeus | March 9, 2007 05:20 PM

Let me give an A-men!

Kudos to the Gov and the State!

Time to tell the Feds to remove the rest of those mobile homes from Hope. Since they are so precious to the Republicans. Let Haley Barbour put them in a casino parking lot.
Or AR should raise the storage rent as high as Hiliburton would but use the additional funds raised to offset this current disaster.

Posted by: Eureka Springs, AR | March 9, 2007 05:24 PM

Arkansas bloggers need to transmit Beebe's solution to every national blog they log on. Republicans used to talk about Federalism - taking the power out of Washington and sending it back to the states. The Bush administration's incompetence has inadvertently promoted it by its bungling and cronyism.

I am quite concerned about the financial threshold that a disaster must meet to qualify for FEMA's involvement. It almost guarantees that low-income and rural areas are less likely to receive aid, unless they are in a "red" state. Have any of the state's congressional delegation realized this?

Posted by: Jim Lendall | March 9, 2007 06:57 PM

James Lee Witt, you are missed, and Kay Goss, you too.
FEMA did a great job under Clinton, but FEMA today is a joke, just like everything else under Bush.

Posted by: BlueRidge | March 9, 2007 11:02 PM

Did anybody check to see whether the financial threshold is based on any kind of sliding scale (inflation, local economy, etc)?

The thought actualy occurred to me that the "federal disaster area" disignation might have been denied because there were no deaths--not riveting TV/publicity, in other words.

That aside, I'd like to thank Jim Lendall for supporting a former electoral opponent's good decision. Very gentlemanly.

Posted by: widj | March 9, 2007 11:05 PM

I am so ticked off, I can hardly type. Arkansas provided food, shelter, clothing, employment, education, protection, National Guard, to help the victims of Katrina and Rita. SOME of the monies were returned to the State. Arkansas did the right thing. Now, when OUR citizens are in need, the FEDS turn a deaf ear. Kudos to Governor Beebe.
I have visited lower Mississippi and Alabama. There are still folks living in TENTS after Katrina. I am so ashamed. Aren't you?

Posted by: Curious | March 9, 2007 11:23 PM

If Huckabee was still Governor FEMA would be there! Message to Beebe; Put down the bottle of gin, give Ginger her med's, and get your ass down to Desha county.

Posted by: woppler | March 10, 2007 03:31 PM

I was wondering about that threshold too. If you live in a poverty stricken area, reaching that threshold would be almost impossible, but if you live in a mcmansion area it would be reached very quickly.

Looks like another way to screw everyone but the rich, to me.

Maybe what should be counted is the number of people harmed, or the number of homes and businesses destroyed instead. That would be more equitable.

Posted by: rablib | March 13, 2007 01:32 PM

Arkansas Blog

Trailers headed to Dumas

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