Wisniewski Guest Column: The Right is Wrong On Irene

--September 01, 2011--

Chairman Wisniewski published the following guest column, "The Right Is Wrong On Irene," for the Star Ledger:

When a Republican Governor and Democratic state party chairman find agreement on an issue, as Governor Christie and I do on federal assistance for those suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, you would hope our representatives in Washington would take heed. Unfortunately, As New Jersey's residents and communities attempt to recover from the devastation with the welcome assistance of emergency responders from all levels of government, the Tea Party and its Republican allies are, once again, taking advantage of a national crisis to pursue their own narrow political agenda. Worse yet, with every passing day the fringe philosophy that would rather destroy government than fix it is inching its way into the mainstream of Republican thinking.

Republican Congressman Ron Paul recently appeared on Fox News claiming Irene wasn’t the real disaster. Instead, he claims that that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the very people providing a helping hand, are the problem.

Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor insists there should be no more federal assistance for disaster relief unless offset by cuts to federal programs that most Americans hold dear, but that his Republican colleagues in the U.S. Congress would rather gut. Sadly, New Jersey Republican Congressman Scott Garrett, a representative of an area devastated by flooding in recent days, has joined him in this call.

Representative Michele Bachmann, who only weeks ago won the Iowa straw poll as a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, recently joked that God was sending a message to politicians through natural disasters such as Hurricane Irene. But the people recovering from devastation aren’t laughing.

Unlike most Americans, these representatives and far too many others in positions of responsibility do not believe that government has a responsibility to its people in times of trouble. Instead of focusing on the loss of life, the damaged property and the washed away memories of people up and down the east coast, they are using this disaster to advance their assault on government. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the safety of our families and our homes or America's solid commitment to pay its debts, the right wing, the Tea Party and their cronies are showing, once again, that they will use any crisis to extort their agenda at the expense of working men and women. They are drawing a line in the sand and the line is right in front of people who have just gone through a disaster.

There is a crucial role for government in today's society and it’s not just a place to lay blame.

In Sayreville, where I live, two neighborhoods were devastated by flood waters last weekend. The men and women who suffered this damage work hard, pay their bills – including their taxes – and some answered their nation’s call to duty when it came. Today, they not only need our help, they deserve it.

It’s time to assess the damage done by the high winds, heavy rains and extensive flooding. It's time to harness all the forces of government to do the good we all know it can do. Its time for all Americans to put the destructive rhetoric about government aside and get to work on the critical task at hand - rebuilding our homes, our businesses and our communities.