Not long ago, Minnesota governor Tim Walz asked for federal disaster aid for his state in the wake of the George Floyd riots.
The riots, abetted by the dereliction of duty of the governor and mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, caused more than $500 million in damages. More than 1,500 buildings were damaged by fires, looting and vandalism in the days of unrest.
From the Star Tribune:
The federal government has denied Gov. Tim Walz’s request for aid to help rebuild and repair Twin Cities structures that were damaged in the unrest following George Floyd’s death.
Walz asked President Donald Trump to declare a “major disaster” for the state of Minnesota in his request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on July 2. More than 1,500 buildings were damaged by fires, looting and vandalism in the days of unrest that followed Floyd’s May 25 death in Minneapolis police custody, racking up more than $500 million in damages, according to Walz.
The governor’s spokesman, Teddy Tschann, confirmed late Friday that the request for federal aid was denied.
“The Governor is disappointed that the federal government declined his request for financial support,” Tschann said in a statement. “As we navigate one of the most difficult periods in our state’s history, we look for support from our federal government to help us through.”
Too bad. Let’s be clear, the governor and mayors were directly responsible for the damage. It was their stand down orders, lack of leadership and failure to recognize the situation for what it was that allowed the riots to become what they did.
Why should a taxpayer in Florida or Texas bear the cost of the incompetence of the elected leadership in Minnesota?