An excellent Texas Tribune report details the ongoing failure of Republican leaders in Austin to efficiently and effectively manage $4 billion in federal funds to help Texans whose property was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey way back in 2017. Nearly five years after the storm, Texans are still waiting for relief.
Greg Abbott is the head of Emergency Management response for our state. It’s Abbott’s duty to make sure Texans are safe and secure… before, during, and after a disaster.
Greg Abbott handpicked Land Commissioner George P. Bush to manage the $4 billion that congress sent Texas in disaster preparedness funding following Hurricane Harvey. He did so despite common knowledge in Texas political circles that Bush and his staff are subpar and have done a terrible job running the General Land Office since he got there.
So, What Happened?
Abbott has completely bungled the administration of the $4 billion in federal funds for Harvey recovery. Abbott and Bush steered hundreds of millions in aid disproportionately to affluent, inland counties at less risk of natural disasters, while cities like Houston have been hung out to dry.
Texas media is right to call out George P. Bush for his awful performance. But they should never forget where the buck stops and the blame begins – that’s with Greg Abbott.
Excerpts from Texas Tribune report:
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An aside
Texas Republicans always make a mess of disaster funding:
Under GOP Governor Rick Perry, Texas was “the worst-performing state in the country on expenditure of funds and disaster money,” said Mercedes Márquez, the assistant secretary at HUD, which administers the program on the federal level. She said the way the money was managed was a mistake.
(Source: https://www.texastribune.org/2012/03/09/amid-finger-pointing-hurricane-relief-lags/)
