By Ray Cardello for January 11, 2025, Season 30 / Post 7

America and Americans are the most generous on Earth. The government is generous on our behalf, spreading our tax dollars around the globe, and thousands of churches and charities rely on the generosity of giving Americans. Over 170 countries receive more than $70 billion every year, and this is from an America that is in debt beyond reality. I am not saying we should stop helping others who are not as fortunate as those of us lucky enough to call America home, but I believe that we should hit the pause button for a couple of years until the folks in Hawaii, the folks in California who are now homeless, the families living in tents in North Carolina, and the innocent people who had their homes washed into the Gulf of Mexico are made whole and have a roof over their heads.

We are very quick to move past a story and on to the hottest front-page story. That is an unfortunate product of the 24/7 news phenomenon. The news happens so quickly, and the news cycle is so short that we don’t have the attention span to stick with a story to its conclusion. The Maui Fire devastated the island state and dominated the news for a few days. We moved on quickly partly because few could relate to a tragedy so far away, and the news channels moved on. We felt terrible for the victims, and money flowed freely into GoFundMe sites. We were all appalled at the pittance sum of $750 given to each victim by FEMA to handle immediate needs. These people had just lost everything they owned, and those funds would maybe refill the refrigerator. Today, we have no idea where these folks are rebuilding their lives.

People living on the Gulf Coast of Florida are told to stay away from their properties for at least a year to allow contractors and crews to rebuild. This edict may work for snowbirds who use Florida for a winter home, but there are many who have no other residence. Florida is their home, and it is unwelcoming right now. The behavior of FEMA bypassing properties that showed overt signs of supporting Donald Trump remains unresolved, and there may be homeowners who have not been contacted because of their political leanings. Businesses have been destroyed, jobs eliminated, beaches to be rebuilt and infrastructure to correct. Like Maui, this area needs years of rebuilding and support.

North Carolina cannot be forgotten. This region is not used to dealing with hurricane damage, and to his credit, Governor DeSantis of Florida reached out to the Carolinas while dealing with his state. The Samaritan’s Purse and Elon Musk responded to the aid of these victims before FEMA. Our government was asleep at the helm once again. We have people in these regions who are living in tents and though this is not New England, it also is not Florida. These people are living through the winter of 2025 in a tent instead of their homes. We cannot allow this, and we must do better.

And finally, East Palestine must feel totally abandoned. They have become Guinean pigs, with the government monitoring those who remained to ascertain the long term impact of the chemical cocktail dumped in their town making it forever toxic. Being a conservative Red town with incredible support for Trump makes this town a pariah. These people are Americans before they are Republicans, and they deserve better.

I think it would be incredibly prudent to suspend the $70 billion that we send to hundreds of other countries and put together a massive effort of government and private entities to get these regions, people, and businesses back on their feet and under a roof