Disasters and Politics Makes for Strange Bedfellows

It all feels unseemly to me, but then, that is politics. Disasters and politics are one in the same. You can’t have one without the other.

This New York Times article, “DeSantis, Once a ‘No’ on Storm Aid, Petitions a President He’s Bashed,” calls out the hypocrisy of it all.

The governor of Florida is now asking for 100 percent reimbursement for the first 60 days of disaster recovery from Hurricane Ian, which would normally be split 75 percent federal and 25 percent state. DeSantis railed against federal aid to New York when Superstorm Sandy caused massive damages up there. DeSantis is not the first elected official to decry the money being spent on other areas of the nation and then come crying for help when their own district is impacted by a storm. For the record, DeSantis was only one of two congressmen to vote against the New York state aid package when it came before Congress.

When the shoe is on the other foot, things look different, don’t they? A quote from a DeSantis spokesperson said something like, “Now is not the time for petty politics.” Hmm, once the presidential decision is made on aid and a few weeks have passed ... is that when it will be once again time for “petty politics?”