Feds deny disaster aid for flood, fire victims
Critics say the decision puts politics over people
People affected by fires and floods in western and southern Colorado last year won’t get federal help with their recovery efforts, since the Trump administration has denied millions of dollars in disaster aid in a move that officials called a political attack.
Gov. Jared Polis announced this week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, had denied appeals for help dealing with damage from an August wildfire in Rio Blanco county and October flooding in La Plata, Archuleta, and Mineral counties.
Without federal help, the state and local communities have to foot the bill for cleaning up debris and repairing damaged structures, roads and power lines.
State officials said it was the first time in 35 years that the federal government had denied such a request from Colorado. But the Trump administration is routinely denying disaster aid to states run by Democrats during his second term.
What’s more, the Trump administration has targeted Colorado in other ways, including trying to cut off funding for transportation, scientific research, food assistance and infrastructure projects.
Need to Know
✂️ Counties are looking for solutions to coming cuts to health care and food assistance programs under recent changes to federal tax and spending laws that have affected the state budget. Proposals are focused on consolidating county-level health and human services operations to save money on administrative costs. State lawmakers set aside $3 million to study how to streamline the programs later this year. (Glenwood Springs Post Independent)
🏥 Nine hospitals in Colorado are at risk of closing or reducing services due to health care aid cuts, according to a report from the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. The hospitals are located in both urban and rural areas, and experts say tens or hundreds of thousands of Coloradans could be affected. (Denver Gazette, read the report)
🍴 A coalition of restaurants is pushing back against calls to lower the minimum wage for tipped workers, saying it would hurt workers and give an advantage to bigger restaurant companies. The coalition’s letter to city leaders was meant to counter a report by a restaurant industry group earlier this year suggesting Denver could help its food service sector by lowering labor costs. (Denver Business Journal)
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Something Good
🤓 I visited Denver’s Central Library yesterday to pick up a book I’ve been wanting to read, and I was reminded how awesome the recently remodeled building is. It’s not just books (though they do have a huge selection of those). The library also has technology services, meeting spaces and an “ideaLAB” with a 3D printer, a recording studio and tools for all kinds of crafts. On top of all that, the architecture and design are really impressive and it’s worth just taking a walk around inside.