Published: September 16, 2009 07:34 pm      

Flood victims continue daunting task of cutting government red tape

Whenever I cover anything to do with a government bureaucracy, I find myself asking why it has to be so complicated. For instance, when I covered the West Virginia Legislature for the first time years ago, I discovered that most proposed bills were longer than the U.S. Constitution and about as complicated as a DVD player instruction manual.

Each booklet I examined had dozens of clauses covering almost every contingency. One regulating car dealerships had a clause invalidating the whole bill if the United States was ever invaded.

A lot of these complications are laughable. I know that lawmakers and government regulators are just trying to be thorough, but it’s just about impossible to cover every circumstance. When situations that don’t fit any regulations arrive, some flexibility might be in order.

In mid-August I visited the Collins, a Weyanoke family that was living in a fold-out camper erected next to their damaged home. Heavy rains that hit the region in May had caused a mudslide that knocked it off its foundation. They did not have much in the way of financial resources, so they applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Individual assistance was extended to Mercer County after it had reached other nearby counties.

The family applied at least twice for assistance, but was denied each time due to debt or the fact they were renting to own; meanwhile, the family — including three children — continued living in the camper.

I spoke with the mother, Krista Collins, a few days ago. She said they had borrowed money from a friend and moved into a rental property near Montcalm.

“We don’t have any choice ... we can’t keep our children in a camper any longer,” she said. The children had to switch schools.

Temperatures are falling already. The summer was unusually cool already, and it’s sometimes getting into the 50s at night. A new application has been sent to FEMA, but the Collins have not received a reply yet. A veteran who left the military after being injured had expressed interest in buying the Collins trailer and moving it to a new site, but that was still up in the air.

Finding the regulatory language that covers every possible circumstance isn’t easy. Perhaps agencies like FEMA could form appeals boards to review cases that don’t quite fit into regulatory pigeonholes and find solutions in a timely manner.

Sometimes a square peg will fit in a round hole if you whittle it a little bit.

lll

Every week I get e-mails about stories I’ve written for the Daily Telegraph. Some are complimentary, some can’t be repeated in print, and many are helpful. Most come from readers in the Virginias, but Tuesday I had a surprise when I logged on. It reminded me how far information can travel these days. This particular e-mail was sparked by a story involving some goats that had been found dead and mauled outside of Princeton.

Mark Williams, a resident of the United Kingdom, said that the goat story turned up during a web search. The description of a 150-pound nanny goat that had been reduced to bones and the head “rang loud bells” with him. He said that as a hobby he studies reported attacks on livestock in the English countryside. Many people there believe that non-native big cats such as panthers and leopards — specimens escaped from zoos and private owners — are responsible.

Williams also wrote that the goat’s remains had all the signs of a big cat’s kill. Cats can remove every last bit of flesh from bones. I have to admit that the head being left behind sounded familiar, too. In one documentary, I learned that leopards often ignore the heads of their prey.

Williams suggested that a cougar could be responsible. I’ve heard of sightings in West Virginia. A wildlife biologist I spoke with said that coyotes, bears and bobcats were possible. There are coyotes in every county of West Virginia. I once saw a pair running along Interstate 77 outside of Beckley.

I have to admit that cougars roaming West Virginia is an intriguing idea, but not one to cause a panic. Black bears, which are huge, powerful animals, have roamed the state ever since human beings arrived without causing insurmountable problems. Cougars, if they are still out there, shouldn’t be any different; if they still live here, they’ve learned to avoid people.

If any more suspicious goat kills turn up, I may send Williams a message. It would be interesting to compare notes.

Greg Jordan is a reporter for the Daily Telegraph. Contact him at gjordan@bdtonline.com