Ridiculous: “Disasters” Declared In 42 North Dakota Counties
Which is pretty much the entire state given that North Dakota only has 53 counties total.
Anyone who has lived in North Dakota, or any other ag-centric state, is probably familiar with the annual declarations of disaster for this drought or that blizzard made by our political leaders. Usually these declarations are met with eye-rolls from we citizens who understand that this is just government using an excuse to get its hands on more money.
But even so, this is a little ridiculous.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Gov. John Hoeven says federal Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has approved a disaster declaration covering weather-related crop damage in 42 North Dakota counties.
Hoeven made the request earlier because of severe weather including spring flooding.
The 24 primary disaster counties are Adams, Benson, Bottineau, Burke, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Eddy, Grand Forks, Griggs, LaMoure, McHenry, Nelson, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Steele, Towner, Traill and Walsh.
Under federal law, an additional 18 contiguous counties also are eligible for assistance. They are Barnes, Bowman, Cass, Foster, Grant, Hettinger, Logan, McIntosh, McLean, Mountrail, Renville, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stutsman, Ward, Wells and Williams.
These days declaring disasters, and then raking in all the federal money that comes with such a declaration, has become big business. It seems like our local officials use any excuse they can glom on to for “disaster” declaration. As I mentioned before, declaring agriculture disasters has become an annual occurrence here in North Dakota. Summer a little dry? We declare a drought and collect federal money. Summer a little wet? We declare a flood and collect federal money?
Tornado suck up some wheat land? It’s like winning the lottery.
I haven’t gone back and actually checked, but I’m not sure there’s been a year in the 19 years I’ve lived here when North Dakota (and probably a lot of other states too) didn’t have some sort of meteorological “disaster” that prompted pleas and demands for federal money.
Which is kind of absurd, if you take a step back and look at it. We declare disasters, and demand federal aid, not because we actually suffered a true-blue disaster and need the money. But rather because we can declare a disaster, and we will get federal money for it. And the quicker we get our disaster declarations in the more likely we’ll beat other states declaring disasters of their own to the jackpot.
I worry that, because we’ve defined disaster declarations down to the point where most of them (though by no means all) are little more than rent-seeking pleadings for bailouts, when the time roles around for real disaster relief we’re left with fewer resources than we would have had.
I wonder how much additional money we’d have available for, say, flood protection in the eastern part of the state if we weren’t endlessly declaring “disasters” every single year to get in line for the federal bailouts.
Last year the guys that moved snow in North Dakota made out big time in
November. This year they need a bailout because the weather’s too nice.
I grew up on a farm and I remember grumbling to my grandfather about mowing out road ditches for hay and getting flat tires. He said you always put up a year and a half’s worth of hay because you never know which winters are hard or if next year is a drought. His marketing plan did not work for everybody because he hated debt and farmed out of the check book. If prices were low he stored the grain and bought more bins. He and dad always knew weather or demand in a few years would send prices up for one reason or another. They didn’t know we call that cyclical market action today.
Producers now carry much more debt due to the high expense of the larger equipment that has become a requirement because of lack of seasonal help. Farmers can’t afford full time help year-round. There margins are tighter. What they need is a better farm market program, not another farm program that gets converted to supporting higher land rents the next year.
‘now we all line up’
no, we ALL dont. some of us pay.
Do you live under a freakin’ rock? Are you unaware that both western and eastern ND suffered devastating floods this spring … followed by drought this summer. Harvest of soybeans in eastern ND just finished (two months behind schedule) because October was so wet farmers could not get into fields. Corn harvest is just getting underway (two months behind schedule) and while it should be a bumper crop, there are problems with mold, etc. Did you ever consider that the disaster aid affects more than farmers, but the Main Street businesses in every small town in the state. Next time I hope you won’t be so reckless to criticize this sort of thing. I’m not a farmer, but I’m a business owner in a small ND community which has been adversely affected by this year’s weather disasters … and quite frankly, if you were to walk into my office and state your opinion on this, I’d break my foot off in your keester.
they can get it all. well, i know they used to do it.
one family out west that a friend knew would buy insurance, plant and then do nothing. literally. they collected a ton every year. all legal. ethical? i am not so sure…..
Robs right on this one……as a farmer, I’d love to see our Industry be the 1st to tell the Fed Govt to keep their money…….maybe it would start a “religon as big as Global Warming & H.Care
.but also get the heck out of our lives via EPA, Cap & Trade, Enviro’s, Jimma’ Carters Grain embargo……..
I’m afraid in N.Dak..weather risk is a big part of the business…and historically whatever a govt throws at an industry…all it does is drive up the cost of doing business via rents/land costs.
The next year will be cash-a-palloza. Hoven and HelmetHead will be attempting to out pandering each other. A pox on both their houses.
THis is a huge part of the problem! We want everyone ELSE to stop putting their hands out expecting “free” money, yet we jump on it ourselves. We uesed to be a proud people who took care of themselves, now we all line up at the trough and expect others to care for us.
Disgusting.
I won’t bother to take your threat of physical violence seriously.
But I point out that “disasters” like this happen every single year. And when something happens annually its not a disaster any more.
It’s just…weather.
Given your overwrought reaction I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t profit a good deal from these “disasters.”
It will be interesting in how all the conservative farmers/bloggers will answer this. I know farmers can opt for hail insurance, how about wind, rain, drought etc.?
I guess if they can get insurance, why would they need disaster assisstance?
Him and several other government farmers!