More Than Enough Incompetence and Dishonesty to Keep Us Mad and Motivated

 

Who’s worse? The elected officials who regularly make a mockery of their responsibilities or the media who routinely give them a pass with shameful, biased “reporting”?  The media. If they hadn’t allowed serious investigative journalism to die an ugly death, politicians would not be free to deceive and cheat the people they are supposed to be serving.

 

October 24 was classic. The Trump Administration denied Governor Ever’s request for just over $26 million in additional Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) support. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (JS) published an article titled, “Trump Administration Denies Public FEMA  Assistance for Wisconsin Flood Damage”.  This was just one of many reports that were similar in tone, printed or aired across the state.  The article included a quote from Governor Ever’s Spokesperson, “Denying Federal assistance doesn’t just delay recovery, it sends a message to our communities that they are on their own and that the Trump Administration doesn’t’ think over $26 million in damages to public infrastructure is worth their help.”  The Governor said he will appeal.

 

The article went on to explain that FEMA individual assistance goes directly to those impacted by a disaster and this additional request was for public infrastructure in 6 counties. The article did not include important detail that would have given readers the information they needed to evaluate the Trump Administration’s denial in full context. It was clearly intended to sour the readers on Trump.

 

The Trump Administration expressed their view that the amount of damage to infrastructure was well within the recovery expectations of state and local governments. That’s a position reasonable people could debate. Important detail about the federal assistance that has already come to Wisconsin since the flooding last August was left out of the reporting, as were probing questions that would have sparked critical thinking and the kind of spirited debate that would contribute to responsible, functional government.

 

Since last August, FEMA distributed $92 million to flood survivors in Wisconsin. $82 million went to 15,666 Milwaukee County residents who each received on average between $15,000 and $20,000.  Individuals have until November 12 to request support. The October 24 denial was for an additional request that FEMA cover the cost of repairing infrastructure.  FEMA concluded this was not appropriate.

 

Members of the media consistently deny the public truthful, comprehensive reporting on the issues they choose to cover. Whether this is a result of incompetence, dishonesty or both, it places the public at an extreme disadvantage when trying to understand and form their own opinions about things that matter to them. The only logical conclusion to be drawn is the media’s desire to control the narrative overwhelms their responsibility to inform the citizens.

 

These are some of the facts and questions responsible members of the media would have pursued in a credible story about the denial of FEMA funding for Wisconsin.

 

In November 2021 Congress passed the so-called Infrastructure Bill that was touted as one of President Joe Biden’s greatest accomplishments. It allocated more than $1 trillion over 5 years for infrastructure improvements across the country.  Wisconsin will receive $6.9 billion from that bill, with $3.4 billion specifically designated for roads, bridges and road safety.  I cannot locate a single source to provide the status of the spending to date, but it seems reasonable that some of this money should be considered for funding the infrastructure needs that resulted from the floods.  

 

Governor Evers just approved spending $121 million that was approved by the Federal Highway Administration in March 2024 to start the expansion of East/West I-94 to eight lanes in Milwaukee.  This massive 7-year project is just getting underway. Like every-day citizens who have their sights set on a shiny new car and have to reorder their priorities because their heating and ventilation system or a major appliance fails, it would seem the state might have to reorder its expansion priorities in light of the infrastructure damage caused by flooding.

 

Wisconsin also ended the fiscal year on June 30 with a $4.6 billion budget surplus. This budget excess should also be considered an ideal candidate for funding a one-time emergency like the infrastructure damage cause by the flooding. 

 

Wisconsin’s “rainy day” fund is sitting at a record high $2 billion.  This emergency fund is another excellent potential source for funding the infrastructure rebuilds that quite literally are the result of destruction from a rainy day.  What is this fund for if not for this?

 

The slanted reporting on the denial of a second round of FEMA funding was intended to fuel the liberal narrative that Donald Trump does not care about the people of Wisconsin as part of the strategy for the 2026 midterms.  It’s what we expect from the media.

 

Wisconsin voters are justifiably disgusted by the lack of meaningful problem solving and the ineffective management of the state’s resources from elected officials who are supposed to represent us. We have no interest in the finger pointing and responsibility shifting and we are keenly aware that all of the money, whether from local, state or federal sources, comes from us, the hardworking taxpayers. 

 

The public would have been well served if the media had pressed elected officials on why Wisconsin should not be expected to assume responsibility for the infrastructure damage caused by the August flooding and why they are collecting so much more in taxes than needed to fund the budget.  Serious investigative journalists chasing the truth, and elected officials acting in the interests of the people who elected them rather than spending their time jockeying for political advantage, are missing in action.  Every day we are reminded there is more than enough incompetence and dishonesty to keep us mad and motivated for as long as it takes to take our country back.