.
November 1st, 2012
08:57 PM ET
Sen. Paul on FEMA: The focus should be on private and local organizations
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) explains to Erin Burnett why he is critical of FEMA and why he supports local and private organizations.
When Senator Paul speaks with heartfelt praise about churches feeding first responder and local governments should be responsible instead of FEMA I had to pick up my fallen jaw. The population of cities impacted by Kentucky tornadoes Sen. Paul referred to do not even come close to any neighborhood on Staten Island.As a new comer to New York, I THANK GOD we have a federal government available to help. While many churches and faith based groups are helping out here in New York, a non profit like American Red Cross CANNOT support the long term needs we will be requiring. State and city governments DO NOT have the budgets to support tent cities or sustain rebuilding work. NY and NJ leaders recognize it is a partnership and they can ask for help and our federal government responds far more quickly then we saw during aftermath of Katrina. Sen. Paul, with all do respect, volunteers move on, and as mighty as Red Cross or United are, they cannot fix us all.