Setting aside what a federal judge called a “categorical freeze of appropriated and obligated funds,” the Federal Emergency Management Administration on Aug. 28 released a reimbursement of $3.72 million for the Flagler Beach pier’s $15 million demolition and reconstruction project, bringing FEMA’s share to $11.2 million.
The money was neither unexpected nor a special appropriation, but a reflection of rebuilding costs that increased over the years. The money was owed the city, had been congressionally approved, and had been unlawfully held up by the Trump administration, along with billions in grant dollars for other communities across the country.
A FEMA news release issued Thursday and reflecting the administration’s version described the Flagler Beach and other disbursements differently, as “additional” funds somehow made possible by the Trump administration. The characterization is inaccurate. Flagler County government repeated it. The toadyism is a reflection of local officials’ fear of bucking the official line and risking another funding freeze or future disfavor, either from federal agencies or state agencies subservient to them.
In 2019, FEMA estimated the cost of demolishing and replacing the pier at $9 million. That increased to $10 million a year later, and to $14 million when the contract was awarded earlier this year. The $14 million doesn’t include design costs. The city “sought recognition of the actual contract cost” from FEMA, City Manager Dale Martin said Thursday, since FEMA is responsible for reimbursing 75 percent of recovery costs. The $3.72 million was that recognition. (State and local funds split the remaining 25 percent. In this case, a legislative appropriation awarded $5 million to the project, sparing local governments from expending any strictly local dollars.)
FEMA issued a release Thursday boasting of an “Additional $178 Million Approved to Support Florida’s Recovery,” and claimed that since Jan. 20, when Donald Trump took office, “FEMA has approved more than 2,900 state and local recovery projects through the state-managed Public Assistance program.”
Both statements are grossly misleading.
The $178 million is not “additional” money that FEMA approved since Jan. 20. The money was in the pipeline and was owed to numerous communities, but was intentionally held up by the Trump administration as it reviewed the grants and fired FEMA personnel, further slowing the agency’s responsiveness to local communities. Contrary to the second statement in the release, the Department of Homeland Security, which now reviews the majority of grants, had delayed releasing the money at the president’s order, causing disruptions in many communities.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced at a cabinet meeting earlier this year that “We’re going to eliminate FEMA.” Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord cautioned the County Commission to be prepared for significant changes in the way the federal government would assist with disaster recovery, funding included. (See: “Flagler Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord Warns of a Different Disaster Ahead: the Vanishing of FEMA Money.”)
Despite two federal judges’ orders to release federal grants (and in one order, file a compliance report on FEMA grants by March 14), delays continued. “Federal agencies and departments can spend, award, or suspend money based only on the power Congress has given to them–they have no other spending power,” federal District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled in March. “The Executive has not pointed to any constitutional or statutory authority that would allow them to
impose this type of categorical freeze.”
In a court filing of its own, the Trump administration claimed it was not freezing the money and was complying with the injunction, but that it had instituted a “manual review process” (meaning that grant requests were being reviewed one by one) to ensure against “fraud, waste, or abuse,” essentially presuming communities like Flagler Beach and Flagler County guilty of fraud, waste and abuse until proven otherwise. “[A]nd in any event the Court’s injunction does not prohibit agencies from engaging in ‘reviews’— only freezes on payments, which the manual review process is not,” the administration argued.
On Tuesday, a federal judge in Boston blocked the administration from reallocating $4 billion in FEMA grants that fell under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program. The administration had initially announced it was eliminating the program, then backtracked and said it was merely “reviewing” its grants.
Facing mounting pressure, FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security started releasing the grants they’d held up, allowing local and federal officials disingenuously to recast the money flow as a victory enabled by the Trump administration. Media–local media especially–played along with the manipulation.
Last week, U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, who represents Flagler and five other counties, boastfully took credit for getting $8.8 million released to Flagler County for a dune-reconstruction project, saying FEMA had been delaying the money for years and citing his “powerful friends” in Washington as the reason for the money’s release. In fact, the money was owed since Flagler County filed for it last fall (Hurricane Milton struck in October), and it was Fine’s “powerful friends” who had caused the delays. Fine never mentioned the administration’s role or the judge’s order. He said he made phone calls that got the money moving.
Local officials in turn did not hesitate to grovel.
“I can only assume that your inquiry on the status prompted this to be sent to us,” County Administrator Heidi Petito wrote Fine’s aides on Aug. 26, just before his visit. “Thank you for bringing attention to our remaining projects, we greatly appreciate the support and partnership!” Fine then appeared at the county’s Emergency Operations Center with a sign blaring his name that read, “Delivering for Flagler County.” (“The lectern sign was brought and placed by Congressman Randy Fine’s team for his remarks,” a county spokesperson said. “Flagler County did not purchase or provide the sign.)
After FEMA’s release of the money owed the pier, Charles Gann, a Fine aide, emailed Petito about it and asked: “Are the county and city tracking this?” An obvious hint for marketable credit.
The next day Flagler County government amplified FEMA’s rewriting of the facts by repeating, in a release of its own, the falsehood about “additional $178 million to support Florida’s recovery,” quoting the FEMA release and Fine’s boasts when he was in Flagler County.
Deborah Coffey says
In 2015, I wrote on Facebook, “Our country will not survive the lies.” Can we still survive the lies? They just keep coming on a daily basis.
Duncan says
Thank you, Flagler Live, for presenting the true facts. Trump and his allies (like Fine) are nothing more than showmen without ethical boundaries. They deliberately lie about even the smallest things, knowing that those who care enough to seek the truth will uncover it — but meanwhile, they grab headlines and rally support from those unwilling to put in the effort to see through the propaganda machine. Others simply pander to Trumpism because it’s easier and less risky than exposing the truth (Flagler County Commissioners).
It’s discouraging to watch our politicians behave this way. The concept of right versus wrong seems to have disappeared; everything, no matter how trivial, has become a matter of dirty politics and dirty lies.
Why has honesty fallen so far out of style, while lying and misleading the public have become the status quo?
Nephew Of Uncle Sam says
Couldn’t just give a simple Thank You, Flagler County had to get on it’s knees to show fealty.
PaulT says
It’s so beneficent of Donald Trump’s Administration to actually release funds for Florida community projects that were already promised and earmarked but then held back, probably by Elon.
The people of Flagler County should be grateful for our mighty leader’s unstinting munificence and recognize the potential sacrifice he is making. Funds intended for such essential necessities as our leader’s $ million golf weekends and the refurbishment of his new flying palace might well be jeopardized.
Reconstruction of our gloriou pier, so essential to the morale of this community, can now continue. Of course we too will have to accept the need for certain minor funding cuts, but loss of our health insurance, hospital staffing cuts, an end to food stamps and the absence of future FEMA assistance or financial help in the event that our county is hit by a hurricane are a small price to pay when Flagler Beach may one day have it’s beloved pier again.
Jim says
If you live in MAGA land, you drink the Kool-Aid and bow to his holiness, Trump. Facts and reality are nuisances to be ignored or raged against, depending on the circumstances.
I saw a recent MAGA post on this site claiming Trump had delivered as gas prices were way down. I paid $3.20/gallon yesterday which is pretty much the same as it has been since before Trump came back. Again, inconvenient facts….
And I see Trump has stopped somewhere between 5 and 8 wars in the last six months. The number changes depending on Trump’s mood (or maybe his “perfect” memory). I find that funny because when you deal with facts, it’s always concrete. When you deal in fantasy, the numbers can change based on… whatever.
So Randy O-So Fine finally got the monies that have been held up for five years. Well, all I can say is congratulations to those in government who saw the damages of Hurricane Milton four years before it hit and made the request in anticipation! Again, I’m just trying to create “facts” to support the myth from MAGA land…
I’m not surprised the local government is going right along with the new party line that “Trump got the money”. They’re pretty much all Republicans and, for all I know, maybe they really believe that crap. And, don’t rock the boat with the Trump regime. They certainly have made it clear that they have an enemies list and will use any and all parts of the government to come after you! After all, we’ll need more money by the end of November for however many hurricanes we see this year. (I certainly hope the same folks who foresaw Milton will get an early request in again; help Randy Fine with his “delivering for Flagler…”
Dan Leonard says
Politicos toadying up….doing what they have to do to take care of real business. Instead of going through the process of whitewashing what Rump is doing, why can’t these spineless sycophants do the right thing, the brave thing, the correct thing and stand up to this wanna be dictator. You know, help their constituents first and foremost.
Militarized citizens says
they can still scrap funding like the education dollars or research dollars then give it all to the 200 richest people. Until they are removed nothing will change except your loss of freedom and financial security. Kneeled to fascism and the extreme reich all it took was for them to purchase “news” networks and have them push propaganda. Install pundit after bigot after pedophile then gutted the government so it fails at every agency mission. Consumer protection not needed haha. Pathetic and sick. Republicans should pay!
Clown show says
Eliminate the Reich!
Whats the difference between white nationalist and ice? Nothing they are the same people!
Using Common Sense says
Wow, lots of deranged comments here. Glad this funding was released. Hope that is not the case for the $14,000,000 for an unnecessary “terminal” at a rogue airport that cannot comply with FAA minimum altitude safety standards, refuses to limit excessive low, loud, and leaded flight school training aircraft operations, and cannot peacefully coexist with local residents. Think of all of the possibilities that could enhance the lives of Palm Coast residents that 14 mil could provide, instead of another step towards a catastrophic aviation catastrophe in our densely populated city.
john stove says
Money is appropriated…..Trump stops money……money is released……”oh my god, you are the best president ever”, “thanks to our president we areNOW getting the help we need”, “oh my god, thanks for our Republicans”.
Republicans who voted for Trumpo and continue to support him..YOU ARE IN A CULT
What a joke….
Atwp says
Money promised money held up. Some yes but not all that was promised. Many of the voters didn’t want a woman to lead the country look at the alternative. The good thing is millions of people are hurting because they voted for the wrong person. Am glad to say a lot of Trump voting farmers a crying for help, will they get the help time will tell. I hope they’ll loose their farms and their homes. I understand many have lost their livelihood and filing for bankruptcy. Good!
Mike says
SHOWBOAT FELON WANNA BE DICTATOR PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP takes credit for positive things that Congress did under Biden. As he crashes the economy with his Tarrifs and blames Biden even though the economy he took over was doing pretty well. I have No Party Affiliation they are both corrupted by money, lust for power, Gerrymandering and lack of term limits.☮️