Last week, as torrential rains brought death, destruction and misery to Louisiana, the president continued his vacation at Martha’s Vineyard, a playground for the posh and and well-connected. Within hours, water levels rose by over four feet.
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The Advocate wrote: “If the President can interrupt his vacation for a swanky fundraiser for fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton, as he did on Monday, then surely he can make time to show up for a catastrophe that’s displaced thousands”.
The largest newspaper in Louisiana, The Advocate, stated “A disaster this big begs for the personal presence of the President at ground zero”. However and despite the tragedy’s forthcoming recovery period, the president’s apparent disregard for the natural disaster and its victims has drawn comparisons to George W. Bush’s oft-maligned neglect of the state during and after Hurricane Katrina’s onslaught in 2005.
The newspaper said Obama can and should visit now that the once-raging floodwaters are receding. The agency said on Wednesday it was providing federal aid to assist with rental payments for temporary housing, grants for home repairs and property replacement, unemployment assistance for Louisiana residents who lost jobs due to the flooding, and assistance to small businesses affected by the rising waters.
The White House says Obama is trying to get the most out of the time he’s spending with family and friends before a busy fall.
“As the president told Gov. Edwards over the weekend, the community of Baton Rouge has faced a hard, even tragic, summer but can count on the ongoing prayers and unwavering support of the president and their fellow Americans in their time of need”, White House spokeswoman Jennifer Friedman said.
“Quite frankly that is not something that I want to go through right now”.
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The White House also noted that Louisiana’s top elected Republican, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, on Thursday also praised the federal government’s response during an interview with NPR.
