As we have written extensively, the federalization of natural disaster response is a losing proposition, as many states that have few natural disasters subsidize the states that have frequent (but fairly routine) natural disasters such as tornadoes, floods, fires, and storms. Now we learn that it isn’t just disaster response and recovery costs we are subsidizing; now we are federalizing and subsidizing health care and pension costs of local government workers. As reported, Stafford County, Virginia, used its FEMA money, allocated for snow removal, to cover the costs of health care and pensions to a tune of $200,000.
When will the Congress rein in FEMA?