The comic brilliance of Randy Demmer: SMIF flood relief fund

We're developing a keen appreciation for the wit and wisdom of State Representative Randy Demmer (R-Backbench). Just yesterday, the Dodge County Independent published Demmer's latest column, Additional flood relief assistance coming from private sector, a small gem of conservative ideology, shiny as an ancient bee preserved in amber.

The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation has set up a Business Recovery Fund for Southeastern Minnesota businesses afflicted by August's deluge.  It's a good thing, one more example of how people take care of each other.

However, it's not enough for Demmer to applaud the SMIF's fund. Randy is such a kidder. He simply can't help himself in using the SMIF's generosity to illustrate an anti-government ideology:

. . .This is a textbook example of the private sector working with non-profits to assist their neighbors, without the need for government involvement. . . .

Demmer's nod to "no need for government involvement" is a brilliantly understated ironic gesture, given the conditions of the SMIF's grant program.  When we were studying its details, we'd noticed one of the eligibility criteria on a SMIF factsheet about the grant program:

Business is registered with FEMA

There's also the sticky matter of the preference given to businesses that are working with the federal Small Business Administration and the Minnesota Investment Fund.  From  the  same SMIF factsheet:

While all businesses are eligible to apply, preference will be given to:
• Businesses that are working with the Small Business Administration or the
Minnesota Investment Fund through their city or county.
• Businesses that have been in existence five years or more
• Businesses which are able to retain multiple employees.
• Businesses which provide a unique service that contributes to the local
community.
• Businesses which are locally-owned.

There's also the small matter of this statement on the grant application form [Word document here]:

You have my permission to release information with this application to Federal, State, Local or private organizations that provide relief for disaster related purposes. This is to avoid duplication of funds.

The grant application form budget section includes the SBA and MIF as possible revenue sources. The form also requests two bits of information:

Describe the other funding agencies involved in your recovery process:
Specify what kind of financing gap exists:

We too applaud the SMIF's program: it's a textbook example of the private sector, non-profits, and state and federal government disaster aid programs working together with local government to assist their neighbors without duplicating funds. From the looks of the details, the non-profit's generous grant program isn't intended to replace government involvement, but to fill in gaps.

What's more, a look at the SMIF's annual report shows that the Foundation receives financial support from cities and counties in its area, as well as aiding local governmnet. It also has a hand in a number of Americorps programs.  The public-private-non-profit partnerships are truly impressive.

We wonder if Karl Rove discovered Demmer's gift for irony when the dapper legislator skipped two days of the session to fly out to DC last spring for the NRCC's candidate training school.

 

Comments

[Felix]

When are conservatives going to learn that the free market doesn't solve everything. There are so many examples of successful government programs. They only want to see things they way they want to and expect us to be grateful to big business for doing anything to pay back the country that made them rich.