Rep. Kristi Noem says that the debt-paying trillion-dollar platinum coin idea, which was never going to happen, was embarrassing.
Want to know what's really embarrassing? A Congresswoman who votes for disaster relief for her own red-state voters but not for folks in blue states:
Congresswoman Noem voted against the Sandy relief aid after urging Congress to extend disaster relief for South Dakota during the floods of 2011 and the drought of 2012 [South Dakota Democratic Party, press release, 2013.01.15].
Perhaps Rep. Noem agreed with certain Facebook chatterers who suggested Hurricane Sandy was just cosmic punishment for New Yorkers' and New Jerseyans' voting for Democrats. Or maybe she just doesn't like someone else with the name Christie getting lots of attention. But clearly, she's thinks it's more important to fight imaginary threats like the Big Coin than to provide tangible relief to Americans suffering from real harm.
Even I expected better than that from Mrs. Noem. Obviously, I was mistaken.
Just another example of her allegiance to the Tea Party. If South Dakota has a natural disaster happen in the next few years this could put disaster relief for suffering South Dakotans at risk for help from the Federal government!
I believe Governor Christie has to be beginning to see the old adage, when you lie with dogs, you get fleas. The GOP/Tea Party stand that government cannot do anything right and so should be de-funded only works if it is the "other guy" that needs assistance.
The top five spenders of the FEMA money per capita are Louisiana, North Dakota, Iowa, Mississippi, and South Dakota. New York State has received some $380 million, much of it for recovery following 9/11.
http://www.thenewyorkworld.com/2013/01/03/storm-aid/
Noem will likely be in DC when the Yellowstone supervolcano buries South Dakota: let them eat corn cobs.
Kristi can't get the farm bill passed because of the tea party she supports who does not support the farm bill so now she stoops lower and votes against people that really need help. Noem is truly heartless like the rest of the tea party.
Where is Noem on town halls and why isn't the SDDP ripping her apart over this? Oh yeah because Tim Johnson doesn't do them either.
Noem had to cover her fiscal butt because of her fiscal cliff sell out voting.
Now she is back to talking the talk again. She's a sad excuse of a congressperson.
Thune does a good job.
Global warming is a good reason for not rebuilding in areas devasted by floods. The same is true for spending federal money to rebuild or build structures on Missouri River flood plain.
I'm with Douglas Wiken. Disaster programs need to be thorougly reviewed. The federal government can't and shouldn't just blindly throw money at rebuilding areas with questionable future viability. Moreover, the federal government shouldn't give any money at all to people who can afford to insure their property but either chose not to insure for foreseeable risks or chose not to adequately insure. Helping those who can't afford to help themselves is one thing, but helping those who gambled on a free ride from taxpayers is another thing.
Senator Lederman didn't deserve a taxpayer bailout when he built his home on a sand dune by the river, and rich oceanfront dwellers don't deserve a taxpayer bailout when they built on a sand dune by the ocean. Humanitarian help for those afflicted in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster is one thing. Protecting people's wealth is an entirely different thing.
In other news, Kristi Noem had other more pressing events than attending the historic inauguration of the President of these United States.
It's a big event for the country, too bad our representative wasn't there representing SD. How petty can you get?
Maybe she was out taunting Sandy victims for being takers and not makers.
She was at a commitee meeting--- or was it a townhall meeting?
Well, where the heck was she? Her official Events page doesn't list anything going on Monday.
Wait: "previously scheduled family commitment." Seriously? Scheduled before the Senate penciled the Inauguration of the President of the United States onto the calendar?