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Disaster Relief Shouldn't Be a Presidential Spoils System

Disaster Relief Shouldn't Be a Presidential Spoils System

Bloomberg3 days ago
President Donald Trump portrays himself to his supporters as an agent of both punishment and revenge, smiting Democrats, bureaucrats and elitists alike. Among the most recent targets of this vengeance: taxpayers in Maryland, where flash floods have caused millions of dollars in damage this year. It's part of a larger pattern: Blue states, like Maryland and California, must beg for federal disaster aid but may not receive it. Red states, like Arkansas, Texas and West Virginia, get the help they need.
But because no state is totally blue or red, Republican voters have gotten caught up in Trump's partisan approach to disaster relief, suffering neglect and punishment along with their Democratic neighbors.
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