After delaying more than a month, the president yesterday declared a federal state of emergency for 11 counties hit badly in the June 12th and 13th storms that tore through much of west and northwest Michigan. Of those 11 counties, two of them were Manistee and Mason, which will be receiving financial assistance to help them get back on their feet. This news is very important, because without this federal funding, it would be impossible to do much of the necessary rebuilding.

This declaration is great news and provides the local communities with the resources they need to repair the damage of these devastating storms. Still, the question needs to be asked: why did it take our federal government over a month to respond to devastation such as this? Along with a number of local leaders, I have been calling for federal help for weeks now.

Contrast this with the State’s response: Governor Granholm visited the area the very next day, and declared a state of emergency within hours. At the end of yesterday’s news is big news for our local communities, we just shouldn’t have to wait a month for our federal government to do the right thing.