Gov. Andrew Cuomo is requesting $30 billion in federal aid to rebuild after Superstorm Sandy, which heavily damaged parts of New York City and Long Island.

“The administration will seek a supplemental appropriation to cover infrastructure, repair and emergency costs beyond those normally covered by federal emergency aid.”

Cuomo  added…

“I’ve asked for 100 percent reimbursement, The equity and the fairness is inarguable in this case, It will probably be a regional plan including New Jersey and Connecticut, with money for infrastructure, housing, local governments and small business.”

Generally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will reimburse up to 75 percent of public costs, with the state and local authorities covering the remaining 25 percent. There have been cases, such as Hurricane Katrina, where the federal government has reimbursed up to 90 percent of costs.

DEAR GOVERNOR, you should dry the water from behind your ears, wipe the milk from your mouth and realize you are playing big boy games now, the kind your dad used to play. And your motives are as transparent as his were.  You’re apparently trying to set a precedent, not only for your state, but all of the other states, to rely completely on the federal government to solve all of their problems.

Why don’t you tell me where in the Constitution it authorizes the federal government to create a Federal Emergency Management Agency? Where in the Constitution does it authorize governors of the states to ask the federal government to print money just for them – for any reason – good or bad? No enumerated power exists for federal emergency aid. And the  federal government will pass the debt on to all of the states, no doubt.  So people in Alaska will bear the burden of a storm in the northeast. The whole intent of the general welfare clause wasn’t to give the feds blanket authority to spend for anything they considered “general welfare,” but to stipulate that spending would benefit the entire Union, not just a single region or special interest.

There is no fairness in this.  This is not the way the Constitution set up the federal government’s powers

What I would like to know is what confederation of insurance companies has you in their pocket?  This is not the duty of the federal government.   This responsibility lies in the hands of the insurance companies to provide you with funding to rebuild.  Oh you didn’t get insurance?  I’m sure you’re recently re-crowned King Obama will mandate you get it soon enough.

Some would say that this rests on the Constitution’s “general welfare” clause…but as I have already explained, this misrepresents the meaning of the clause!  I will take you back in history to show you how wrong this is.

A fire destroyed much of the previously thriving city of Savannah, Georgia in 1796. The fire was referred to as a “national calamity.”

Rep. John Milledge commented

“Not a public building, not a place of public worship, or of public justice was left standing.”

Rep. Willaim Claiborne raised the radical Federalist argument that the measure to help fund the rebuilding of Savannah was constitutional under the general welfare clause.

Reps. Nathaniel Macon, William Giles, John Nicholas, and others argued that allocating federal funds to relieve Savannah would violate the Constitution, since such charity was not authorized by any enumerated power in the Constitution.

According to Macon,

“Insurance offices,” not the federal government, were “the proper securities against fire.”

Rep. Andrew Moore argued

“Every individual citizen could, if he pleased, show his individual humanity by subscribing to their relief, but it was not Constitutional for them to afford relief from the Treasury.”

The measure to provide relief to Savannah from federal tax dollars was then defeated 55-24

What makes Louisiana, New York, or any other state exempt from this argument?

 

 

John Michaels
Latest posts by John Michaels (see all)

The 10th Amendment

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

LEARN MORE

01

Featured Articles

On the Constitution, history, the founders, and analysis of current events.

featured articles

02

Tenther Blog and News

Nullification news, quick takes, history, interviews, podcasts and much more.

tenther blog

03

State of the Nullification Movement

232 pages. History, constitutionality, and application today.

get the report

01

Path to Liberty

Our flagship podcast. Michael Boldin on the constitution, history, and strategy for liberty today

path to liberty

02

Maharrey Minute

The title says it all. Mike Maharrey with a 1 minute take on issues under a 10th Amendment lens. maharrey minute

Tenther Essentials

2-4 minute videos on key Constitutional issues - history, and application today

TENTHER ESSENTIALS

Join TAC, Support Liberty!

Nothing helps us get the job done more than the financial support of our members, from just $2/month!

JOIN TAC

01

The 10th Amendment

History, meaning, and purpose - the "Foundation of the Constitution."

10th Amendment

03

Nullification

Get an overview of the principles, background, and application in history - and today.

nullification