Summary

House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that federal aid for California’s devastating Los Angeles wildfires, which have killed at least 24 and displaced nearly 200,000 people, should come with conditions, citing alleged failures by state and local leaders.

Johnson also hinted at tying aid to debt ceiling negotiations.

Other Republican leaders, including Senators John Barrasso and Ron Johnson, expressed similar views, blaming liberal policies for exacerbating the fires.

Critics denounce these positions as cruel, given the scale of destruction, with over 12,000 buildings lost and massive evacuation orders in effect.

  • not_that_guy05@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    You know California could just not pay the federal government taxes for a year and we would be back to 100 real quick.

    No reason to giving money to other red welfare states that this state earned.

      • Draces@lemmy.world
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        8 days ago

        That would be a very dangerous escalation. I love the idea of the red states finally finding out but that’s not how that would go unfortunately. We’re in this union for life for the worse.

        • sensiblepuffin@lemmy.world
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          8 days ago

          It’s supposed to be for better or for worse. Lately it’s just been better if you’re a red state that refuses to invest in education and worse if you’re a blue state that actually generates money from your educated and well-paid citizens. Enough is enough.

    • takeda@lemm.ee
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      8 days ago

      The thing is that it is us, who pay the federal taxes. We would have to stop paying them and then redirect it to state government. The problem would be how California could change that?

  • BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca
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    8 days ago

    How much longer do they think California is going to keep paying into the federal government if the federal government keeps pulling this shit?

    California is the single largest net contributor to federal spending.

      • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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        8 days ago

        It’s worse than you think. Many of them don’t think. But for many of them that’s the dream. Without the blue States contributing to federal government you’ve just starved the Beast that much more and hurt that many more people. It’s enough to push them over the edge and make them cum. Thinking about California doing that. It would be handing them exactly what they want.

        It’s much easier to destroy than it is to build. And they are gleeful little arsonists.

        • dirthawker0@lemmy.world
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          8 days ago

          They want to knock CA down because it’s a wealthy, successful state with mostly Democrats, but they don’t think far enough to realize if they succeed in damaging CA’s economy then CA can’t contribute as much to their red welfare state.

          • Mirshe@lemmy.world
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            8 days ago

            Nah, a good chunk of them know it would hurt them. They hope it would hurt the people they hate worse.

            Having quite a few family members like this, trust me when I say there’s plenty of them who THINK they would happily deal with an economic crash if it meant that black/brown/gay/leftist people starved to death.

  • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
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    8 days ago

    Johnson also hinted at tying aid to debt ceiling negotiations.

    Aka “Something terrible happened to you and you need help, so this is my chance to force you to do what I want.”

    This is just dripping with psychopathy. This is why I could never become a politician or a billionnaire CEO: I just couldn’t hold my breakfast in in the morning looking in the mirror.

  • ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    The guy who represents one of the welfare states that takes a lot more money from the union than they give back… is doing this to one of the big blue states that gives to the union a lot more than they get back?

    Fucking pathetic, greedy, immoral little shit. I hope his home gets wiped out in the next natural disaster that hits good state.

    • Wogi@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      You know if I lived in California right now I’d be wondering real hard why even be a part of the union? California contributes more than it receives, has vastly different politics than the rest of the country, has a powerhouse economy.

  • WeUnite@lemm.ee
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    8 days ago

    Democrats: Please remember this moment and when it comes time to the elections constantly repeat this on loop as much as possible. We must never forget this.

  • BertramDitore@lemm.ee
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    8 days ago

    California might as well be in the G7. So go right ahead Johnson, be petty and watch what happens when we stop paying federal taxes. You better believe we’ll be able to fund this kind of shit ourselves if we don’t have to share…

  • JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    These are the people they always want to apply the ‘higher ground’ and ‘congressional decorum’ to. Fuck em.

  • AbidanYre@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    So the next time Louisiana gets fucked like they did during Katrina we all just tell them to suck it?

    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      8 days ago

      The fucked up thing is that the blatant double standard ensures that Republicans will blame the left no matter what. You cannot teach them through cause and effect, because their propaganda is too fucking powerful and their brains are too rotted.

      If the Democrats did something even slightly similar to this, like 10% the severity, they would be demonized and it would be taken by conservatives as an act of unprovoked aggression. It does not matter what the context is, or if it was a direct response to Republicans doing the same fucking thing. It just does not matter.

  • ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    I guess California and other blue states should also tie federal taxes to things of their own. Maybe even leave the union altogether, alongside with other states.