Tag: EDMG259

In a 2-3 paragraph statement, discuss whether or not the federal or state government should govern local land use in disaster mitigation. Be sure to provide evidence that supports your response and cite any references you use. Respond to a classmate’s post with a 2-3 paragraph statement on why you agree or disagree with the others’ post.

Please start a new thread when creating your initial post and write any responses to others within their existing discussion threads. To receive full credit, be sure to respond to at least one of your classmates’ postings.

In my opinion, the current and founding concepts of land ownership/use—being at the discretion of the individual with guidance from the local and escalating governing bodies—is functional and provides the best methods for establishing plans, legislation, or “taking” land with disaster mitigation as the concern.

As a general “rule”, the federal government has no interest in land, aside from federally recognized areas of concern—such as large wildlife preserves/national parks; military installations and points concerning national security; borders/ports/transportation systems affecting commerce; and widely recognized ecological/environmental concerns. Further regulation of land falls to the responsibility of the state, as the governing body of the state should better represent the needs of that specific area/region/community of people (Schwab, et al; 147-8).

State level governance of land recognizes the concerns of the federal government, while applying, recognizing and regulating concerns within the political and/or natural borders of the state. State governance—while establishing stronger regulation—also provides guidance for local governmental bodies.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the local governments to enforce and police very specific needs of land and people—unless this power has not been delegated by or inherited from the state (Schwab, et al; 150) ; it is not uncommon, however, for the local governing bodies to be ill-equipped or incapable of enforcing regulations, conducting feasibility studies, or making purchases of land for mitigation efforts. As such, aid in the form of grants or state/federal recovery and mitigation projects are applied for by the local community (FEMA, 2010).

References

FEMA. (2010). Grants and Assistance Programs for Governments. Retrieved July 4, 2012, from: https://web.archive.org/web/20120322123227/http://www.fema.gov:80/government/grant/government.shtm

Schwab, A., Eschelbach, K., & Brower, D. (2007.) Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Hello, everyone, my name is Jeremiah, and I am lousy at introductions; even more so these days—we’ll get to that shortly. I’m an early thirty-something from a small town in Kentucky that’s fairly reserved and relatively shy and quiet; my writing is about the only time that I speak at any length; most likely because I can do so without fear of embarrassment. My feelings and emotions are usually a great influence on my performance, especially with regard to writing—this will be very evident if we hit a topic that I have a strong opinion on.

I am married, but separated; I have no idea as to whether there will be any chance of reconciliation. I used to be able to write at great length about my family, which made introductions much easier; these days, however…

I had pledged my life to a wonderful woman just a few months my senior; we had been together for roughly nine years, married for eight, and had known each other since high school—I had first noticed her in my freshman year of high school when she stepped onto my bus for the first time (I believe we had even shared a seat on a couple of occasions). In 2003 our paths crossed once more with us finally declaring our love for another; in 2004 we were blessed with our first child, with two additional blessings coming later in 2006 and 2009. Our son—the first born—now resides with me in my parents’ finished attic; the girls are at home with her.

I still care for the kids when needs arise, primarily because the man that now shares her bed has no desire to be around children. I have no ill feelings about caring for the kids, other than it causes issue with attempting to locate employment, plus it is quite difficult to provide care when I am limited to the graces of my parents and am not allowed access to the girls’ primary home by order of the other man—except for alternating Saturdays and when he is left completely unaware.

I have been “affiliated” with the local EM since 2001 in a voluntary status; our agency has only one paid position—director—which has been occupied by my father since 2003. I’ve not been able to carry a “deputy” status since 2004 due to difficulty in keeping up with training requirements—my life at home as the primary caregiver and homemaker kept me too busy to travel around the state to attend classes. My primary functions with the agency are the maintenance of online social media avenues and general “gopher” and clerical duties when the need arises.

I really haven’t any concrete expectations for this course, though my father joked that he hopes I will be able to file mitigation grant applications and write a few proposals, lessening his workload.

If you are curious to discover more about me or the local EM, you can search the Internet for “kg4vma” or “harrisonema” and find quite a bit about me and the agency.

Best of luck to everyone here, and—sadly—don’t be surprised if I drop off; my life is still in a whirlwind related to the separation.