Gov. McDonnell asks Obama to visit quake epicenter

Obama's administration last week turned down Virginia's application for federal assistance for individuals whose homes or businesses were damaged in the Aug. 23 5.8-magnitude earthquake centered in Mineral

Associated Press AP

12:36 p.m. EDT, October 11, 2011

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is asking President Barack Obama to visit the tiny town at the epicenter of August's earthquake so he can see the damage for himself.

In a letter to the Democratic president on Tuesday, McDonnell urged Obama to visit Mineral to see the damage firsthand when he's in Virginia promoting his jobs package next week.

McDonnell pointed out that uninsured property damage estimates from the quake and the more than 40 aftershocks exceed $15 million in the rural community.

McDonnell says Virginia will appeal the decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

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Comments (16)

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Sojourner at 9:26 AM October 12, 2011

If my house falls as a result of whatever, is that the Federal Government's problem or my problem? Isn't it my property & my responsibility to insure it? Don't I have to pay for the furnace to keep it warm in winter to keep the water pipes from freezing? Don't I have to shovel the sidewalk when it snows? The only thing I want from the Fed's is for them to protect me from a foreign enemy.

Roads are public property & are maintained with local, state & fed money. If public property was damaged by the quake, then it's the government's responsibility, but not private homes. New Orleans was cause by defective levees because corrupt politicians did not see that government funds were spent on their repair. Limp-spine Bush sought to buy black votes by paying for the loss of private properties. You see how well that worked. Billions spent on what? Is the city rebuilt yet? Most of what I've seen rebuilt is from private individuals & charities efforts. Who knows what politician or community group sucked up the money.

The fed's might have more money to spend at home, if billions were not sent to the UN or other foreign nations all over the globe to rebuild masques or governments. It's called being fiscally responsible, which is a totally foreign concept for political whores.

JustSaying... at 5:14 PM October 11, 2011

The biggest problem in receiving Federal Disaster Assistance is the position of the Representative for this area, a one Mr. Eric Cantor. He's already made it known that any disaster assistance should be counter-balanced by cuts in the Federal Budget. So, here's his perfect opportunity: his community needs help. Now, Mr. Cantor should decide between party ideology or serving his constituents.

GregKing at 4:53 PM October 11, 2011

Perhaps we should ask the AG why Va. is the one of the few states turned down for Federal help?? Perhaps this is a little pay back for his law suits,which will probably be turned down and we will foot the bill for all that wasted money spent on his law suits. But I have to agree with tthe Governor THIS is NOT time to be playing tit for tat. The people in Mineral deserve the same things as the people in NJ or New England are getting.

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Gov. McDonnell asks Obama to visit quake epicenter

Obama's administration last week turned down Virginia's application for federal assistance for individuals whose homes or businesses were damaged in the Aug. 23 5.8-magnitude earthquake centered in Mineral

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