Piggybacking FEMA in the DENA

To add to Centinel's excellent thoughts on FEMA in the Dena, consider: even if one strongly believed that FEMA ought to play a significant role in local affairs, I don't think any sane person thinks that the sort of thing the Dena is getting money for is an "Emergency." And after all, this is the Federal Emergency Management Association. There are, after all, real emergencies that come up now and again out there in the big wide world, and in much poorer communities than the Dena.

Of course, this is really a federal problem—clearly Congress, the Prez, and the Courts are okaly-dokaly with the whole racket. And, of course, if the federal government offers the sweet treat of its ever-giving teat, it is in no city's selfish, immediate interest, be it rich or poor, to reject the unpasteurized milk. Problem is, there are deeper principles at play, as Centinel notes. Self-government and local autonomy are weakened when we pretend that because the money comes from "out there," it is somehow a "free gift."