Why Hasn't Obama Declared a Disaster In the Gulf?
When disaster strikes, Americans open their wallets. It's usually what we do best. Unbelievably, that's not been the case this time.
While Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 both provoked an unprecedented flood of generosity, the Gulf oil spill has yielded only a trickle to help floundering coastal communities, despite the non-stop coverage of the nation's worst environmental disaster.
Yesterday, several charities testified before a House panel about the dismaying dearth of giving in the wake of the spill. Catholic Charities USA, for example, received more than $160 million in donations after Hurricane Katrina. Now, despite an outreach campaign similar in scope, the group has collected only $32,000 in the three months since the Deepwater Horizon blowout. Similarly, The Greater New Orleans Foundation has only managed to raise $250,000 for out-of-work residents, about a fifth of what it drummed up after Katrina, as The Atlantic Journal Constitution reports. Even Larry King's nationally televised appeal garnered only $1.8 million.
What gives, America? A few things, in my opinion and according to the experts.
One is the BP blame game, though well-deserved, has come at a cost. We believe BP should pay to make the Gulf whole and are under the misguided impression that the $20 billion fund Obama extracted should take care of that. But charities say that with little distribution process in place, funds are excruciatingly slow to come. Meanwhile, the unemployed are getting turned away when they seek benefits, struggling to feed their families, and bearing an enormous psychological toll. Social service organizations, lacking funds, have been unable to fully step into the breach.
Reason two is an odd reversal of fortunes, here. Usually in a disaster, the human toll is most visible and the consequences for the environment get ignored. This time around, wildlife groups report doing a little better at raising funds to save oiled birds and move sea turtle eggs. Meanwhile, in the absence of images from the Superdome or a rising human death toll, groups that work to alleviate peoples' suffering are getting the shaft.
Reason three is the lack of charitable giving from BP and other oil companies themselves, which have been, to say the least, distracted by other problems. Catholic Charities asked BP for $10 million to help out, but only received $1 million, which it used up in three weeks. And, with the down economy, philanthropic foundations have also been slow to pony up, the charities testified.
There are ways you can help. One, obviously, is to give what you can to help people, wildlife and the long-term recovery efforts. Always do your research first to avoid scams, however. Charity Navigator provides a list of thirteen highly-rated organizations that are responding to the spill, including a local Catholic Charities branch and The Greater New Orleans Foundation.
Another is to sign this petition. At the hearing yesterday, Catholic Charities president Larry Snyder called on President Obama to declare a national disaster in the Gulf region. This step would improve the delivery of social services, remove several federal restrictions for worker benefits, provide access to emergency food stamps, and free-up other federal resources. Such a move could also generate more support for local non-profits.
Now three months old, how could the worst environmental catastrophe in U.S. history not be a national disaster? Tell President Obama to get on this now. His signature -- a flick of his pen -- could help thousands of families in the Gulf.
Photo credit: Barret Anspach, Flickr User
Jess Leber
is a Change.org editor. She most recently covered climate and energy issues as a reporter in Washington, D.C
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