(no subject)

[primroseburrows]

by Pat Garafalo

Last week, Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), blocked an extension of unemployment benefits, claiming that they objected to granting the extension without offsetting it with a spending cut elsewhere. Last month, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) and a handful of his Republican allies did the same thing, with Bunning telling Democrats who wanted to pass an extension by unanimous consent "tough sh*t."

But it wasn’t only unemployment benefits that expired: the same package that the Republicans blocked also included extenders for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). And the critical nature of NFIP was brought into the spotlight this week, as many northeastern states have been battered with record amounts of rainfall, which has led to widespread flooding.

Flooding in Rhode Island was the worst it’s been in 100 years, with some rivers "several feet above all-time records." Boston saw its wettest March since record keeping began in 1872, while "bridges and highways have washed out from Maine to Connecticut and sewage systems have been overwhelmed to the point that families were asked to stop flushing toilets." National Guard troops have been mobilized to aid residents in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

According to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, there are 5.5 million flood insurance policy holders in flood plains, and as of this week, homeowners were rendered unable to renew their policies. If any of those homeowners were victims of the current flooding, they will "face complications" filing claims. As Blain Rethmeier, spokesman for the American Insurance Association, put it, "it’s unfortunate that the NFIP has fallen victim to the political process":

Ultimately the people who will suffer the most are property owners who need new coverage or who need to renew their flood insurance policies. One can only hope that Mother Nature is kind until April 12. Otherwise, there’s not much people can do.

According to Roll Call, Republicans hope to blame the expiration on Democrats when they come back from the current recess, since House Democrats objected to the spending offsets that the Senate had agreed to. But Republicans have made it clear that they fully endorse obstructing these extension packages. After all, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) said this week that "we didn’t give [Bunning] as much help as we probably should have." "It took an act of courage like Sen. Bunning’s to perhaps jolt people," Kyl said.

Dear GOP,

Thanks for all your assistance. Don't let your matches get wet.

Sarcastically,

Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

P.S. You'll probably get letters from Massachusetts and Connecticut, too.


source

Comments

[inspiredlife.livejournal.com]

Oh, definitely getting letters from MA. :((

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I don't see how anyone will be able to explain this one away.

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

Dear GOP

Last election the final New England Republican lost his seat here in our great state. Your actions with regards to flood insurance will not help change that.

With all due respect,

Connecticut

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Dear GOP,

Unfortunately, Rachel Maddow is not running against Scott Brown in the November election. We kind of wish she was. Why didn't the Democrats ask her to run for Kennedy's seat in the first place, instead of Martha Coakley? Grr.

Disappointedly,

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

P.S. Rachel should run. She has a pickup truck, by her own admission. And it's probably way better than Sen. Brown's.

[inspiredlife.livejournal.com]

I think I wrote that exact same letter. I wish Rachel would run.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I think she loves her day job too much.

Also? I need a Rachel icon, and my PS is on my old computer's hard drive, which is likely in IDAHO.

[inspiredlife.livejournal.com]

I think you're right. And, I do love her day job as well so I reckon I can't complain too much.

Idaho? Erm, good luck with that?

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

It could also be in Tewksbury. Either way, it's not here. *sigh*

[newleaf31.livejournal.com]

You know that .gif icon that you see people use on LJ sometimes, of Kermit the Frog's classic joy-flail? I am doing that flail, except it is fed-up rage-flail. How is it that I continue to be surprised by the depths to which they GOP is willing to sink? HOW?

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

With the 24/7 news cycle the way it is, they can lie like rugs and people will believe them. It doesn't matter if it's actually true as long as it has political impact. Like, people actually believed the death panel claims, even though there was less than nothing to back them up.

People take Orly Taitz seriously, for goodness sake. ORLY TAITZ. If they believe her, how much more will they believe an elected official when he tells them the government's after their grannies?