Federal aid for Weld, Larimer Counties set

In one of the few really legitimate uses of federal power, President Bush has declared portions of Weld and Larimer counties, Colorado, disaster areas and eligible for federal economic assistance. Hard hit by a series of tornadoes last week, crops were lost, irrigation systems destroyed, farm buildings wiped out, as well as 150 homes in Windsor destroyed and another 600 damaged.

The federal aid will dovetail with the property owner's private casualty insurance, filling in the gaps for things like temporary housing, utility systems interrupted, reseeding of crops, replacement of livestock, etc. It will also assist the local governments in rebuilding roads and infrastructure, water and sewer systems and public buildings.

Legitimate acts of God, such as these tornadoes, are what government is best positioned to assist with. Unlike the bloated Farm Bill, which lavishes money on those who don't need it, genuine, unpreventable losses like these should be covered.

Despite the federal money and funds from private insurance, what has been most impressive has been the private assistance from volunteers in the clean-up, minor and temporary repairs, financial and human emergency assistance, temporary housing and food, clothing and babysitting. It has truly been a neighbor-to-neighbor, community-to-community effort, so typical of the can-do attitude in rural America.

There's been no bellyaching here, no sitting back, waiting for the government to act. As one lady said at a community church service Sunday morning "We aren't victims, we're survivors."