State officials from the Gulf Coast to Nashville have solicited federal assistance to help their states and citizens recover from recent man-made and natural disasters.
The federal government has responded with federal disaster area declarations, and manpower and equipment.
The declarations will be a tremendous aid in helping state and local governments repair the billions of dollars in damage caused by last weekend's storms and flooding. The declarations will make financial and housing assistance available to families whose homes have been severely damaged or destroyed by the storms or flooding.
In Memphis, and Shelby and Tipton counties, the declaration will help families from Frayser to Millington to Atoka start to rebuild their lives.
In the Gulf of Mexico, the Coast Guard and federal agencies are working with states and British Petroleum to prevent a major environmental and economic disaster from the 200,000 gallons of oil a day spewing from a sunken oil rig.
That's something to chew on for those pushing a strict state sovereignty agenda. They'll say, of course, there is a big difference between the feds forcing programs, such as health care and education reform, down states' throats, and helping states cope financially with disasters.
But is there really that much of a difference? In both instances, the federal government is looking out for the best interests of its citizens. The flooding caused millions of dollars in damage in Memphis and Shelby County, and even worse damage in Nashville and its surrounding counties.
Gov. Phil Bredesen said he will ask the legislature to dip into state reserve funds to help cities and counties pay for repairs that federal disaster relief does not cover. With austere budget projections, could Memphis, Shelby County and Tennessee muster the financial resources needed to tackle the damage without federal assistance?
