Louisiana started off the year facing grim financial circumstances, leaving students to shell out more money than usual in lieu of TOPS funds. Then, Baton Rouge was swept into a whirlwind with the deaths of Alton Sterling and several police officers.
Now, record-breaking floods have created more financial trouble for the state.
But what exactly does “the worst national disaster since Superstorm Sandy in 2012,” according to The American Red Cross, entail for Louisiana’s economy?
With a majority of households in parishes under a federal disaster declaration uninsured, most victims need government help.
So far, state officials are unsure of how costly flood recovery will be. Some economists say it will be a year before the full economic effects of the flood are known. The American Red Cross predicts relief will cost at least $30 million.
Thankfully, the federal disaster declaration guarantees Louisiana won’t have to absorb all of the costs. But the state can only be reimbursed for at least 75 percent of those costs by the Federal Management Agency after completely paying them off. The state still has to pull at least $30 million out of its you-know-what.
Gov. John Bel Edwards asked President Barack Obama for the federal government to pick up a larger-than-75-percent share of the recovery cost, including money to finish projects such as the Comite River Diversion Canal that are partially responsible for the flooding, as well as assistance for affected homeowners without insurance.
But some are skeptical that Congress will be generous with aid after three Louisiana Republican congressmen, Steve Scalise, John Fleming and Bill Cassidy, voted against a relief package in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
But those Sandy-snubbers are singing another tune now that water is in their own state. They’re calling on Congress to vote for a sizeable aid package for Louisiana.
Scalise and Cassidy’s spokesmen argued that the Sandy relief was asking for too much money, but looking at our own state’s financial situation, Louisiana could always use more money for disaster relief.
Because many of these politicians are either green in Congress or on their way out, they don’t have much sway in a Republican Congress known for holding tight to its wallet.
If other members of Congress decide to be more kind when considering aid for Louisiana, lawmakers may insist on budget offsets for the aid money that could delay such relief. This would be similar to what Louisiana congressmen did with the Sandy relief package.
Regardless of if, how or from where we get the financial aid required, it’s going to be a difficult task for Louisiana, and it couldn’t come at a worse time.
Ryan Thaxton is a 20-year-old mass communication senior from Monroe, Louisiana.