We mapped the impact of Hurricane Helene with data from the National Weather Service. The flooded congressional districts were overlaid with the Republicans who voted against President Biden's Infrastructure bill that strengthened dams, bridges and roads. And the Senators who recently did not vote to fund FEMA (including JD Vance, Rick Scott and Josh Hawley). That makes i easier to know who to hold them accountable.
Home flooded by a dam break? Remember Who Voted Against Investing In Infrastructure.
See what Project 2025 Plan To Cut FEMA and the National Weather Service (NOAA) means For You on this interactive map. Project 2025 may seem like a nebulous thing, but the pain it promises to inflict is very real.
DeSantis’ ordered over $15 million in taxpayer-funded advertising in opposition to Amendment 4 , Florida's Right to Abortion ballot measure. Lauren Brenzel, campaign director for Amendment 4 pointed out that the money could be better used to deal “with the potential catastrophic destruction that could come from Hurricanes..." - Jessica Valenti
I’d love to do a research series on how much taxpayer money goes to fascist aims in red states. It’s so much more than anyone realizes. And a lot of it goes to crony lawyers and orgs and consultants.
Andra, this is a great application of Project 2025 to a real disaster that has occurred. However, I understood it to be that FEMA would help with natural disasters, but not terrorism or things from Department of Human Services. Says, they want to change the cost share amount for small disasters, like 25-75 percent government-local area. And create a threshold under which states and localities are not eligible for assistance. So that means poorer places get less. They are encouraged to raise their own monies. They are complaining about flood insurance as being a taxpayer bailout. So, even with 25% help from the Feds, that would not be enough. Then there are the other factors that would compound the misery. Since they plan on removing a lot of immigrants, undocumented and documented, there will not be enough labor to help to fix the roads and bridges, and schools and hospitals if there is even the money. Let alone with the tariffs they are planning with various countries we cannot be sure that we will have access to all of the supplies we need in the supply chain. I have said that Project 2025 is a recipe for turning the USA into a third world country, perhaps permanently. One thing about Trump's massive plan to get rid of immigrants right away, is that whatever kind of humanitarian catastrophe and human rights violations will go along with that, there will also be billions lost from our economic base, and lots of people will lose jobs because of that, and then there will be an even lower tax base to draw from. What is done quickly by a next Trump or Project 2025 following administration can take decades to undo. In fact, what Reagan did was make so many changes to government, while lying to everyone that they were good, that generations have grown up not even knowing that the government can help you and prevent your hitting the level of misery that life in the USA is for some and will be for a lot more. A Christian Nationalist Theocracy, of Dickensian level misery.
This is a very simplified illustration. I tried to add more variables, but the newsletter went on too long. Many other things would factor into this imagined scenario, but the bottom line is a poor mountain community like this would have to pay a good chunk of this road repair. And it likely wouldn’t be the only road needing disaster repair in that county. In reality, the price tag would be much higher for county residents; there would be fewer workers who could do this work if it could be scheduled at all; and FEMA would be gutted to the point of uselessness, whatever they claim about funding new disasters.
Your concept of P2025 turning the US into a third world country is accurate. I hoped to use a very simple illustration to show people what one 8-mile stretch of road in a poor area could cost, using very conservative estimates.
Very effective illustration. What annoys me so much about the communities have to pay for their own disasters, which ignores the history behind why we have this centralized for economies of scale, but also, if they don't want to provide flood insurance then why not make some environmental criteria for rebuilding. I was thinking rules like you cannot rebuild in a flood plane, hurricane alley or fire zone. Also, if you use government money your home has to be carbon neutral, and the government will provide some simple plans to do this as well as funding. But, I guess if you think End of Days are near you do not care about people losing their homes and perhaps livelihood, because the suffering they do either is deserved, or is going to be rewarded, not sure what the CN theology is here. It is just mean to people who are not rich.
This is more about making it possible for the rich to get richer than it is about End of Days. If people cannot afford to insure their homes, maybe they'll abandon them and let billionaires gobble them up for nothing. If they can't rebuild, same. To me, this is more Middle Ages lords and serfs than Christian Nationalism, though the apocalyptic aspects appeal to Christian Nationalists. Every disaster is God judging us for our sins and ushering in the Second Coming.
Plus, they don't do anything but exacerbate climate issues with their drilling and extracting. These disasters will worsen faster. They will be more catastrophic and expensive.
That they will. I am in Germany and now every city is supposed to have a plan to accommodate these disasters. My city has this new plan called the Sponge plan, which I am not sure how it will be paid for or how long it will take to roll out, but it is about greening even more and getting rid of pavement or using porous pavement to absorb rain. For flooding from the rivers there are the dykes which they are now building wider and higher, but they are also trying to plan for heavy rains. Everyone I know has a wet vacuum just in case, so now, stage two of making our home more environmentally solid, we are going to make plans for handling rain water in better ways then our pipes and barrels, when we can afford it. There should be massive education on environmental realities and what we can do about them.
It always blows me away how proactive Europeans are about these things. How realistic and forward-thinking. I’m a better environmental steward and citizen when I’m in Europe, though I try hard in the US. We share one tiny car and bike and walk whenever we can. We recycle and pay to donate goods to places that guarantee recycling. We support a local farm and an organic wine shop.
Yes. Our car in the US mainly sits. My husband goes for a meeting outside the neighborhood once every two weeks and they car pool because there is no longer a university shuttle bus there. Otherwise everything is by train into the city center, or walking or biking. In Germany we have no car, but bikes and have the transportation pass that gets us everywhere in our city and in the country. Often go to Hamburg with friends and we all have passes, though I rarely get checked.
The people I buy from at the farmers market use paper to wrap food. At the grocery store I try to purchase things in packaging other than plastic when I can. I also have cloth bags I bring with. Our city picks up alternating garbage each week. Food waste and things that are not recyclable like paper with food all over it on one week, then on other weeks it is plastic/metal and paper waste including cardboard. We take our glass to the glass recycling place near where we live, recycle plastic drink bottles at the grocery store and get money back for returning them. In the US we have composting and it goes to a farm outside our city. We recycle, but it is single sort. It feels weird to have that. My daughter is pretty much trained to mostly thrift clothing. She buys and sells her clothing at thrift shops. Gen Z is being raised with this consciousness I think.
Great analysis, Andra. But here is another wrinkle. Remember Hurricane Sandy and the devastation it visited to New Jersey and NY? Southern States' Reps and Senators tried to claim that disaster funding to Democrat States was, by definition, fraud so should not be authorized. Those same Reps and Senators said "more, please" when disasters hit THEIR States. So, "Major" disasters will be those that hit States that voted for Trump 2.0; no disaster will reach that level in States that voted for Harris. The Past is Prologue.
Right. Blue states and areas will get nothing. Poor red areas like the one here will get nothing or next to nothing, because state level politicians will take the bulk to enrich themselves and their cronies’ holdings and interests.
Actually, Andra, the Red States won't get "nothing;" they'll get officially voted on by Congress "Thoughts & Prayers!" (Blue State heathens won't even get T&P since they're beyond redemption). Because the Christo-Fascists in Congress will figure that victims of natural disasters earned God's Wrath, the same as women bleeding out in hospital parking lots due to Abortion Bans. And one must not get in the way of a good smiting, right? Otherwise God might get mad at you for interfering.
I admit to still be struggling to see the universe the way these scary folks do. Am I in the ball park here?
It also becomes complicated in Texas, where I'd imagine the red government sending funds to oil interests in Houston and otherwise starving a blue city of assistance. As another example.
You are. I think red states will get federal funding depending on who’s in charge, how much they grovel and debase themselves, etc. But those funds won’t make it to communities like I describe in this piece. Their 66% loyalty to Republicans won’t matter, because they’ve already given Republicans the power. Their votes won’t be necessary, so the government they helped elect will thank them by abandoning them. I wish more of them could see that’s their end game, that this piece isn’t “rhetoric.”
This becomes more complicated in a state like Florida, where 45 loathes the governor for challenging him but also has business interests there (as do many of his billionaire backers.)
We mapped the impact of Hurricane Helene with data from the National Weather Service. The flooded congressional districts were overlaid with the Republicans who voted against President Biden's Infrastructure bill that strengthened dams, bridges and roads. And the Senators who recently did not vote to fund FEMA (including JD Vance, Rick Scott and Josh Hawley). That makes i easier to know who to hold them accountable.
Home flooded by a dam break? Remember Who Voted Against Investing In Infrastructure.
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/09/29/republicans-voted-against-strengthening-dams-now-at-risk-from-flooding/
See what Project 2025 Plan To Cut FEMA and the National Weather Service (NOAA) means For You on this interactive map. Project 2025 may seem like a nebulous thing, but the pain it promises to inflict is very real.
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/09/29/project-2025-to-cut-fema-and-noaa/
Thanks for sharing these great resources, Deepak!
Great links, Deepak! Thanks for pointing out ⬇️
“ MAGA extremism overrides disaster relief
DeSantis’ ordered over $15 million in taxpayer-funded advertising in opposition to Amendment 4 , Florida's Right to Abortion ballot measure. Lauren Brenzel, campaign director for Amendment 4 pointed out that the money could be better used to deal “with the potential catastrophic destruction that could come from Hurricanes..." - Jessica Valenti
I’d love to do a research series on how much taxpayer money goes to fascist aims in red states. It’s so much more than anyone realizes. And a lot of it goes to crony lawyers and orgs and consultants.
You would like Jason Garcia. He is an excellent investigative journalist who “gets in the weeds” about DeSantis. His most recent post was a deep dive into the $15 million Deepak referenced: https://jasongarcia.substack.com/p/ron-desantis-blurs-lines-burns-cash
As you, he doesn’t get nearly enough press !
Andra, this is a great application of Project 2025 to a real disaster that has occurred. However, I understood it to be that FEMA would help with natural disasters, but not terrorism or things from Department of Human Services. Says, they want to change the cost share amount for small disasters, like 25-75 percent government-local area. And create a threshold under which states and localities are not eligible for assistance. So that means poorer places get less. They are encouraged to raise their own monies. They are complaining about flood insurance as being a taxpayer bailout. So, even with 25% help from the Feds, that would not be enough. Then there are the other factors that would compound the misery. Since they plan on removing a lot of immigrants, undocumented and documented, there will not be enough labor to help to fix the roads and bridges, and schools and hospitals if there is even the money. Let alone with the tariffs they are planning with various countries we cannot be sure that we will have access to all of the supplies we need in the supply chain. I have said that Project 2025 is a recipe for turning the USA into a third world country, perhaps permanently. One thing about Trump's massive plan to get rid of immigrants right away, is that whatever kind of humanitarian catastrophe and human rights violations will go along with that, there will also be billions lost from our economic base, and lots of people will lose jobs because of that, and then there will be an even lower tax base to draw from. What is done quickly by a next Trump or Project 2025 following administration can take decades to undo. In fact, what Reagan did was make so many changes to government, while lying to everyone that they were good, that generations have grown up not even knowing that the government can help you and prevent your hitting the level of misery that life in the USA is for some and will be for a lot more. A Christian Nationalist Theocracy, of Dickensian level misery.
This is a very simplified illustration. I tried to add more variables, but the newsletter went on too long. Many other things would factor into this imagined scenario, but the bottom line is a poor mountain community like this would have to pay a good chunk of this road repair. And it likely wouldn’t be the only road needing disaster repair in that county. In reality, the price tag would be much higher for county residents; there would be fewer workers who could do this work if it could be scheduled at all; and FEMA would be gutted to the point of uselessness, whatever they claim about funding new disasters.
Your concept of P2025 turning the US into a third world country is accurate. I hoped to use a very simple illustration to show people what one 8-mile stretch of road in a poor area could cost, using very conservative estimates.
Very effective illustration. What annoys me so much about the communities have to pay for their own disasters, which ignores the history behind why we have this centralized for economies of scale, but also, if they don't want to provide flood insurance then why not make some environmental criteria for rebuilding. I was thinking rules like you cannot rebuild in a flood plane, hurricane alley or fire zone. Also, if you use government money your home has to be carbon neutral, and the government will provide some simple plans to do this as well as funding. But, I guess if you think End of Days are near you do not care about people losing their homes and perhaps livelihood, because the suffering they do either is deserved, or is going to be rewarded, not sure what the CN theology is here. It is just mean to people who are not rich.
This is more about making it possible for the rich to get richer than it is about End of Days. If people cannot afford to insure their homes, maybe they'll abandon them and let billionaires gobble them up for nothing. If they can't rebuild, same. To me, this is more Middle Ages lords and serfs than Christian Nationalism, though the apocalyptic aspects appeal to Christian Nationalists. Every disaster is God judging us for our sins and ushering in the Second Coming.
Plus, they don't do anything but exacerbate climate issues with their drilling and extracting. These disasters will worsen faster. They will be more catastrophic and expensive.
That they will. I am in Germany and now every city is supposed to have a plan to accommodate these disasters. My city has this new plan called the Sponge plan, which I am not sure how it will be paid for or how long it will take to roll out, but it is about greening even more and getting rid of pavement or using porous pavement to absorb rain. For flooding from the rivers there are the dykes which they are now building wider and higher, but they are also trying to plan for heavy rains. Everyone I know has a wet vacuum just in case, so now, stage two of making our home more environmentally solid, we are going to make plans for handling rain water in better ways then our pipes and barrels, when we can afford it. There should be massive education on environmental realities and what we can do about them.
It always blows me away how proactive Europeans are about these things. How realistic and forward-thinking. I’m a better environmental steward and citizen when I’m in Europe, though I try hard in the US. We share one tiny car and bike and walk whenever we can. We recycle and pay to donate goods to places that guarantee recycling. We support a local farm and an organic wine shop.
Yes. Our car in the US mainly sits. My husband goes for a meeting outside the neighborhood once every two weeks and they car pool because there is no longer a university shuttle bus there. Otherwise everything is by train into the city center, or walking or biking. In Germany we have no car, but bikes and have the transportation pass that gets us everywhere in our city and in the country. Often go to Hamburg with friends and we all have passes, though I rarely get checked.
The people I buy from at the farmers market use paper to wrap food. At the grocery store I try to purchase things in packaging other than plastic when I can. I also have cloth bags I bring with. Our city picks up alternating garbage each week. Food waste and things that are not recyclable like paper with food all over it on one week, then on other weeks it is plastic/metal and paper waste including cardboard. We take our glass to the glass recycling place near where we live, recycle plastic drink bottles at the grocery store and get money back for returning them. In the US we have composting and it goes to a farm outside our city. We recycle, but it is single sort. It feels weird to have that. My daughter is pretty much trained to mostly thrift clothing. She buys and sells her clothing at thrift shops. Gen Z is being raised with this consciousness I think.
Great analysis, Andra. But here is another wrinkle. Remember Hurricane Sandy and the devastation it visited to New Jersey and NY? Southern States' Reps and Senators tried to claim that disaster funding to Democrat States was, by definition, fraud so should not be authorized. Those same Reps and Senators said "more, please" when disasters hit THEIR States. So, "Major" disasters will be those that hit States that voted for Trump 2.0; no disaster will reach that level in States that voted for Harris. The Past is Prologue.
Right. Blue states and areas will get nothing. Poor red areas like the one here will get nothing or next to nothing, because state level politicians will take the bulk to enrich themselves and their cronies’ holdings and interests.
Actually, Andra, the Red States won't get "nothing;" they'll get officially voted on by Congress "Thoughts & Prayers!" (Blue State heathens won't even get T&P since they're beyond redemption). Because the Christo-Fascists in Congress will figure that victims of natural disasters earned God's Wrath, the same as women bleeding out in hospital parking lots due to Abortion Bans. And one must not get in the way of a good smiting, right? Otherwise God might get mad at you for interfering.
I admit to still be struggling to see the universe the way these scary folks do. Am I in the ball park here?
It also becomes complicated in Texas, where I'd imagine the red government sending funds to oil interests in Houston and otherwise starving a blue city of assistance. As another example.
oh, yes, Abbott and his cronies would definitely do that!
You are. I think red states will get federal funding depending on who’s in charge, how much they grovel and debase themselves, etc. But those funds won’t make it to communities like I describe in this piece. Their 66% loyalty to Republicans won’t matter, because they’ve already given Republicans the power. Their votes won’t be necessary, so the government they helped elect will thank them by abandoning them. I wish more of them could see that’s their end game, that this piece isn’t “rhetoric.”
This becomes more complicated in a state like Florida, where 45 loathes the governor for challenging him but also has business interests there (as do many of his billionaire backers.)
Thanks Andra for your work. Appreciate it 🤗
Thanks for being here. This matters where you and I live, too.
Love how yiu take real world examples and extrapolate them out to quantify everything for us.
Yes, millions will be fucked.
This one is very simplified. But even simple, so many MAGA Voters would be fucked.