Herald Mail - Delaney Says Western Maryland Overlooked

News Article

By Dan Dearth

On a campaign stop at Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown on Saturday, U.S. Rep. John Delaney said he believes Western Maryland gets overlooked by the state government in Annapolis.

The first-term Democrat cited Gov. Martin O'Malley's failure to request federal aid for the victims of last month's Clear Spring flood as an example.

"I think it is a fair criticism to be levied on the state that Western Maryland hasn't had enough of a voice," Delaney said. "And as I've listened to my constituents ... the last year or two, I've realized the people who feel that way, have a reason to feel that way."
Delaney, who represents Maryland's 6th U.S. Congressional District, started off his Saturday campaign in Western Maryland at the Garrett County Fair, then made stops in Cumberland before he was joined by Washington County Democrats for a barbecue and threw out the first pitch at a Hagerstown Suns game.

Delaney spoke to the media about the flood that swept through Clear Spring on June 12 and damaged or destroyed 65 residences.

In addition to damaging bridges, roads and other infrastructure, the flood also impacted 175 residences in neighboring Allegany County.

To receive money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Maryland must meet a total threshold of about $8 million in damage per disaster. The flood that hit Allegany and Washington counties caused about $3.6 million in damage, meaning those areas were not eligible for assistance.

Delaney said Saturday that he believes the governor's office failed to explore other options before it decided not to request federal assistance.

He said that although the damage in Allegany and Washington counties occurred in small communities, a large portion of those residents were affected by the flood -- even if the damage didn't exceed the state threshold of $8 million.

"These areas are small, and it's a proportionality question," Delaney said. "If you have 100 homes in a neighborhood and 98 of them get destroyed, that's more impactful than having 600 homes destroyed in a city of 10 million people."

On Thursday, Delaney's office wrote to O'Malley and Ken Mallette, executive director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, to reconsider their decision not to seek federal aid.

"We were disappointed that they didn't even apply," Delaney said Saturday. "You're certainly not going to get any aid unless you apply for it."

Delaney's office stated in an email after the fundraiser that Delaney anticipated "a quick response from the governor's office because this is so important to local communities." The email continue to say, Delaney "looks forward to working with the state to push for federal assistance and making sure that FEMA thresholds are appropriate to rural communities."

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