Full Federal Assistance for Florida after Hurricane Ian now!

Monday, September 29, 2022

Hurricane Ian has caused enormous damage throughout Florida, smashing into the state as a Category 4 storm with winds reaching 150 miles per hour. While the exact death toll is still to be determined (at the time of this writing September 30), 21 are known to be dead, and the toll will likely rise to be one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricane in Florida’s history. We express our condolences and solidarity to those who have suffered the loss of loved ones, been injured, or lost their homes and other vital possessions due to the ravages of Hurricane Ian.

This tragic loss of life could have been avoided

While the government issued evacuation orders, it made no serious effort to assure that everyone could evacuate to a safe place. Lack of transportation and money meant that low-income people were caught in the ravages of the hurricane to fend for themselves. Securing alternative housing for an indefinite period of time is a huge financial burden on workers. Many working-class people have no disposable income. Even a short stay in a hotel can wipe out one’s income. This everyone-for-themselves model of hurricane response is a perfect example of the incompetence and moral bankruptcy of Washington. 

Rescue efforts are currently underway—however reportedly emergency responders have not yet made it into the hardest hit areas. It is standard practice for authorities in Florida and throughout the country to prioritize the protection of the property of the rich over saving the lives of the poor, especially Black, Latino and poor white workers. This must not repeat itself in the wake of Ian.

Don’t let Government neglect create another Katrina disaster —

We demand of the Federal Government:

1. Release billions of dollars in FEMA aid for home and community rebuilding, and for incomes, with no strings attached, and no paperwork obstacles for people to receive help!
2. Send emergency responders into all affected areas immediately to assist in the recovery effort.
3. Provide food and shelter for all people as long as the disaster lasts!
4. Transfer all people incarcerated in affected areas to safe out-of-state facilities!
5. Money for Floridians’ needs, not the Pentagon!
6. Full federal investment to tackle climate change, which is increasing the frequency and severity of hurricanes like Ian.

Power outages have affected over 2.6 million people, and equipment related to the electrical grid have been destroyed. In the hardest-hit counties, the lights are out for 90 to 100 percent of customers. Countless homes have been rendered uninhabitable by Ian’s impact. Only 18.5 percent of homes in the counties that issued evacuation orders are covered by the National Flood Insurance Program. Residents fear that assistance from FEMA will be inadequate and slow to arrive, something that happens repeatedly in major disasters like these.

In Fort Myers – one of the areas most badly affected – authorities refused to evacuate the Lee County jail. This wanton disregard for the lives of incarcerated people reflects the anti-worker and racist attitudes of state and local officials and is typical of the entire prison system.

Biden has sent at least 50 billion dollars to fuel the war in Ukraine, and promises even more weapons. We have an emergency in Florida of unprecedented dimensions! We call on Biden to shift his priorities to the people of the United States, and provide tens of billions for immediate relief for millions of Floridians and the people in Ian’s continued path.

Bridges, roads, the state’s electrical grid, countless homes and billions in infrastructure are collapsed.

With the money that is spent on the war in Ukraine, all Floridians who need assistance could be helped by the government immediately. We call for emergency funds to cover all the people affected, not for the war machine! 

System change not climate change!

As the planet warms, hurricanes are becoming more dangerous, more frequent and more unpredictable. This puts a deadly burden on working class people who cannot easily evacuate, cannot afford to board up their homes, and cannot afford even basic supplies. We need to end fossil fuel use, rapidly shift to renewable energy and restore ecosystems to aid in flood and drought mitigation and cool the climate. We need a system that prioritizes the transformations needed for our survival and to heal the planet, instead of this system that inherently prioritizes the profits of a few over the well being of the many. We demand the U.S government immediately fund real climate action and a just transition to a sustainable future where all life can thrive. 

Issuing Signatories

The Party for Socialism and Liberation

Florida Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival

St. Petersburg Tenants Union